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07/18/2019 DAB Transcript

1 Chronicles 26:12-27:34, Romans 4:13-5:5, Psalms 14:1-7, Proverbs 19:17

Today is the 18th day of July. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It is my pleasure and it is a joy to be here with you today and just move into the Scriptures and just move out of all the entanglements, all of the things that, you know, knot our stomachs and anxiety, all the responsibilities and obligations that are swirling at us. This is a moment to step away and let God re-center us in His word and give us counsel and direction for our lives. So, it is certainly a joy to be here with you today as we take the next step forward. We’re reading from the New Living Translation this week and the next step forward will take us back into the book of first Chronicles. Today, chapter 26 verse 12 through 27 verse 34.

Commentary:

Alright. So, as we spent some time going through the book of Romans and just really seeing some of the foundational pieces of our faith explained we’ve also mentioned that this controversial stuff that Paul’s saying at the time, pretty disruptive. And, so, we have to imagine this for Paul because Paul was a pharisee, he was trained in this. So, you can only imagine the kind of disruption that had previously happened in his life in order to arrive at this place. I mean any kind of revolution, especially in matters of faith are usually unsettling experiences. So, it’s not surprising that we’re seeing Paul reframe faith and the Hebrew experience of faith by going back to the beginning as opposed to starting somewhere in the middle. And this is why we find ourselves exploring Abraham again because Abraham is the first person associated with the Hebrew story. And, so, thus is one of the reasons Paul references Abram so often in his teachings and why it’s so important and like foundational to what he’s saying. So, in today’s reading from Romans, Paul continued to discuss Abraham’s life and he’s doing this so that his position or his argument between a life of faith and a life trying to obey a law could be clear. And he says, “if God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith isn’t necessary and there’s no point in having a promise because the law is what brings punishment on those who try to obey”. Like, you don’t know you’ve done wrong unless there’s some sort of law to tell you that you did do wrong and then you’re punished for it. Or in Paul’s words, “the only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break.” So, for Paul and for that matter for us, faith is…is the essence for interaction with God. God wants us to come to Him through faith not by trying to obey a set of rules. I know that…I mean that can disrupt us even today because we spend so much of our time trying to obey the rules and frankly so little time living by faith. So, in a lot of ways it’s not so different. And Paul’s point was that if those who were reading this letter, if they would just go back to their own beginning story, the origin of it all and just look at what God did in the world through Abraham, then they would see that it was faith and that it was only faith that started that domino effect that created the Jewish people. And if that’s the case, which it is, then it was faith and not a law that actually held their true identity. Paul said it like this, “the promise is received by faith, it is given as a free gift and we are all certain to receive it whether or not we live according to the law of Moses as long as we have faith like Abraham’s.” So, I mean, we’re like biting this off a little bit at a time and there is so much, the book of Romans is no dense with things to contemplate that it it’s worth spending some of your own times just really trying to understand what’s being said here. But if you want to take something away from this and move into our day it’s that all of the hoops that we’re trying to jump through to get God’s attention so that He will answer our prayers whatever they might be, that’s never been the way it works, which is not to say, “well that’s a relief. Finally, I don’t really have to pay attention to anything that I do. I just have to have faith.” That’s not how it works in either. Faith transforms us and transforms the way that we think about things. And when the way that we think and understand things has shifted then our behavior shifts as well. So, may we live by faith today

Prayer:

Jesus, that’s really poignant as easy as it is to dismiss because it’s something that we hear often, and it is something we hear all the time. So, it’s easy to just to not even hear but we’re hearing it. We must live by faith, which means we must reach into the dark and see what we cannot see, and we cannot do that without the guidance of your Holy Spirit. And, so, come Holy Spirit, give us eyes to see and ears to hear as we reach in faith and live our faith today. Come Holy Spirit we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

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

And it’s the global campfire Family Reunion that’s coming up August 31st…I was like choking on that word…campfire. I think it was. Anyway, August 31st through September 2nd here in the rolling hills of Tennessee. We’re gonna have a family reunion. We’ve been on this journey together through the Bible throughout this year, we have heard one another’s voices, we have prayed for each other, we’ve reached out in faith toward each other, we know each other’s voices, we know we’re in this together, we know we’re not alone. And the family is an opportunity to see that that’s the truth. We can step out and meet people that we know by voice and that we’re connected to by heart because we’ve been praying for them and because we’ve been on this journey through the Scriptures together. So, that’s coming up and that’s filling up. So, we hope you can come here to the rolling hills of Tennessee and visit the Nashville area, which is…it’s an amazing place and we have…camp Widjiwagan is an amazing place as well. There’s so much to do there right on the lake, there’s so much to play. And, so, we‘re just gonna haven a great time. So, hopefully that can include you. You can get the details at dailyaudiobible.com in the initiatives section and just look for Family Reunion 2019 and you can get the details. Hope to see you soon. It’s not that far off.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There’s a link on the homepage and I thank you profoundly and humbly and gratefully for your partnership as we…as we navigate summertime. Appreciate it very, very much. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner. If you’re using the website there’s a link on the homepage. If you prefer the mail, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

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

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

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday July 18, 2019 (NIV)

1 Chronicles 26:12-27:34

12 These divisions of the gatekeepers were named for their family leaders, and like the other Levites, they served at the house of the Lord. 13 They were assigned by families for guard duty at the various gates, without regard to age or training, for it was all decided by means of sacred lots.

14 The responsibility for the east gate went to Meshelemiah[a] and his group. The north gate was assigned to his son Zechariah, a man of unusual wisdom. 15 The south gate went to Obed-edom, and his sons were put in charge of the storehouse. 16 Shuppim and Hosah were assigned the west gate and the gateway leading up to the Temple.[b] Guard duties were divided evenly. 17 Six Levites were assigned each day to the east gate, four to the north gate, four to the south gate, and two pairs at the storehouse. 18 Six were assigned each day to the west gate, four to the gateway leading up to the Temple, and two to the courtyard.[c]

19 These were the divisions of the gatekeepers from the clans of Korah and Merari.

Treasurers and Other Officials

20 Other Levites, led by Ahijah, were in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries of the gifts dedicated to the Lord. 21 From the family of Libni[d] in the clan of Gershon, Jehiel[e] was the leader. 22 The sons of Jehiel, Zetham and his brother Joel, were in charge of the treasuries of the house of the Lord.

23 These are the leaders that descended from Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel:

24 From the clan of Amram, Shebuel was a descendant of Gershom son of Moses. He was the chief officer of the treasuries. 25 His relatives through Eliezer were Rehabiah, Jeshaiah, Joram, Zicri, and Shelomoth.

26 Shelomoth and his relatives were in charge of the treasuries containing the gifts that King David, the family leaders, and the generals and captains[f] and other officers of the army had dedicated to the Lord. 27 These men dedicated some of the plunder they had gained in battle to maintain the house of the Lord. 28 Shelomoth[g] and his relatives also cared for the gifts dedicated to the Lord by Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah. All the other dedicated gifts were in their care, too.

29 From the clan of Izhar came Kenaniah. He and his sons were given administrative responsibilities[h] over Israel as officials and judges.

30 From the clan of Hebron came Hashabiah. He and his relatives—1,700 capable men—were put in charge of the Israelite lands west of the Jordan River. They were responsible for all matters related to the things of the Lord and the service of the king in that area.

31 Also from the clan of Hebron came Jeriah,[i] who was the leader of the Hebronites according to the genealogical records. (In the fortieth year of David’s reign, a search was made in the records, and capable men from the clan of Hebron were found at Jazer in the land of Gilead.) 32 There were 2,700 capable men among the relatives of Jeriah. King David sent them to the east side of the Jordan River and put them in charge of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. They were responsible for all matters related to God and to the king.

Military Commanders and Divisions

27 This is the list of Israelite generals and captains,[j] and their officers, who served the king by supervising the army divisions that were on duty each month of the year. Each division served for one month and had 24,000 troops.

2 Jashobeam son of Zabdiel was commander of the first division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the first month. 3 He was a descendant of Perez and was in charge of all the army officers for the first month.

4 Dodai, a descendant of Ahoah, was commander of the second division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the second month. Mikloth was his chief officer.

5 Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest was commander of the third division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the third month. 6 This was the Benaiah who commanded David’s elite military group known as the Thirty. His son Ammizabad was his chief officer.

7 Asahel, the brother of Joab, was commander of the fourth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the fourth month. Asahel was succeeded by his son Zebadiah.

8 Shammah[k] the Izrahite was commander of the fifth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the fifth month.

9 Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa was commander of the sixth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the sixth month.

10 Helez, a descendant of Ephraim from Pelon, was commander of the seventh division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the seventh month.

11 Sibbecai, a descendant of Zerah from Hushah, was commander of the eighth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the eighth month.

12 Abiezer from Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin was commander of the ninth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the ninth month.

13 Maharai, a descendant of Zerah from Netophah, was commander of the tenth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the tenth month.

14 Benaiah from Pirathon in Ephraim was commander of the eleventh division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the eleventh month.

15 Heled,[l] a descendant of Othniel from Netophah, was commander of the twelfth division of 24,000 troops, which was on duty during the twelfth month.

Leaders of the Tribes

16 The following were the tribes of Israel and their leaders:

TribeLeader
ReubenEliezer son of Zicri
SimeonShephatiah son of Maacah
17 LeviHashabiah son of Kemuel
Aaron (the priests)Zadok
18 JudahElihu (a brother of David)
IssacharOmri son of Michael
19 ZebulunIshmaiah son of Obadiah
NaphtaliJeremoth son of Azriel
20 EphraimHoshea son of Azaziah
Manasseh (west)Joel son of Pedaiah
21 Manasseh in Gilead (east)Iddo son of Zechariah
BenjaminJaasiel son of Abner
22 DanAzarel son of Jeroham

These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.

23 When David took his census, he did not count those who were younger than twenty years of age, because the Lord had promised to make the Israelites as numerous as the stars in heaven. 24 Joab son of Zeruiah began the census but never finished it because[m] the anger of God fell on Israel. The total number was never recorded in King David’s official records.

Officials of David’s Kingdom

25 Azmaveth son of Adiel was in charge of the palace treasuries.

Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the regional treasuries throughout the towns, villages, and fortresses of Israel.

26 Ezri son of Kelub was in charge of the field workers who farmed the king’s lands.

27 Shimei from Ramah was in charge of the king’s vineyards.

Zabdi from Shepham was responsible for the grapes and the supplies of wine.

28 Baal-hanan from Geder was in charge of the king’s olive groves and sycamore-fig trees in the foothills of Judah.[n]

Joash was responsible for the supplies of olive oil.

29 Shitrai from Sharon was in charge of the cattle on the Sharon Plain.

Shaphat son of Adlai was responsible for the cattle in the valleys.

30 Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels.

Jehdeiah from Meronoth was in charge of the donkeys.

31 Jaziz the Hagrite was in charge of the king’s flocks of sheep and goats.

All these officials were overseers of King David’s property.

32 Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a wise counselor to the king, a man of great insight, and a scribe. Jehiel the Hacmonite was responsible for teaching the king’s sons. 33 Ahithophel was the royal adviser. Hushai the Arkite was the king’s friend. 34 Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar. Joab was commander of the king’s army.

Footnotes:

  1. 26:14 Hebrew Shelemiah, a variant spelling of Meshelemiah; compare 26:2.
  2. 26:16 Or the gate of Shalleketh on the upper road (also in 26:18). The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  3. 26:18 Or the colonnade. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  4. 26:21a Hebrew Ladan, a variant spelling of Libni; compare 6:17.
  5. 26:21b Hebrew Jehieli (also in 26:22), a variant spelling of Jehiel; compare 23:8.
  6. 26:26 Hebrew the commanders of thousands and of hundreds.
  7. 26:28 Hebrew Shelomith, a variant spelling of Shelomoth.
  8. 26:29 Or were given outside work; or were given work away from the Temple area.
  9. 26:31 Hebrew Jerijah, a variant spelling of Jeriah; compare 23:19.
  10. 27:1 Hebrew commanders of thousands and of hundreds.
  11. 27:8 Hebrew Shamhuth, a variant spelling of Shammah; compare 11:27 and 2 Sam 23:25.
  12. 27:15 Hebrew Heldai, a variant spelling of Heled; compare 11:30 and 2 Sam 23:29.
  13. 27:24 Or never finished it, and yet.
  14. 27:28 Hebrew the Shephelah.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Romans 4:13-5:5

13 Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. 14 If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. 15 For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)

16 So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. 17 That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.”[a] This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

18 Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!”[b] 19 And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.

20 Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. 22 And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. 23 And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded 24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.

Faith Brings Joy

5 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace[c] with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Footnotes:

  1. 4:17 Gen 17:5.
  2. 4:18 Gen 15:5.
  3. 5:1 Some manuscripts read let us have peace.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 14

Psalm 14

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 Only fools say in their hearts,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
not one of them does good!

2 The Lord looks down from heaven
on the entire human race;
he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,
if anyone seeks God.
3 But no, all have turned away;
all have become corrupt.[a]
No one does good,
not a single one!

4 Will those who do evil never learn?
They eat up my people like bread
and wouldn’t think of praying to the Lord.
5 Terror will grip them,
for God is with those who obey him.
6 The wicked frustrate the plans of the oppressed,
but the Lord will protect his people.

7 Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel?
When the Lord restores his people,
Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.

Footnotes:

  1. 14:3 Greek version reads have become useless. Compare Rom 3:12.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 19:17

17 If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—
and he will repay you!

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


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07/17/2019 DAB Transcript

1 Chronicles 24:1-26:11, Romans 4:1-12, Psalms 13:1-6, Proverbs 19:15-16

Today’s the 17th day of July. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and it’s wonderful, as it is every day, a joy that we can come together like this isn’t it? That we can come together and step away from things for a few minutes and be together in God’s word. That is a joy. So, it’s a joy to be here with you as we take the next step through our week and next step forward in the Scriptures. We’re reading from the New Living Translation this week and we’re nearing the end of our journey through first Chronicles. Today we’ll read chapter 24 verse 1 through 26 verse 11.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in the book of Romans, the letter that Paul wrote to the Romans, we’re seeing Paul do some deconstruction about certain aspects of his Jewish faith. And, I mean, it may not seem that way now but the stuff that he’s saying in the book of Romans at the time is very controversial stuff, but he wasn’t trying to like dismantle or just like do away with his reverence for Judaism. He wasn’t actually trying to get anybody’s reverence for Judaism obliterated or anything like that. He was trying to reframe the story and bring Jesus into the store and show how this has always been there. And this is why Paul was in the hotseat all the time. This stuff that we’re reading, this is like a very like outlawed kind of book for the Hebrew people at the time. And what Paul is trying to reframe at its essence was about whether a person could earn their way into God’s favor by their own obedience to the Mosaic law, which is an idea that was deeply embedded into the Hebrew culture, or whether there was another way. So, Paul was kinda saying out loud what they had been wrestling with for a long time because nobody could obey the law perfectly. And, so, what to do? And this is pretty big reframe indeed what Paul is saying because the Jews believed that their adherence to the law wasn’t just about an exclusive Hebrew religion, but also this was the path that would save them. So, Paul’s message is pretty disruptive if that’s what…if that’s what you believe. And what we’re seeing Paul start to do is make a distinction between Abraham and Moses. The law came through Moses, but Abraham came way before Moses and he was the one who received the promise in the first place. So, Paul’s saying, “you’re kind of worshiping and revering Moses and the Mosaic law and that’s fine and dandy but things happened before that that we cannot forget because they are foundational.” So, Paul made reference to two people in today’s reading, that all Hebrew people would understand - Abraham and David. And he said this, “Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would’ve had something to boast about, but that wasn’t God’s way for the Scriptures tell us Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” So, Paul’s saying like, “you’re like going nuts on this Mosaic law thing right down to circumcision. All these things are important, but let’s remember that our father Abraham was not circumcised when he put his faith in God.” So, for every man that was a Hebrew like circumcision is and irreplaceable outward sign of obedience to the law. And, so, Paul’s saying like, “when Abraham met God, he wasn’t obeying the law because there was no law to obey and he wasn’t circumcised because there was no law to tell him he should be. So, we’re trying to obey these rules and regulations and we’re overlooking the thing, like the centerpiece, the one thing that’s required in the story, faith. It was faith that Abraham had that started the story, not some attempt to obey some kind of rule as behaviors are modified. And the reason this is revolutionary is because it was revealing that righteousness before God is not something that can be achieved by like adhering to the moral code or some kind of ethic or some kind of rule. Paul’s claiming that righteous…righteousness before God is a gift from God and it can only be received by faith. In other words, it’s a gift that’s given by God and the only way to receive it is to believe that you have it, right? Like it’s not something that you’re going to end up deserving. Paul said it like this, “when people work their wages aren’t a gift. They earned those wages. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sin.” And then he referenced Psalm 132. So, he’s referencing David showing that forgiveness is something to be experienced as a gift. It’s something to be experienced with joy. And, so, then Paul asks whether God might be merciful to people who were not Hebrew and were not practicing the Jewish faith. And he asks, “is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it for uncircumcised Gentiles.” And he says, “we’ve been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith but how did that happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly”…I’m quoting Paul here…”God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised.” So, we’ve got a lot of conversation about circumcision, which is probably not the topic that you choose over lunch every day. But here we are, and it’s actually a really really important piece of the Hebrew faith. And Paul’s saying, “I mean circumcision yes or no has nothing to do with whether or not you can be made righteous before God. That is a faith matter.” Now where we sit now these things, we don’t hardly even pay attention to. We just take them for granted, the idea or the awareness of an inclusive gospel that is open to everyone who believes in salvation through faith. These are like embedded into our faith, into the Christian faith, just as embedded as obedience to the Mosaic law was for the Jewish people of Paul’s time, which is why this is so controversial and disruptive. And that’s where we leave off today and if we’ll take some time to just kind of meditate, just appreciate what Paul is doing here as he tries to navigate between Jew and Gentile, basically walking the middle way here and revealing Jesus in all of it we then begin to understand how the faith came to be and was handed down to us.

Prayer:

Father, we invite Your Holy Spirit into all that we’re reading in the book of Romans, because we base so much of our faith from the things that are said here. So, come Holy Spirit, reveal these things to us and allow them to sink deeper into our understanding and lead us into all truth. This is what we seek, and this is what You have promised. So, we open ourselves to You. Come Jesus we pray. In Your mighty and holy name, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

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

And it's…it’s the family…Family Reunion that’s coming up in…in the last day…the last day of August, August 31st through September 2nd. So, Labor Day weekend we will be hosting a Family Reunion for the Daily Audio Bible community here in the rolling hills of Tennessee out on the lake. It's…it’s one of the most beautiful places around here for us to do an event like this. And, so, we’re looking forward to that. Looking forward to it, especially because it's…it’s sort of the end of some of the intense activity that we have maintained…I see that word…for over a decade. I mean, we’re completing year 14. This year is year 14, seven days a week and it has literally taken us all around the globe and there are certain things that we’ve have done that take months to prepare for that the Lord is just instructing us to take a break from so that we can have more space to maintain and to dream. He’s leading us into some new territory. So, we won’t be doing the More Gathering for women in 2020. We usually do that in April. And we won’t be doing the Family Reunion over Labor Day weekend in 2020. So, this is, at least for us, not…it’s not bittersweet…it’s actually very, very exciting but it’s also…you know…with the gravity of like…this is the last time we’re gonna have a big group of the community together for a little while. And, so, we want to savor that and that was one of the words that we were given over the More Gathering, “savor”, as we went into that this year, just enjoying every minute. It’s funny how your attitude changes…I mean there’s all kinds of challenges to doing large events. And, so, there’s all kinds of stuff that comes with it and it’s easy to get frantic about the details and not even enjoy the fact that it’s happening. And, so, we really were able to press in and enjoy everything about the More Gathering and that is the attitude we’re taking into the Family Reunion, to savor it, to enjoy it, to allow it to fill us up, to do everything that we can to fill each other up as we just enjoy being together in community. So, hopefully you can come. Hope you can. Looking forward to seeing your beautiful, handsome faces coming from wherever you’re coming from, and getting to know you more than just voice alone. So, all the details are at dailyaudiobible.com in the Initiatives section. You can get to the Initiatives section on the app by pushing the little Drawer icon in the upper left-hand corner. And yeah, that’ll give you all the details. Hope to see you soon.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There is a link and that link lives on the homepage and I thank you profoundly for those of you who have clicked that link. We most assuredly wouldn’t be here if we didn’t do this together. So, the link on the homepage. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And as always, if you have a prayer request or comment there are a number of numbers that you can use depending on where you are in the world. If you are in the UK, 44-20-3608-8078 is the number to dial. If you are in Australia or that part of the world 61-3-8820-5459 is the number to dial. And if you are in the Americas or this part of the world, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

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

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday July 17, 2019 (NIV)

1 Chronicles 24:1-26:11

Duties of the Priests

24 This is how Aaron’s descendants, the priests, were divided into groups for service. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and they had no sons. So only Eleazar and Ithamar were left to carry on as priests.

3 With the help of Zadok, who was a descendant of Eleazar, and of Ahimelech, who was a descendant of Ithamar, David divided Aaron’s descendants into groups according to their various duties. 4 Eleazar’s descendants were divided into sixteen groups and Ithamar’s into eight, for there were more family leaders among the descendants of Eleazar.

5 All tasks were assigned to the various groups by means of sacred lots so that no preference would be shown, for there were many qualified officials serving God in the sanctuary from among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar. 6 Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, acted as secretary and wrote down the names and assignments in the presence of the king, the officials, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the family leaders of the priests and Levites. The descendants of Eleazar and Ithamar took turns casting lots.

7 The first lot fell to Jehoiarib.
The second lot fell to Jedaiah.
8 The third lot fell to Harim.
The fourth lot fell to Seorim.
9 The fifth lot fell to Malkijah.
The sixth lot fell to Mijamin.
10 The seventh lot fell to Hakkoz.
The eighth lot fell to Abijah.
11 The ninth lot fell to Jeshua.
The tenth lot fell to Shecaniah.
12 The eleventh lot fell to Eliashib.
The twelfth lot fell to Jakim.
13 The thirteenth lot fell to Huppah.
The fourteenth lot fell to Jeshebeab.
14 The fifteenth lot fell to Bilgah.
The sixteenth lot fell to Immer.
15 The seventeenth lot fell to Hezir.
The eighteenth lot fell to Happizzez.
16 The nineteenth lot fell to Pethahiah.
The twentieth lot fell to Jehezkel.
17 The twenty-first lot fell to Jakin.
The twenty-second lot fell to Gamul.
18 The twenty-third lot fell to Delaiah.
The twenty-fourth lot fell to Maaziah.

19 Each group carried out its appointed duties in the house of the Lord according to the procedures established by their ancestor Aaron in obedience to the commands of the Lord, the God of Israel.

Family Leaders among the Levites

20 These were the other family leaders descended from Levi:

From the descendants of Amram, the leader was Shebuel.[a]
From the descendants of Shebuel, the leader was Jehdeiah.
21 From the descendants of Rehabiah, the leader was Isshiah.
22 From the descendants of Izhar, the leader was Shelomith.[b]
From the descendants of Shelomith, the leader was Jahath.
23 From the descendants of Hebron, Jeriah was the leader,[c] Amariah was second, Jahaziel was third, and Jekameam was fourth.
24 From the descendants of Uzziel, the leader was Micah.
From the descendants of Micah, the leader was Shamir, 25 along with Isshiah, the brother of Micah.
From the descendants of Isshiah, the leader was Zechariah.
26 From the descendants of Merari, the leaders were Mahli and Mushi.
From the descendants of Jaaziah, the leader was Beno.
27 From the descendants of Merari through Jaaziah, the leaders were Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.
28 From the descendants of Mahli, the leader was Eleazar, though he had no sons.
29 From the descendants of Kish, the leader was Jerahmeel.
30 From the descendants of Mushi, the leaders were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

These were the descendants of Levi in their various families. 31 Like the descendants of Aaron, they were assigned to their duties by means of sacred lots, without regard to age or rank. Lots were drawn in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the family leaders of the priests and the Levites.

Duties of the Musicians

25 David and the army commanders then appointed men from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to proclaim God’s messages to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. Here is a list of their names and their work:

2 From the sons of Asaph, there were Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. They worked under the direction of their father, Asaph, who proclaimed God’s messages by the king’s orders.

3 From the sons of Jeduthun, there were Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei,[d] Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six in all. They worked under the direction of their father, Jeduthun, who proclaimed God’s messages to the accompaniment of the lyre, offering thanks and praise to the Lord.

4 From the sons of Heman, there were Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael,[e] Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. 5 All these were the sons of Heman, the king’s seer, for God had honored him with fourteen sons and three daughters.

6 All these men were under the direction of their fathers as they made music at the house of the Lord. Their responsibilities included the playing of cymbals, harps, and lyres at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman reported directly to the king. 7 They and their families were all trained in making music before the Lord, and each of them—288 in all—was an accomplished musician. 8 The musicians were appointed to their term of service by means of sacred lots, without regard to whether they were young or old, teacher or student.

9 The first lot fell to Joseph of the Asaph clan and twelve of his sons and relatives.[f]
The second lot fell to Gedaliah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
10 The third lot fell to Zaccur and twelve of his sons and relatives.
11 The fourth lot fell to Zeri[g] and twelve of his sons and relatives.
12 The fifth lot fell to Nethaniah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
13 The sixth lot fell to Bukkiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
14 The seventh lot fell to Asarelah[h] and twelve of his sons and relatives.
15 The eighth lot fell to Jeshaiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
16 The ninth lot fell to Mattaniah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
17 The tenth lot fell to Shimei and twelve of his sons and relatives.
18 The eleventh lot fell to Uzziel[i] and twelve of his sons and relatives.
19 The twelfth lot fell to Hashabiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
20 The thirteenth lot fell to Shubael and twelve of his sons and relatives.
21 The fourteenth lot fell to Mattithiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
22 The fifteenth lot fell to Jerimoth[j] and twelve of his sons and relatives.
23 The sixteenth lot fell to Hananiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
24 The seventeenth lot fell to Joshbekashah[k] and twelve of his sons and relatives.
25 The eighteenth lot fell to Hanani and twelve of his sons and relatives.
26 The nineteenth lot fell to Mallothi and twelve of his sons and relatives.
27 The twentieth lot fell to Eliathah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
28 The twenty-first lot fell to Hothir and twelve of his sons and relatives.
29 The twenty-second lot fell to Giddalti and twelve of his sons and relatives.
30 The twenty-third lot fell to Mahazioth and twelve of his sons and relatives.
31 The twenty-fourth lot fell to Romamti-ezer and twelve of his sons and relatives.

Duties of the Gatekeepers

26 These are the divisions of the gatekeepers:

From the Korahites, there was Meshelemiah son of Kore, of the family of Abiasaph.[l] 2 The sons of Meshelemiah were Zechariah (the oldest), Jediael (the second), Zebadiah (the third), Jathniel (the fourth), 3 Elam (the fifth), Jehohanan (the sixth), and Eliehoenai (the seventh).

4 The sons of Obed-edom, also gatekeepers, were Shemaiah (the oldest), Jehozabad (the second), Joah (the third), Sacar (the fourth), Nethanel (the fifth), 5 Ammiel (the sixth), Issachar (the seventh), and Peullethai (the eighth). God had richly blessed Obed-edom.

6 Obed-edom’s son Shemaiah had sons with great ability who earned positions of great authority in the clan. 7 Their names were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad. Their relatives, Elihu and Semakiah, were also very capable men.

8 All of these descendants of Obed-edom, including their sons and grandsons—sixty-two of them in all—were very capable men, well qualified for their work.

9 Meshelemiah’s eighteen sons and relatives were also very capable men.

10 Hosah, of the Merari clan, appointed Shimri as the leader among his sons, though he was not the oldest. 11 His other sons included Hilkiah (the second), Tebaliah (the third), and Zechariah (the fourth). Hosah’s sons and relatives, who served as gatekeepers, numbered thirteen in all.

Footnotes:

  1. 24:20 Hebrew Shubael (also in 24:20b), a variant spelling of Shebuel; compare 23:16 and 26:24.
  2. 24:22 Hebrew Shelomoth (also in 24:22b), a variant spelling of Shelomith; compare 23:18.
  3. 24:23 Hebrew From the descendants of Jeriah; compare 23:19.
  4. 25:3 As in one Hebrew manuscript and some Greek manuscripts (see also 25:17); most Hebrew manuscripts lack Shimei.
  5. 25:4 Hebrew Shebuel, a variant spelling of Shubael; compare 25:20.
  6. 25:9 As in Greek version; Hebrew lacks and twelve of his sons and relatives.
  7. 25:11 Hebrew Izri, a variant spelling of Zeri; compare 25:3.
  8. 25:14 Hebrew Jesarelah, a variant spelling of Asarelah; compare 25:2.
  9. 25:18 Hebrew Azarel, a variant spelling of Uzziel; compare 25:4.
  10. 25:22 Hebrew Jeremoth, a variant spelling of Jerimoth; compare 25:4.
  11. 25:24 Hebrew Joshbekasha, a variant spelling of Joshbekashah; compare 25:4.
  12. 26:1 As in Greek version (see also Exod 6:24); Hebrew reads Asaph.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Romans 4:1-12

The Faith of Abraham

4 Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? 2 If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. 3 For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”[a]

4 When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. 5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. 6 David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it:

7 “Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sins are put out of sight.
8 Yes, what joy for those
whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.”[b]

9 Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles?[c] Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith. 10 But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised!

11 Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith. 12 And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Footnotes:

  1. 4:3 Gen 15:6.
  2. 4:7-8 Ps 32:1-2 (Greek version).
  3. 4:9 Greek is this blessing only for the circumcised, or is it also for the uncircumcised?
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 13

Psalm 13

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever?
How long will you look the other way?
2 How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
with sorrow in my heart every day?
How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

3 Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!
Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.
4 Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”
Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love.
I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
6 I will sing to the Lord
because he is good to me.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 19:15-16

15 Lazy people sleep soundly,
but idleness leaves them hungry.

16 Keep the commandments and keep your life;
despising them leads to death.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Posted on

07/16/2019 DAB Transcript

1 Chronicles 22:1-23:32, Romans 3:9-31, Psalms 12:1-8, Proverbs 19:13-14

Today is the 16th day of July. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian how are you today? I hope everything is well. Things are pretty well here in the rolling hills of Tennessee. I guess we’re facing all the same kinda struggles everybody else does in their daily lives and that’s one of the reasons why we come here, why we center ourselves in God’s word, why we step away for just a few minutes to re-center ourselves in who we are because we are in relationship with our heavenly Father and we seek direction in our lives through His word. So, we’re reading from the New Living Translation this week and we’re working our way into the end of first Chronicles. We’ll actually conclude first Chronicles before we conclude this week but we’re not there yet. So, let’s set with stay here where we are. First Chronicles chapter 22 and 23 today.

Commentary:

Okay. So, as we work our way through the apostle Paul’s letters this year we’re going to find, as I’ve already mentioned, he’s fairly direct and at times the implications of what he’s saying are so astounding that it’s truly like mind-boggling me. I mean, there are things that the apostle Paul says that, if they are true, and I believe they are true, then you have to start wondering, “why do most believers not live as if they are true?” And we’ll also see why people were so upset with Paul. We go through the book of Acts or whatever and we see Paul’s ministry, and we’re like, “what’s the problem here? Like, why would people be so opposed to this guy enough to riot and to drag him out and beat him up and stone him and imprison him?” And we’ll see pretty clearly why that is. And we begin to see why that is in what he’s saying in the book of Romans today. So, we know Paul is a trained Pharisee, right, trained up in the Mosaic law and he is speaking about the Mosaic law today because, and we have got to get our minds around this, at the time Paul’s writing this there is nothing called a New Testament. Paul can’t say, “I’m referring to first Corinthians here, another letter that I wrote or I’m referring to the gospel of John here or I’m referring to James letter here.” These things have not been cohesively collected into something that we would call the New Testament. So, the Bible, if there were a thing called the Bible at this time would be the Torah, the law and then other writings called the prophets - the law and the prophets. People had put their faith in the law and in trying to perfectly obey the law, especially a person like a trained Pharisee like Saul or Paul. Paul’s reached a place where he realizes you cannot get there from here, nobody can obey the law perfectly. So, that must not be the way to become righteous before God. There must be a different purpose. And, so, Paul says, “no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.” So, now we can understand where Paul’s coming from but you hear this in the first century, when you don’t have Christian faith and you don’t have a New Testament and your thinking, “what are you talking…what you’re saying here?” Right? It’s very disruptive. And that’s when Paul goes on to say, “look, God’s shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law. This is promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets. Like this is not new news. This has been a thing that’s been promised. We’re made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everybody in the world, everybody who believes it, no matter who they are, no matter who they are, no matter who they are friends, no matter who they are.” That is like a centerpiece of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So, it would…it would seem that the people…the people who believe and have fallen in love with Jesus Christ would not forget that and maybe would stop condemning each other, would stop living into the stereotype about us, that we’re the judgmental ones, we’re the condemning ones as opposed to that we are known by our love for one another. What Paul is trying to lay out here as he will continue to lay out as we go through this letter is that you don’t deserve to be here. You do not deserve to become a child of God. Nobody deserves that. But rather than me paraphrasing, let me just read it from Paul’s letter. “Can we boast then that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No! Our acquittal isn’t based on obeying the law, it’s based on faith. We’re made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.” So, we are all citizens of some nation, right, the nation we were born in or the nation that we immigrated to. We…most of us…are citizens of somewhere. We are expected to obey the laws of the place that we are. That’s how society is held together, but if we obey those laws more and more perfectly, we are not more and more of a citizen. We are a citizen. That’s that. If we break the laws of our land we will…we will likely pay the fine or the penalty depending on what it is that’s happened but we’re still a citizen. Like here in the United States, pretty hard to lose your citizenship. You could commit treason and be found guilty of that and lose your citizenship, but maybe you’re seeing the point here. Why is it that we are obsessing over sin management and trying to figure out how to obey the rules or better yet, trying to figure out how to get everybody else to obey the rules while applying full grace to ourselves so that we can appreciate citizenship of the kingdom of God when it’s a done deal? So, I feel like we could go on for hours talking about this, but we will. We will over time. This is kind of where we…where we end today because this is kind of where our reading ends today. But we should take that as a gift because as we go through all of these letters and we and we explore their implications day by day it gives us a chance to little by little grow in our understanding and reshape and reframe what it is that we think that we know and what it is that were doing.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father. We love You and we thank You for Your kindness and we thank You for Your long-suffering and we admit, I admit, I’ve been trying my very best to figure out how to do it right as a way to honor You and to live into this faith completely and yet it’s not possible, not even for one day. And, so, as much stress and anxiety as that can bring up in our lives, we should rest in the fact that we are Your children and all that we have to do is believe that and just allow that knowledge and allow that awareness, that reality, to change us over the course of our lives. Come Holy Spirit. We keep trying to get the formula right, we keep trying to get the recipe right, we keep trying to find out just what it is exactly we’re supposed to do to make this work perfect. We’re trying to obey the law, and nobody’s been able to do that except Jesus and only through him do we have any hope. Let this sink in deeply, Holy Spirit, pray today in Your name we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

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

The Daily Audio Bible Family Reunion for 2019 is coming up It’s coming up August 31st through September 2nd and that’s we’re refocusing some of our attention now. Inviting you here to the rolling hills of Tennessee into the Nashville area, which is…which is a thing unto itself. Such beauty in this part of the world but we’re all getting together and coming into community together to spend some time together to stop knowing each other only by voice, but to get to know some of those voices, to get to see some of those voices, take the story deeper so that as we continue to hear those voices over the years to come we say, “that’s my sister, that’s my brother. I met them.” And we pray for each other more intentionally, deepen the community. And we’re looking forward to it. We’re actually anticipating it a lot because we gonna be taking a break after this. And, so, we’re really looking forward to being in community together. And when I say a break, I don’t mean like we’re taking a break, like the Daily Audio Bible’s going to disappear. But just from the continual travel, the continual events that are…that are  always with us and take months to prepare for. We’re gonna be taking a little bit of a break from that in 2020. And, so, we’re really looking forward to this Family Reunion. It’s gonna be a special time. So, you can find out all the details at dailyaudiobible.com in the Initiatives section. Just look for a Family Reunion 2019. You can get all the details, where it is, what it looks like. There are a handful of cabins still on the grounds available. Those guys are as big as a house. They’re set up more like a bunkhouse but they have their own bathrooms and showers and everything inside and its right on the grounds and the grounds are right on the lake and there’s just a lot to do. It’s very beautiful. So, hopefully you can come. I said the Initiatives section at dailyaudiobible.com. You can also find that on the app. Pushing the Drawer icon in the upper left-hand corner will take you to the Initiatives section. So, hope to see you August 31st.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There is a link, it lives on the homepage. And I can’t thank you enough and that’s the truth, that’s just being honest, I can’t thank you enough for your partnership. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

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

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

Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday July 16, 2019 (NIV)

1 Chronicles 22-23

22 Then David said, “This will be the location for the Temple of the Lord God and the place of the altar for Israel’s burnt offerings!”

Preparations for the Temple

2 So David gave orders to call together the foreigners living in Israel, and he assigned them the task of preparing finished stone for building the Temple of God. 3 David provided large amounts of iron for the nails that would be needed for the doors in the gates and for the clamps, and he gave more bronze than could be weighed. 4 He also provided innumerable cedar logs, for the men of Tyre and Sidon had brought vast amounts of cedar to David.

5 David said, “My son Solomon is still young and inexperienced. And since the Temple to be built for the Lord must be a magnificent structure, famous and glorious throughout the world, I will begin making preparations for it now.” So David collected vast amounts of building materials before his death.

6 Then David sent for his son Solomon and instructed him to build a Temple for the Lord, the God of Israel. 7 “My son, I wanted to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God,” David told him. 8 “But the Lord said to me, ‘You have killed many men in the battles you have fought. And since you have shed so much blood in my sight, you will not be the one to build a Temple to honor my name. 9 But you will have a son who will be a man of peace. I will give him peace with his enemies in all the surrounding lands. His name will be Solomon,[a] and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign. 10 He is the one who will build a Temple to honor my name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will secure the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’

11 “Now, my son, may the Lord be with you and give you success as you follow his directions in building the Temple of the Lord your God. 12 And may the Lord give you wisdom and understanding, that you may obey the Law of the Lord your God as you rule over Israel. 13 For you will be successful if you carefully obey the decrees and regulations that the Lord gave to Israel through Moses. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or lose heart!

14 “I have worked hard to provide materials for building the Temple of the Lord—nearly 4,000 tons of gold, 40,000 tons of silver,[b] and so much iron and bronze that it cannot be weighed. I have also gathered timber and stone for the walls, though you may need to add more. 15 You have a large number of skilled stonemasons and carpenters and craftsmen of every kind. 16 You have expert goldsmiths and silversmiths and workers of bronze and iron. Now begin the work, and may the Lord be with you!”

17 Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to assist Solomon in this project. 18 “The Lord your God is with you,” he declared. “He has given you peace with the surrounding nations. He has handed them over to me, and they are now subject to the Lord and his people. 19 Now seek the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. Build the sanctuary of the Lord God so that you can bring the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant and the holy vessels of God into the Temple built to honor the Lord’s name.”

Duties of the Levites

23 When David was an old man, he appointed his son Solomon to be king over Israel. 2 David summoned all the leaders of Israel, together with the priests and Levites. 3 All the Levites who were thirty years old or older were counted, and the total came to 38,000. 4 Then David said, “From all the Levites, 24,000 will supervise the work at the Temple of the Lord. Another 6,000 will serve as officials and judges. 5 Another 4,000 will work as gatekeepers, and 4,000 will praise the Lord with the musical instruments I have made.” 6 Then David divided the Levites into divisions named after the clans descended from the three sons of Levi—Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

The Gershonites

7 The Gershonite family units were defined by their lines of descent from Libni[c] and Shimei, the sons of Gershon. 8 Three of the descendants of Libni were Jehiel (the family leader), Zetham, and Joel. 9 These were the leaders of the family of Libni.

Three of the descendants of Shimei were Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. 10 Four other descendants of Shimei were Jahath, Ziza,[d] Jeush, and Beriah. 11 Jahath was the family leader, and Ziza was next. Jeush and Beriah were counted as a single family because neither had many sons.

The Kohathites

12 Four of the descendants of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

13 The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart to dedicate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices in the Lord’s presence, to serve the Lord, and to pronounce blessings in his name forever.

14 As for Moses, the man of God, his sons were included with the tribe of Levi. 15 The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer. 16 The descendants of Gershom included Shebuel, the family leader. 17 Eliezer had only one son, Rehabiah, the family leader. Rehabiah had numerous descendants.

18 The descendants of Izhar included Shelomith, the family leader.

19 The descendants of Hebron included Jeriah (the family leader), Amariah (the second), Jahaziel (the third), and Jekameam (the fourth).

20 The descendants of Uzziel included Micah (the family leader) and Isshiah (the second).

The Merarites

21 The descendants of Merari included Mahli and Mushi.

The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish. 22 Eleazar died with no sons, only daughters. His daughters married their cousins, the sons of Kish.

23 Three of the descendants of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

24 These were the descendants of Levi by clans, the leaders of their family groups, registered carefully by name. Each had to be twenty years old or older to qualify for service in the house of the Lord. 25 For David said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has given us peace, and he will always live in Jerusalem. 26 Now the Levites will no longer need to carry the Tabernacle and its furnishings from place to place.” 27 In accordance with David’s final instructions, all the Levites twenty years old or older were registered for service.

28 The work of the Levites was to assist the priests, the descendants of Aaron, as they served at the house of the Lord. They also took care of the courtyards and side rooms, helped perform the ceremonies of purification, and served in many other ways in the house of God. 29 They were in charge of the sacred bread that was set out on the table, the choice flour for the grain offerings, the wafers made without yeast, the cakes cooked in olive oil, and the other mixed breads. They were also responsible to check all the weights and measures. 30 And each morning and evening they stood before the Lord to sing songs of thanks and praise to him. 31 They assisted with the burnt offerings that were presented to the Lord on Sabbath days, at new moon celebrations, and at all the appointed festivals. The required number of Levites served in the Lord’s presence at all times, following all the procedures they had been given.

32 And so, under the supervision of the priests, the Levites watched over the Tabernacle and the Temple[e] and faithfully carried out their duties of service at the house of the Lord.

Footnotes:

  1. 22:9 Solomon sounds like and is probably derived from the Hebrew word for “peace.”
  2. 22:14 Hebrew 100,000 talents [3,400 metric tons] of gold, 1,000,000 talents [34,000 metric tons] of silver.
  3. 23:7 Hebrew Ladan (also in 23:8, 9), a variant spelling of Libni; compare 6:17.
  4. 23:10 As in Greek version and Latin Vulgate (see also 23:11); Hebrew reads Zina.
  5. 23:32 Hebrew the Tent of Meeting and the sanctuary.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Romans 3:9-31

All People Are Sinners

9 Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles,[a] are under the power of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say,

“No one is righteous—
not even one.
11 No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.”[b]
13 “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with lies.”
“Snake venom drips from their lips.”[c]
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[d]
15 “They rush to commit murder.
16 Destruction and misery always follow them.
17 They don’t know where to find peace.”[e]
18 “They have no fear of God at all.”[f]

19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

Christ Took Our Punishment

21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses[g] and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.

29 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. 30 There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.[h] 31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

Footnotes:

  1. 3:9 Greek or Greeks.
  2. 3:10-12 Pss 14:1-3; 53:1-3 (Greek version).
  3. 3:13 Pss 5:9 (Greek version); 140:3.
  4. 3:14 Ps 10:7 (Greek version).
  5. 3:15-17 Isa 59:7-8.
  6. 3:18 Ps 36:1.
  7. 3:21 Greek in the law.
  8. 3:30 Greek whether they are circumcised or uncircumcised.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 12

Psalm 12

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by an eight-stringed instrument.[a]

1 Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing!
The faithful have vanished from the earth!
2 Neighbors lie to each other,
speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.
3 May the Lord cut off their flattering lips
and silence their boastful tongues.
4 They say, “We will lie to our hearts’ content.
Our lips are our own—who can stop us?”

5 The Lord replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless,
and I have heard the groans of the poor.
Now I will rise up to rescue them,
as they have longed for me to do.”
6 The Lord’s promises are pure,
like silver refined in a furnace,
purified seven times over.
7 Therefore, Lord, we know you will protect the oppressed,
preserving them forever from this lying generation,
8 even though the wicked strut about,
and evil is praised throughout the land.

Footnotes:

  1. 12:Title Hebrew according to the sheminith.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 19:13-14

13 A foolish child[a] is a calamity to a father;
a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping.

14 Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth,
but only the Lord can give an understanding wife.

Footnotes:

  1. 19:13 Hebrew son; also in 19:27.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Posted on

07/15/2019 DAB Transcript

1 Chronicles 19:1-21:30, Romans 2:25-3:8, Psalms 11:1-7, Proverbs 19:10-12

Today is the 15th day of July. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. I was just thinking this is about closest to the center of this month as we’re gonna get. I guess like noon today is the middle, smack middle of the month. So, here we are in the middle of another month as we move our way through this year and through the Bible. So, it’s great to be here with you today and I am excited to dive in and see what the Scriptures have for us today. We have kinda gotten through all the introductions and we’re getting into the meat of the book of Romans. And, so, we will pick that up when we get there, but first we’re reading from the New Living Translation this week. First Chronicles chapter 19, 20, and 21.

Commentary:

Okay. So, as we as we move into this new week, let’s just kind of orient ourselves to where we are. In first Chronicles we’re continuing to experience the reign of King David and, of course, this can sound like, haven’t I heard this…I mean…haven’t I read this already?” And we have read these stories when we were reading through the books of Samuel and Kings. And just reminding you that those books looked at these stories from the Royal perspective and now we’re kind of looking at the stories from the perspective of the priests. But yes, you’re not losing your mind. We are reviewing same territory. So, like in today’s reading, David bought land and built an altar to God and the land belonged to a man named Araunah who offered to give David everything that he was going to need, give him everything he was gonna need for this altar and this sacrifice and David said, “I cannot give to God what cost me nothing.” And we should perhaps consider our own lives in light of that. Are we offering God what costs us nothing in time and in talent and treasure or have we offered all that we are and all that we have?

And then we moved into the New Testament and the letter to the Romans. And, of course, this is the first letter of the apostle Paul that we are reading. So, we’re kind of getting to know his personality and we can see that he is…he is forthright. And we should understand this. We can look and say he's…he’s kind of aggressive, but he’s a Pharisee. Like this is a guy who’s trained up in the law. Like he’s…he’s absolutely educated religiously. And, so he’s speaking with some authority because he’s talking about what he knows, what he’s been trained in, what his Hebrew listeners would and should understand. So, in the passages that we read today, Paul was addressing questions that had arisen out of distortions of the messages that he was giving about grace, specifically. So, the first argument was sin actually is a valuable thing, right? It’s good. It’s actually…if you look at it in a certain way it’s kind of good because it ultimately shows God’s righteousness, right? Like you can contrast it. Of course, that’s an argument that doesn’t really work very well. That’s sort of like saying cancer is a good thing because you can compare a person who is about to pass away from this disease to a healthy person and just see how good health is. And then the second argument was, the more…the more I sin actually, the better it is. Or the more dishonest I am, the more God’s truthfulness can be seen. And, so, this is like ends justifies the means stuff. And we can laugh at it. Like I’m poking at it a little bit because it obviously doesn’t work and yet you’d be surprised, I would be surprised….we would be surprised if we actually observed ourselves how often we’re trying to do these kinds of arguments. They may not be like this direct, but the ends justifies the means is everywhere. And Paul, in the in these cases, absolutely renounces utterly this line of argument for good reason. It’s unthinkable that God is unjust or unfair, and God's…God is merciful, obviously, but that’s not a license to destroy ourselves, destroy what He has created through sin

And then the Proverbs gave us some things to think about. “Sensible people”, right? So, let’s just kind of pause there. “Sensible people control their temper. They earn respect by overlooking wrongs.” I mean, there’s a lot…there’s a lot in that sentence. I mean because isn’t it our inability to overlook wrongs that is usually what…what triggers us to lose our temper? So, let's…let’s stir that into our coffee and drink it today. Let’s pay attention. If something is starting to arise within us, if anger is welling up and we’re about to lose it, we can pause and we can remember this proverb. We can consider maybe what overlooking the wrong might…might actually bring to the situation and way out what us just jumping in and blowing things up is going to do, which isn’t to say that no matter…that there aren’t matters that we have to step into and actually deal with. But if we want to be sensible about it, because this is where the Proverbs going. If we want to approach these things sensibly then according to the Bible, sensible people control their temper. They earn respect by overlooking wrongs.

Prayer:

Father, we invite You into all that we’ve read today on a number of fronts. I mean we’re following a number of different stories and their stories are winding through differing…differing territory that speaks into our lives and so we don’t want to miss a thing. We want all that You are speaking to us and all that You have for us. So, come Holy Spirit and bring back to memory all the things that we need to remember today, the things that…that we can observe ourselves doing today and we invite You into it fully and completely. We give You absolute and unimpeded access to our hearts and lives today. We want to walk with You this week in lockstep. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In the name of Jesus’ we ask Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, it’s home, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here. So, yeah, of course, stay tuned and stay connected.

One of the things that we are talking about right now is the forthcoming Daily Audio Bible Family Reunion that will take place here in the rolling hills of Tennessee over Labor Day weekend, which will be the 31st of August through the 2nd of September and we hope you can come. It’s gonna be a fantastic time in a beautiful setting with a lot to do and just the fellowship of the global campfire kinda coming out of the Internet and just being together for a couple of days. So, you can get all the details about the family reunion at dailyaudiobible.com in the Initiatives section. Just look for Family Reunion 2019. You can find that on the app as well and can register right there to come. We have a handful of cabins left on the grounds. So, you stay right on the grounds and just…man it’s just lovely. There’s a bunch of pictures online so you can see it. And it’ gonna be a lot of fun. And we…we are all looking forward to seeing you. We are all…my family…we are all looking forward to spending our time among the community with you. So, hopefully you can be there.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, if…if the global campfire that we’ve sort of created hear is bringing life and good news, and encouragement, and direction from God’s word into your life the thank you for your partnership. It’s always been a family affair. It only ever has been that we do this together. And, so, thank you as we move through these summer months for your partnership. There’s a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

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

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

Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday July 15, 2019 (NIV)

1 Chronicles 19-21

David Defeats the Ammonites

19 Some time after this, King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun[a] became king. 2 David said, “I am going to show loyalty to Hanun because his father, Nahash, was always loyal to me.” So David sent messengers to express sympathy to Hanun about his father’s death.

But when David’s ambassadors arrived in the land of Ammon, 3 the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you really think these men are coming here to honor your father? No! David has sent them to spy out the land so they can come in and conquer it!” 4 So Hanun seized David’s ambassadors and shaved them, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame.

5 When David heard what had happened to the men, he sent messengers to tell them, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow out, and then come back.” For they felt deep shame because of their appearance.

6 When the people of Ammon realized how seriously they had angered David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent 75,000 pounds[b] of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah. 7 They also hired 32,000 chariots and secured the support of the king of Maacah and his army. These forces camped at Medeba, where they were joined by the Ammonite troops that Hanun had recruited from his own towns. 8 When David heard about this, he sent Joab and all his warriors to fight them. 9 The Ammonite troops came out and drew up their battle lines at the entrance of the city, while the other kings positioned themselves to fight in the open fields.

10 When Joab saw that he would have to fight on both the front and the rear, he chose some of Israel’s elite troops and placed them under his personal command to fight the Arameans in the fields. 11 He left the rest of the army under the command of his brother Abishai, who was to attack the Ammonites. 12 “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then come over and help me,” Joab told his brother. “And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will help you. 13 Be courageous! Let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. May the Lord’s will be done.”

14 When Joab and his troops attacked, the Arameans began to run away. 15 And when the Ammonites saw the Arameans running, they also ran from Abishai and retreated into the city. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem.

16 The Arameans now realized that they were no match for Israel, so they sent messengers and summoned additional Aramean troops from the other side of the Euphrates River.[c] These troops were under the command of Shobach,[d] the commander of Hadadezer’s forces.

17 When David heard what was happening, he mobilized all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and positioned his troops in battle formation. Then David engaged the Arameans in battle, and they fought against him. 18 But again the Arameans fled from the Israelites. This time David’s forces killed 7,000 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers, including Shobach, the commander of their army. 19 When Hadadezer’s allies saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they surrendered to David and became his subjects. After that, the Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.

David Captures Rabbah

20 In the spring of the year,[e] when kings normally go out to war, Joab led the Israelite army in successful attacks against the land of the Ammonites. In the process he laid siege to the city of Rabbah, attacking and destroying it. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.

2 Then David went to Rabbah and removed the crown from the king’s head,[f] and it was placed on his own head. The crown was made of gold and set with gems, and he found that it weighed seventy-five pounds.[g] David took a vast amount of plunder from the city. 3 He also made slaves of the people of Rabbah and forced them to labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes.[h] That is how David dealt with the people of all the Ammonite towns. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.

Battles against Philistine Giants

4 After this, war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. As they fought, Sibbecai from Hushah killed Saph,[i] a descendant of the giants,[j] and so the Philistines were subdued.

5 During another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath of Gath. The handle of Lahmi’s spear was as thick as a weaver’s beam!

6 In another battle with the Philistines at Gath, they encountered a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all, who was also a descendant of the giants. 7 But when he defied and taunted Israel, he was killed by Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimea.

8 These Philistines were descendants of the giants of Gath, but David and his warriors killed them.

David Takes a Census

21 Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, “Take a census of all the people of Israel—from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north—and bring me a report so I may know how many there are.”

3 But Joab replied, “May the Lord increase the number of his people a hundred times over! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this? Are they not all your servants? Why must you cause Israel to sin?”

4 But the king insisted that they take the census, so Joab traveled throughout all Israel to count the people. Then he returned to Jerusalem 5 and reported the number of people to David. There were 1,100,000 warriors in all Israel who could handle a sword, and 470,000 in Judah. 6 But Joab did not include the tribes of Levi and Benjamin in the census because he was so distressed at what the king had made him do.

Judgment for David’s Sin

7 God was very displeased with the census, and he punished Israel for it. 8 Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt for doing this foolish thing.”

9 Then the Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer. This was the message: 10 “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.’”

11 So Gad came to David and said, “These are the choices the Lord has given you. 12 You may choose three years of famine, three months of destruction by the sword of your enemies, or three days of severe plague as the angel of the Lord brings devastation throughout the land of Israel. Decide what answer I should give the Lord who sent me.”

13 “I’m in a desperate situation!” David replied to Gad. “But let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great. Do not let me fall into human hands.”

14 So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel, and 70,000 people died as a result. 15 And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But just as the angel was preparing to destroy it, the Lord relented and said to the death angel, “Stop! That is enough!” At that moment the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of Araunah[k] the Jebusite.

16 David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth with his sword drawn, reaching out over Jerusalem. So David and the leaders of Israel put on burlap to show their deep distress and fell face down on the ground. 17 And David said to God, “I am the one who called for the census! I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep—what have they done? O Lord my God, let your anger fall against me and my family, but do not destroy your people.”

David Builds an Altar

18 Then the angel of the Lord told Gad to instruct David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 19 So David went up to do what the Lord had commanded him through Gad. 20 Araunah, who was busy threshing wheat at the time, turned and saw the angel there. His four sons, who were with him, ran away and hid. 21 When Araunah saw David approaching, he left his threshing floor and bowed before David with his face to the ground.

22 David said to Araunah, “Let me buy this threshing floor from you at its full price. Then I will build an altar to the Lord there, so that he will stop the plague.”

23 “Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to David. “I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, and the threshing boards for wood to build a fire on the altar, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give it all to you.”

24 But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the Lord. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!” 25 So David gave Araunah 600 pieces of gold[l] in payment for the threshing floor.

26 David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And when David prayed, the Lord answered him by sending fire from heaven to burn up the offering on the altar. 27 Then the Lord spoke to the angel, who put the sword back into its sheath.

28 When David saw that the Lord had answered his prayer, he offered sacrifices there at Araunah’s threshing floor. 29 At that time the Tabernacle of the Lord and the altar of burnt offering that Moses had made in the wilderness were located at the place of worship in Gibeon. 30 But David was not able to go there to inquire of God, because he was terrified by the drawn sword of the angel of the Lord.

Footnotes:

  1. 19:1 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 10:1; Hebrew lacks Hanun.
  2. 19:6 Hebrew 1,000 talents [34,000 kilograms].
  3. 19:16a Hebrew the river.
  4. 19:16b As in parallel text at 2 Sam 10:16; Hebrew reads Shophach; also in 19:18.
  5. 20:1 Hebrew At the turn of the year. The first day of the year in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in March or April.
  6. 20:2a Or from the head of Milcom (as in Greek version and Latin Vulgate). Milcom, also called Molech, was the god of the Ammonites.
  7. 20:2b Hebrew 1 talent [34 kilograms].
  8. 20:3 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 12:31; Hebrew reads and cut them with saws, iron picks, and saws.
  9. 20:4a As in parallel text at 2 Sam 21:18; Hebrew reads Sippai.
  10. 20:4b Hebrew descendant of the Rephaites; also in 20:6, 8.
  11. 21:15 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 24:16; Hebrew reads Ornan, another name for Araunah; also in 21:18-28.
  12. 21:25 Hebrew 600 shekels of gold, about 15 pounds or 6.8 kilograms in weight.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Romans 2:25-3:8

25 The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God’s law. But if you don’t obey God’s law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile. 26 And if the Gentiles obey God’s law, won’t God declare them to be his own people? 27 In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God’s law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God’s law but don’t obey it.

28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. 29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise[a] from God, not from people.

God Remains Faithful

3 Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? 2 Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.[b]

3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? 4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him,

“You will be proved right in what you say,
and you will win your case in court.”[c]

5 “But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) 6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world? 7 “But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?” 8 And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.

Footnotes:

  1. 2:29 Or receives praise.
  2. 3:2 Greek the oracles of God.
  3. 3:4 Ps 51:4 (Greek version).
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 11

Psalm 11

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 I trust in the Lord for protection.
So why do you say to me,
“Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!
2 The wicked are stringing their bows
and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings.
They shoot from the shadows
at those whose hearts are right.
3 The foundations of law and order have collapsed.
What can the righteous do?”

4 But the Lord is in his holy Temple;
the Lord still rules from heaven.
He watches everyone closely,
examining every person on earth.
5 The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked.
He hates those who love violence.
6 He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked,
punishing them with scorching winds.
7 For the righteous Lord loves justice.
The virtuous will see his face.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 19:10-12

10 It isn’t right for a fool to live in luxury
or for a slave to rule over princes!

11 Sensible people control their temper;
they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.

12 The king’s anger is like a lion’s roar,
but his favor is like dew on the grass.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday July 15, 2019 (NIV)

1 Chronicles 19-21

David Defeats the Ammonites

19 Some time after this, King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun[a] became king. 2 David said, “I am going to show loyalty to Hanun because his father, Nahash, was always loyal to me.” So David sent messengers to express sympathy to Hanun about his father’s death.

But when David’s ambassadors arrived in the land of Ammon, 3 the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you really think these men are coming here to honor your father? No! David has sent them to spy out the land so they can come in and conquer it!” 4 So Hanun seized David’s ambassadors and shaved them, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame.

5 When David heard what had happened to the men, he sent messengers to tell them, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow out, and then come back.” For they felt deep shame because of their appearance.

6 When the people of Ammon realized how seriously they had angered David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent 75,000 pounds[b] of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah. 7 They also hired 32,000 chariots and secured the support of the king of Maacah and his army. These forces camped at Medeba, where they were joined by the Ammonite troops that Hanun had recruited from his own towns. 8 When David heard about this, he sent Joab and all his warriors to fight them. 9 The Ammonite troops came out and drew up their battle lines at the entrance of the city, while the other kings positioned themselves to fight in the open fields.

10 When Joab saw that he would have to fight on both the front and the rear, he chose some of Israel’s elite troops and placed them under his personal command to fight the Arameans in the fields. 11 He left the rest of the army under the command of his brother Abishai, who was to attack the Ammonites. 12 “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then come over and help me,” Joab told his brother. “And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will help you. 13 Be courageous! Let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. May the Lord’s will be done.”

14 When Joab and his troops attacked, the Arameans began to run away. 15 And when the Ammonites saw the Arameans running, they also ran from Abishai and retreated into the city. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem.

16 The Arameans now realized that they were no match for Israel, so they sent messengers and summoned additional Aramean troops from the other side of the Euphrates River.[c] These troops were under the command of Shobach,[d] the commander of Hadadezer’s forces.

17 When David heard what was happening, he mobilized all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and positioned his troops in battle formation. Then David engaged the Arameans in battle, and they fought against him. 18 But again the Arameans fled from the Israelites. This time David’s forces killed 7,000 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers, including Shobach, the commander of their army. 19 When Hadadezer’s allies saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they surrendered to David and became his subjects. After that, the Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.

David Captures Rabbah

20 In the spring of the year,[e] when kings normally go out to war, Joab led the Israelite army in successful attacks against the land of the Ammonites. In the process he laid siege to the city of Rabbah, attacking and destroying it. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.

2 Then David went to Rabbah and removed the crown from the king’s head,[f] and it was placed on his own head. The crown was made of gold and set with gems, and he found that it weighed seventy-five pounds.[g] David took a vast amount of plunder from the city. 3 He also made slaves of the people of Rabbah and forced them to labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes.[h] That is how David dealt with the people of all the Ammonite towns. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.

Battles against Philistine Giants

4 After this, war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. As they fought, Sibbecai from Hushah killed Saph,[i] a descendant of the giants,[j] and so the Philistines were subdued.

5 During another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath of Gath. The handle of Lahmi’s spear was as thick as a weaver’s beam!

6 In another battle with the Philistines at Gath, they encountered a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all, who was also a descendant of the giants. 7 But when he defied and taunted Israel, he was killed by Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimea.

8 These Philistines were descendants of the giants of Gath, but David and his warriors killed them.

David Takes a Census

21 Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, “Take a census of all the people of Israel—from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north—and bring me a report so I may know how many there are.”

3 But Joab replied, “May the Lord increase the number of his people a hundred times over! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this? Are they not all your servants? Why must you cause Israel to sin?”

4 But the king insisted that they take the census, so Joab traveled throughout all Israel to count the people. Then he returned to Jerusalem 5 and reported the number of people to David. There were 1,100,000 warriors in all Israel who could handle a sword, and 470,000 in Judah. 6 But Joab did not include the tribes of Levi and Benjamin in the census because he was so distressed at what the king had made him do.

Judgment for David’s Sin

7 God was very displeased with the census, and he punished Israel for it. 8 Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt for doing this foolish thing.”

9 Then the Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer. This was the message: 10 “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.’”

11 So Gad came to David and said, “These are the choices the Lord has given you. 12 You may choose three years of famine, three months of destruction by the sword of your enemies, or three days of severe plague as the angel of the Lord brings devastation throughout the land of Israel. Decide what answer I should give the Lord who sent me.”

13 “I’m in a desperate situation!” David replied to Gad. “But let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great. Do not let me fall into human hands.”

14 So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel, and 70,000 people died as a result. 15 And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But just as the angel was preparing to destroy it, the Lord relented and said to the death angel, “Stop! That is enough!” At that moment the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of Araunah[k] the Jebusite.

16 David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth with his sword drawn, reaching out over Jerusalem. So David and the leaders of Israel put on burlap to show their deep distress and fell face down on the ground. 17 And David said to God, “I am the one who called for the census! I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep—what have they done? O Lord my God, let your anger fall against me and my family, but do not destroy your people.”

David Builds an Altar

18 Then the angel of the Lord told Gad to instruct David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 19 So David went up to do what the Lord had commanded him through Gad. 20 Araunah, who was busy threshing wheat at the time, turned and saw the angel there. His four sons, who were with him, ran away and hid. 21 When Araunah saw David approaching, he left his threshing floor and bowed before David with his face to the ground.

22 David said to Araunah, “Let me buy this threshing floor from you at its full price. Then I will build an altar to the Lord there, so that he will stop the plague.”

23 “Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to David. “I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, and the threshing boards for wood to build a fire on the altar, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give it all to you.”

24 But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the Lord. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!” 25 So David gave Araunah 600 pieces of gold[l] in payment for the threshing floor.

26 David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And when David prayed, the Lord answered him by sending fire from heaven to burn up the offering on the altar. 27 Then the Lord spoke to the angel, who put the sword back into its sheath.

28 When David saw that the Lord had answered his prayer, he offered sacrifices there at Araunah’s threshing floor. 29 At that time the Tabernacle of the Lord and the altar of burnt offering that Moses had made in the wilderness were located at the place of worship in Gibeon. 30 But David was not able to go there to inquire of God, because he was terrified by the drawn sword of the angel of the Lord.

Footnotes:

  1. 19:1 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 10:1; Hebrew lacks Hanun.
  2. 19:6 Hebrew 1,000 talents [34,000 kilograms].
  3. 19:16a Hebrew the river.
  4. 19:16b As in parallel text at 2 Sam 10:16; Hebrew reads Shophach; also in 19:18.
  5. 20:1 Hebrew At the turn of the year. The first day of the year in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in March or April.
  6. 20:2a Or from the head of Milcom (as in Greek version and Latin Vulgate). Milcom, also called Molech, was the god of the Ammonites.
  7. 20:2b Hebrew 1 talent [34 kilograms].
  8. 20:3 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 12:31; Hebrew reads and cut them with saws, iron picks, and saws.
  9. 20:4a As in parallel text at 2 Sam 21:18; Hebrew reads Sippai.
  10. 20:4b Hebrew descendant of the Rephaites; also in 20:6, 8.
  11. 21:15 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 24:16; Hebrew reads Ornan, another name for Araunah; also in 21:18-28.
  12. 21:25 Hebrew 600 shekels of gold, about 15 pounds or 6.8 kilograms in weight.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Romans 2:25-3:8

25 The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God’s law. But if you don’t obey God’s law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile. 26 And if the Gentiles obey God’s law, won’t God declare them to be his own people? 27 In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God’s law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God’s law but don’t obey it.

28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. 29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise[a] from God, not from people.

God Remains Faithful

3 Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? 2 Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.[b]

3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? 4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him,

“You will be proved right in what you say,
and you will win your case in court.”[c]

5 “But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) 6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world? 7 “But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?” 8 And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.

Footnotes:

  1. 2:29 Or receives praise.
  2. 3:2 Greek the oracles of God.
  3. 3:4 Ps 51:4 (Greek version).
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 11

Psalm 11

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 I trust in the Lord for protection.
So why do you say to me,
“Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!
2 The wicked are stringing their bows
and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings.
They shoot from the shadows
at those whose hearts are right.
3 The foundations of law and order have collapsed.
What can the righteous do?”

4 But the Lord is in his holy Temple;
the Lord still rules from heaven.
He watches everyone closely,
examining every person on earth.
5 The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked.
He hates those who love violence.
6 He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked,
punishing them with scorching winds.
7 For the righteous Lord loves justice.
The virtuous will see his face.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 19:10-12

10 It isn’t right for a fool to live in luxury
or for a slave to rule over princes!

11 Sensible people control their temper;
they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.

12 The king’s anger is like a lion’s roar,
but his favor is like dew on the grass.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Posted on

07/14/2019 DAB Transcript

1 Chronicles 16:37-18:17, Romans 2:1-24, Psalms 10:16-18, Proverbs 19:8-9

Today is the 14th day of July. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is a pleasure. It’s awesome to be here with you turning the knob and opening the door and stepping through the threshold into a brand-new, shiny, sparkly week here in the middle of the summer or the middle of the winter depending on where you are in the world. No matter what the weather though, I’m glad that we can continue the rhythm of our lives day by day step-by-step as we interact with God’s Word and allow it to speak into our lives inform us, change us, direct us, guide us, lead us into all truth, which is the promise. And, so, with this brand-new week out in front of us we’ll read from the New Living Translation. And, of course, will be picking up where we left off. Today first Chronicles chapter 16 verse 37 through 18 verse 17.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. And as we have spent the weekend and now kind of moving into this new week beginning the book of Romans we invite Your Holy Spirit to lead us, to guide us into all truth, to help us to understand how it is we came to believe what we believe and help us to see the argument Paul is laying out as we move through this letter. Yesterday we certainly read of all kinds of debauchery, all kinds of evil sins that people had fallen into because they simply ignored the fact that signs of Your love and guidance and presence are everywhere. And, so, we can read those words of condemnation, but we fail to ever get to chapter 2 where we are instructed to not judge because we’re all guilty. And, so, right out of the gate, we see that the apostle Paul has his sights aimed squarely at the religious infrastructure and obviously at the time of this writing he’s aimed at Judaism at the Jewish religious infrastructure in the same way that Jesus was. And yet, as we read this letter and apply it to our own Christian faith infrastructure, we see that there are plenty of things that we must pay attention to and that we must change. Come Holy Spirit lead us forward into all truth we pray. In the name of Jesus we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, it’s home, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here. So, of course, stay connected. Find out what’s afoot.

The Daily Audio Bible Family Reunion is coming up…I was going say September…it’s August 31st through September 2nd as you probably know. Registration is open for that. It’s almost full. Looking forward to a great time together. So, you can find out about that at dailyaudiobible.com in the Initiatives section.

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

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

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi beautiful family of God, I trust that all of you enjoyed your long walk on the 7th of July, Sunday. I was so privileged and blessed to be at __ for the July 4th weekend and just wanted to share a little experience I got to enjoy. While deep in the forest all you hear is the sound of birds chirping, all different sounds. And we got to see these beautiful royal blue woodpeckers picking at tree trunks and we also spotted lots of different birds sitting on the deck of our cabin. And it just reminded me of God’s constant love for us. And as they take flight from one branch to another __ absolutely not a care or fear or worry about this absolutely huge dense forest. It’s just so amazing how they balance on a tiny leaf or a little twig. And I thought to myself, how even if one of them has to fall to the ground Jesus sees them and He knows them and every move they make and how He watches over them. Same with us. He cares. As God cares for the birds of the air and the trees in the forest how much more valuable are we? And I can just imagine how God cares for us and watches over our every movement. So, something just to think about today and to encourage someone that, you know, lost all hope. Recently a lady called to say she’s lost all hope…

Hi neighbors it’s Lisa the Encourager I hope you all are having a wonderful day. I’m calling today because I was very excited to hear that Jesse and his wife are doing better in their marriage and I’m so happy for you and I’m so happy that you called and I’ll continue to pray for you Jesse, you and your wife. And I’m also praying, calling in today to pray for Tara and her ovarian cancer and I really wanted to devote my entire time to pray for Tara in that she’s facing this real life challenge with the ovarian cancer. So, let’s all go to the Lord together. Dear God I thank You so much for allowing me the opportunity to pray for Tara Lord and I just pray as if I were with her right now at this moment and I was able to lay my hands on her abdomen Lord and I just lay my hands in the way of being the hands and feet of Jesus and nothing more, nothing less God and that You will take this ovarian cancer from her and take it away and just let it not impact her life at all Lord. And I pray Lord God that You would just intervene and make this just…just a very small little thing in her life that doesn’t have to be her life or doesn’t have to impact her life or her daughter’s life in any way God. And I pray Lord Jesus that You will give her comfort in knowing that You are right there with her every step of the way and that she feels Your presence God through every decision, through every communication that she has with her daughter, with every communication she has with the doctors. And I pray God that You will just be with her holding her hand…

Hi, this is Valerie calling from south of Atlanta. I just wanted to call in and pray for the sweet lady who called in on the…I believe it’s the 9th…who sounded helpless and hopeless and looking for God’s will. Dear heavenly Father I just want to pray for this sweet lady Lord. I pray that You’ll just grant her an extra measure of peace Lord. I thank You that You gave her the confidence to call into the Daily Audio Bible and to express her deep longing to know Your will Lord and to open up herself to the rest of the believers so that we can all come to her aid Lord and lift her up in prayer in front of her throne. Lord I just again just pray that You will make Yourself known in a miraculous way to her Lord. I pray that You will reach down and wrap her in Your arms, and she’ll feel Your comfort as a tangible presence and know Lord that You hear her, You love her and You’re there for her. So many times, Lord we can’t understand why we’re going to things or see where to put the next step Lord but if we can just hold on a little longer and have trust and have faith we know Lord, we know that You are guiding our steps the same way Lord that You’re guiding Paul. Even though times seemed dim with him being in prison and everybody telling him don’t go to Jerusalem and he went anyway and God is using him in a miraculous way through this time of trial while he is being held captive just like our sister right now is being held captive by fear and doubt and unbelief and struggling. We pray Lord that You’ll just give her enough strength to make it through to the next day and then the next day and then the next day and then she’ll look back and know Lord that You were always in control. It’s in Your name we pray. Amen.

Hi Daily Audio Bible family, I am a new, I’ve only been listening for two months and I guess I’ll go by Zion Lion for now. This is hard for me to do because I’ve never asked anyone to pray for me before, but I’ve been reading the Scriptures and I know we are encouraged to share our hearts with our fellow believers and to pray for one another. Listening to all of you, especially Rebecca has given me the courage to ask for help from you brothers and sisters and confess my heart. I’m 32 years old and for my entire life I have been abused in my relationship with my parents. Because of the abuse I’ve had to estrange myself and one-year-old son for my parents. I’ve been estranged multiple times since I was the age of 19 but now it’s permanent. I have such a hard time with this Lord because I know You want us to love and forgive but I cannot put my son in danger or let him to be as abused as I was. I have so much anger and pain in my heart Lord and I don’t want it there. I want to be able to forgive my parents especially my mother. I also want to know Lord that it’s really okay from me to protect myself and my son and that I am not breaking a commandment or not being a child of Christ. I don’t want to feel guilty because even though they have hurt me Lord I know they too are hurt too, and I do feel sad for them. Please help me find peace and forgiveness and let go of this anger Lord and please help them. Lord I thank You. Thank you everyone for listening to me and for your prayers. This community is changing my life. I love you all. Blessings to each of you. Zion lion.