07/04/2019 DAB Transcript

2 Kings 23:31-25:30, Acts 22:17-23:10, Psalms 2:1-12, Proverbs 18:13

Today is the 4th day of July. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It’s wonderful to be here with you today. It’s a special day, like it’s a national holiday in the United States but it’s also my wife Jill’s birthday. So, happy birthday, Jill. Jill kind of shares a birthday with the United States. So, a festive celebration all day and fireworks tonight. Enjoy your day. It’s wonderful to be here with you. No matter what the day may be or what the day may bring we come together around this global campfire and allow God’s word to have a space in our day and it affects the rest of our day. And, so, off we go. We’re reading from the book of second Kings as I’m sure you are aware, but we’ll be concluding the book of second Kings today. So, the books of the Kings are about concluded, and we will move into the books of Chronicles starting tomorrow. So, today from the Christian Standard Bible, which is what we’re reading from this week. Second Kings chapter 23 verse 31 through 25 verse 30.

Commentary:

Okay. So, even as we’re here on the 4th of July and really finding us pretty well squarely in the center of this year, we have to acknowledge, busy as a day as this might be for a lot of us, really important, really monumental things are happening that very much set up all of the places that we’re going to go as we continue our journey through the Bible. In the Old Testament what we saw today was Babylon invade the southern kingdom of Judah. So, just by way of reminder, the northern kingdom of Israel, those 10 tribes, they were conquered. We read of that story and we talked about it then, by the Assyrian Empire. Those 10 tribes disappeared as cohesive tribes from that point forward. They were carried into exile. So, all that remained of the people that we’ve been traveling with practically since the beginning of the year, like all the way through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, right, and then the story of Joseph and the people going to Egypt and becoming a people and the wilderness story and the promised land story, like all of the time that we’ve been spending in the Old Testament has been with these people. Today the only people left were Judah and Babylon invaded and conquered Jerusalem, the one city that had never fallen and the people were carried away into exile. So, what we have to understand is that the story that we’ve been following from the beginning of the Bible from Abraham, that story is over. The people were promised a land and they would live there in peace and harmony forever under his rule if they would simply obey him. And they simply did not. And, so, as we remember all of the blessings and the curses that were reported and recited on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, well the curses have come true and they have been removed from the land. There is no Israel anymore and there is no Judah anymore. We will continue to follow the stories of these people and some of them will be able to return and even rebuild back in their homeland, but it’s never going to be under their sovereign control like it was again. So, that’s kind of a big deal. There is much territory to just continue to go through. And even as we watched Babylon conquer Jerusalem and then install, you know, vasil Kings, who had allegiance to Babylon, we’ll see that this took some time before finally, through rebellion, Babylon came and just leveled Jerusalem. Some of the goings-on that are happening in this tumultuous time we will get into further depth when we get into the writings of the prophets who were actually speaking into the situation as it was happening. So we have that in front of us, but it’s important for us to realize we’re closing the books on part of the story and we have the perspective now, to know that if our allegiance and are reliance and our devotion is to God and God alone, and we humbly walk before the Lord, serving Him, then that a path, that’s a path that leads somewhere. If we don’t, like if we choose to live somewhere in the middle trying to live., like with 1 foot, like half of us aligned with God and the other half throughout really just kind of pursuing our own endeavors or if we’re just going to live in outright rebellion against the Lord, well then that’s a path and that goes somewhere. And as we sit here on the 4th of July closing the books on the invasion and destruction of Jerusalem, well, we’ve seen were both of those paths go and that allows us to choose where we might be headed and where it is we might want to end up

And then we can’t just breeze by what’s going on in the apostle Paul’s life in Jerusalem in the New Testament. So, we watched the destruction of Jerusalem in the Old Testament, but then we’re back in Jerusalem and the New Testament. So, what’s going on here? Well, what’s going on is that a lot of time has passed and a lot of rebuilding has been done and we’ll see that story kind of flesh itself out, like I said, as we continue forward. Paul is a Pharisee, trained as a Pharisee. He’s back in Jerusalem because he’s been all over the Roman Empire speaking the good news of Jesus and it’s causing a stir everywhere, especially among the Jewish people. So, Paul comes back to Jerusalem where he is known. Like at one time he was deeply respected as a zealous Pharisee truly trying to live up to the law and obey God. Now he’s considered an apostate who needs to be killed, and they’re trying to find a way to kill Paul. And, so, we see that Paul now would be dead for sure had it not been for the Roman guard, had it not been for the Roman military who have arrested Paul, but all that his arrest is doing is protecting him. And we’ll have to watch this as we go forward, but Paul is now before the high Council. Okay? He’s before the elitist of the elite, the most scholarly, the most brilliant people in all of the Hebrew culture as it related to their religion, right? So, the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. So, the Sanhedrin was made up of these two groups of people, the Pharisees who believed in resurrection, in God’s angels, in the existence of the spiritual realm, whereas the Sanhedrin, they denied those things. They essentially believed you have a human life and when you lay that life down in death you return to God. That’s that. Like there’s no other goings-on. So the thing is, Paul was a Pharisee, right? It would have been very, very difficult for him as a Pharisee to have had that encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus and it make any sense to him because, had he been a Sadducee, like he wouldn’t have had the grid for this. It’s not like God couldn’t break in upon him, but he already believed in resurrection. So, when Jesus came to him on the road to Damascus, Jesus appearing to him in a way that he understood proved to him that how he had been following his spiritual path was correct. There had to be resurrection if Jesus was talking to him, right, because Jesus had been killed on a cross. So, Jif esus is talking to him on the road to Damascus, then He’s alive. So, this was persuasive, fundamentally, foundational persuasive to Paul. So, Paul goes before the Sanhedrin today, he realizes the fundamental issue is a fundamental rift that’s been going on in Judaism about resurrection and he’s able to say that I am on trial because of the resurrection. The reason that I am out around the Roman Empire, the known world, the reason I keep sailing around and going to different cities and talking about Jesus is the resurrection. So, he’d appealing to his fellow Pharisees who are on the same page about resurrection. They are not on the same page about Jesus of being resurrected, but they are on the same page about resurrection, which causes division, which simply exposes the deep canyon of a rift that existed in Judaism. So, we begin to see, you know, the disruptive time that the early church was born into. And once again it kind of takes off our rose-colored glasses about the early days, and the Holy Spirit came the tongues of fire and it was just all easy for everybody. People just wanted to be in the kingdom. That's…as we are seeing…that wasn’t the climate. Like, it was definitely a tumultuous time. And as we continue through the New Testament we’ll see that it only got worse. So, that’s the lay of the land and its pretty big. Like, these are pretty fundamental, contextual things that we should understand if we’re trying to understand the context of the Bible and what it might be speaking to us.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You, thank You for this day, this day that we certainly celebrate Jill on her birthday but also our independence here in our nation. We also pray for all of the nations of the world that You would come by the power of Your Holy Spirit and set us free, that we would throw away all of our ideologies and convictions and customs and rituals and cultures in favor of Your kingdom, that we might begin to see ourselves as citizens of the kingdom of God. And as we watch where the paths in the Scriptures are taking us, help us Holy Spirit to apply these things to our lives. We’ve seen paths in the Old Testament that led to victory against all odds, and we’ve also seen stories that led to complete destruction and they were all foretold, they were all in plain black and white before everyone and they chose and were choosing too. And even as we continue our journey along with the apostle Paul and we see the formation of the early church, we see that the issues that were plaguing people then are plaguing people now and we still need the power of Your Holy Spirit, but You are not withholding the power of Your Holy Spirit, we are rejecting it in favor of our own strength which continually causes disruption and division and that’s not the path we’re wanting to walk. So, come Holy Spirit. We can look at the world and we can point out all the evils and we can say if people would just get on the same page about this or that or the other then things could change, but it really does begin with us. And, so, Holy Spirit come to us and show us how You are transforming and changing the way that we see everything. Come Jesus we pray in Your mighty name. Amen.

Announcements:

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

And what’s up immediately going on around here is that this Sunday, the 7th of July, is our annual Daily Audio Bible long walk. Little tradition we have here. Our own little holiday that we celebrate and it’s a beautiful, beautiful day to kinda take in so much of what we were just talking about. What path am I on? Where am I going? Where are you leading me? What’s happening? Because the crush of life, the world pulls us away from God and then when things go south or badly for us we’re mad at God when it was the fact that we followed the path, the way of the world. So, the 7th of July, the long walk is an opportunity go like, this one day I’m setting this one day, like it’s off the grid. No one, nothing is taking this day for me. Like, I’m circling this. I’m going and I’m checking out, I’m unplugging. I’m going away with God and I’m gonna go for a long walk and I’m gonna talk until I have nothing left to say and I’m gonna listen until He is done speaking. I’m gonna walk out of this day knowing where I am going for the rest of the year, knowing how to proceed. That’s the long walk  and it’s something that we should be doing like every day on a regular basis, but the world, it’s very distracting. So, we need to remove those distractions for a day and reorient ourselves. Go somewhere beautiful. This is something that you do individually even though you will be doing it with tens of thousands of people. Go somewhere beautiful. Whether you just walk out your front door and it happens to be beautiful down the street or whether you need to get in your car and get out of town and go somewhere, wherever is calling to you. Go there and walk and talk and sit in silence and listen to the world and the life that is happening all around you, and you never even notice. That’s the long walk. What makes it a community experience is that you just, you know, take your phone or a camera or something and snap a picture, take a little video of a where you went and post that back to Facebook, so facebook.com/dailyaudiobible and then then we all get to kind of see our own long walks, we’ll see so many others like little windows into each other’s lives, little windows into your part of the world, your neck of the woods as we say here in the South. So, make plans for that. It’s Sunday this year, which makes it fairly convenient. I am looking forward to it and I’m looking forward to seeing all your pictures and your videos. It’s a highlight of the year for me. So, I’m looking forward to seeing that all open up.

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. I thank you humbly and profoundly 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 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 DAB family this is Claire in California. I’m on my second year listening to the DAB and this is actually the first year that I have been listening all the way through every day. I have a prayer request. Yesterday I got a diagnosis of ovarian cancer and I just need prayer against fear because there’s a lot of that and I would like prayer for an overwhelming strength of faith to come over me, that all doubt would just be pushed out. I would like prayer for the comfort of my little girl, she’s four and I just…she is…I’ve tried not to give her to many details but she’s very empathetic and she knows that something’s going on. So, I just…I want to pray comfort for her and that you…that __ would just help me to help her to find comfort in Him. And I just also would like to pray for blessings over my friends and family who are stepping up and being there for me. And it’s just overwhelming. Thank you so much for all of your support and thank you for this program, this podcast. It’s been a life changer for me. I love you all. Bye.

Hey Daily Audio Bible family, this is To Be a Blessing in California. I wanted to just let people know who are working driving trucks or cabs or buses or whatever that my prayers are with you. I was on the road today and admittedly flying along, it’s true. I was going 80 miles an hour and people were passing by. I had to move over to the slow lane because I was in their way and just made me think about the challenges that people who drive for a living have. So, know that you’re in my prayers. Terry the Trucker, I’m thinking about you and what you are facing. Wanted to let Blind Tony know that I’ve sure been enjoying your poetry and continue to pray for you. Lee, whenever I hear you’re talking, the first few seconds it brings a smile to my face because I know that you’re going to be saying some awesome prayers. And covetousness, boy I tell ya, I’ve that down in spades and asking God to relieve me of that. Rebecca, praying for you and your need for additional work. So, God bless you in your pursuits because I know He’s gonna take care of you. God bless each and every one of you. I’ll be in touch again. To Be a Blessing in California. Bye-bye.

Fill up the gifts within me Father that I might truly be a blessing
help me Father clearly see my sins that need confessing
I’m hardheaded Father and I’m stubborn at times
and I’m very impatient with my old friend still committing stupid crimes
it’s really hard for me to believe that they really can’t see
that without your protection how dead they would be
but it’s always easy to see the splinter in someone else’s eye
help me Father to clearly see my own sins to accept them not deny
for we all fall short and that’s true without a doubt
but it’s also true that there’s no one that You can’t restore and bring out
from destructive behavior patterns and hardened heart
no one you can’t heal Father and no one you can’t grant a new start
but each man must work out his own salvation with fear and trembling and meticulous care
help me to keep my focus on my own self because each man has his own cross to bear
but each man also has his own gift
help me Father to use it and not to abuse it
to be a source of light and salt
and bring all my unproductive habits to a definitive screeching halt
you said if we freely confess our sins that you are faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us all unrighteousness
give me clean hands and a pure heart father so that I can offer to you my very best
stir up the gifts within me and help me to truly be a blessing
and help me father clearly see those sins in my life that need confessing

blindtony1016@gmail.com. Like to give a shout out to Mike Greenberg and SarahJane behind the scenes, know you’re in my prayers every day and once again Brian and Hardin family, thank you for this wonderful podcast for God’s Holy Spirit flow keep it flowin’ y’all. All right. Bye-bye.

Hi this is Cherry from Claremore Oklahoma, the Tulsa area. Cherry and Greg. Greg’s sittin’ here by me right now. The reason I’m calling, he’s just been…well he’s a paratrooper in the military and like a lot of those guys, most of the paratroopers, he’s got…well he has three discs basically gone __ and through that he’s got neuropathy in the feet because of damaged nervous and things. And then he’s got something called cerebellar ataxia where the cerebellum is enlarged. __ and kinda causes some mobility issues. Then he had a brain bleed a year ago and he had two brain surgeries within two days and he’s just kind of been chewed up and spit out and for the first time in my life I do have this…this knowing that he’s gonna be restored, but right now…and he’s a fighter…I mean…this guy…I’ve seen him juts take bashings and don’t blink an eye but he’s in so much pain. I mean, he just sits there and like tears…not boohooing, but, you know, just the pain, tears streaming down. And this is just constant…chronic…it never ends. You don’t sleep at night. I just need prayer for his healing. However, I know God can do it like right now. And he’s just gotta have relief. It’s been too many years since this going on. So, you guy, I know you pray and that’s what I’m calling for and that’s what we need. And…I don’t know…I forgot to set my clock…it’s been over two minutes into this yet or not but, you want to just…[Greg’s voice] I love God.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday July 4, 2019 (NIV)

2 Kings 23:31-25:30

Judah’s King Jehoahaz

31 Jehoahaz(A) was(B) twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal(C) daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. 32 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight just as his ancestors had done.(D) 33 Pharaoh Neco imprisoned him at Riblah(E) in the land of Hamath(F) to keep him from reigning in Jerusalem, and he imposed on the land a fine of seventy-five hundred pounds[a] of silver and seventy-five pounds[b] of gold.

Judah’s King Jehoiakim

34 Then(G) Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim(H) son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim.(I) But Neco took Jehoahaz and went to Egypt, and he died there.(J) 35 So Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but at Pharaoh’s command he taxed the land to give it. He exacted the silver and the gold from the common people, each according to his assessment,(K) to give it to Pharaoh Neco.

36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah; she was from Rumah. 37 He did what was evil(L) in the Lord’s sight just as his ancestors had done.

Jehoiakim’s Rebellion and Death

24 During(M) Jehoiakim’s reign,(N) King Nebuchadnezzar(O) of Babylon(P) attacked.(Q) Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years, and then he turned and rebelled against him. The Lord sent Chaldean, Aramean,(R) Moabite,(S) and Ammonite raiders against Jehoiakim. He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord he had spoken through his servants the prophets.(T) Indeed, this happened to Judah at the Lord’s command to remove them from his presence.(U) It was because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all he had done,(V) and also because of all the innocent blood he had shed. He had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood,(W) and the Lord was not willing to forgive.

The rest of the events of Jehoiakim’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.(X) Jehoiakim rested with his fathers, and his son Jehoiachin became king in his place.(Y)

Now the king of Egypt did not march out of his land again,(Z) for the king of Babylon took everything that had belonged to the king of Egypt,(AA) from the Brook of Egypt to the Euphrates River.(AB)

Judah’s King Jehoiachin

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem.(AC) He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight just as his father had done.

Deportations to Babylon

10 At that time(AD) the servants of King Nebuchadnezzar(AE) of Babylon marched up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. 11 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it. 12 King Jehoiachin of Judah, along with his mother, his servants, his commanders, and his officials,[c] surrendered to the king of Babylon.(AF)

So the king of Babylon took him captive in the eighth year of his reign. 13 He also carried off from there all the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king’s palace, and he cut into pieces all the gold articles that King Solomon of Israel had made(AG) for the Lord’s sanctuary, just as the Lord had predicted.(AH) 14 He deported all Jerusalem and all the commanders and all the best soldiers(AI)—ten thousand captives(AJ) including all the craftsmen and metalsmiths.(AK) Except for the poorest people of the land,(AL) no one remained.

15 Nebuchadnezzar deported Jehoiachin to Babylon. He took the king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officials, and the leading men of the land into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.(AM) 16 The king of Babylon brought captive into Babylon all seven thousand of the best soldiers and one thousand craftsmen and metalsmiths—all strong and fit for war. 17 And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s[d] uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.(AN)

Judah’s King Zedekiah

18 Zedekiah(AO) was twenty-one years old when he became king,(AP) and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal(AQ) daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. 19 Zedekiah did what was evil in the Lord’s sight just as Jehoiakim had done.(AR) 20 Because of the Lord’s anger,(AS) it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he finally banished them from his presence.(AT) Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.(AU)

Nebuchadnezzar’s Siege of Jerusalem

25 In the ninth year(AV) of Zedekiah’s reign,(AW) on the tenth day of the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem with his entire army.(AX) They laid siege to the city and built a siege wall against it all around.(AY) The city was under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.

By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that the common people had no food.(AZ) Then the city was broken into,(BA) and all the warriors fled(BB) at night by way of the city gate between the two walls near the king’s garden,(BC) even though the Chaldeans surrounded the city. As the king made his way along the route to the Arabah,(BD) the Chaldean army pursued him and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. Zedekiah’s entire army left him and scattered.(BE) The Chaldeans seized the king(BF) and brought him up to the king of Babylon(BG) at Riblah,(BH) and they passed sentence on him. They slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes. Finally, the king of Babylon blinded Zedekiah, bound him in bronze chains, and took him to Babylon.(BI)

Jerusalem Destroyed

On(BJ) the seventh day of the fifth month—which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem.(BK) He burned the Lord’s temple,(BL) the king’s palace,(BM) and all the houses of Jerusalem; he burned down(BN) all the great houses. 10 The whole Chaldean army with the captain of the guards tore down the walls(BO) surrounding Jerusalem. 11 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, deported the rest of the people who remained in the city, the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the population.(BP) 12 But the captain of the guards left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and farmers.(BQ)

13 Now(BR) the Chaldeans broke into pieces the bronze pillars(BS) of the Lord’s temple, the water carts, and the bronze basin,[e](BT) which were in the Lord’s temple, and carried the bronze to Babylon.(BU) 14 They also took the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes, and all the bronze articles used in the priests’ service.(BV) 15 The captain of the guards took away the firepans and sprinkling basins—whatever was gold or silver.(BW)

16 As for the two pillars, the one basin, and the water carts that Solomon had made for the Lord’s temple, the weight of the bronze of all these articles was beyond measure.(BX) 17 One pillar was twenty-seven feet[f] tall and had a bronze capital on top of it. The capital, encircled by a grating and pomegranates of bronze, stood five feet[g] high. The second pillar was the same, with its own grating.(BY)

18 The captain of the guards(BZ) also took away Seraiah(CA) the chief priest, Zephaniah(CB) the priest of the second rank, and the three doorkeepers. 19 From the city he took a court official[h] who had been appointed over the warriors; five trusted royal aides[i](CC) found in the city; the secretary of the commander of the army, who enlisted the people of the land for military duty; and sixty men from the common people[j] who were found within the city. 20 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.(CD) 21 The king of Babylon put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah went into exile from its land.(CE)

Gedaliah Made Governor

22 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon appointed Gedaliah(CF) son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, over the rest of the people he left in the land of Judah.(CG) 23 When all the commanders of the armies—they and their men—heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.(CH) The commanders included Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite—they and their men.(CI) 24 Gedaliah swore an oath to them and their men, assuring them, “Don’t be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well for you.”(CJ)

25 In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down Gedaliah, and he died. Also, they killed the Judeans and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.(CK) 26 Then all the people, from the youngest to the oldest, and the commanders of the army, left and went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.(CL)

Jehoiachin Pardoned

27 On(CM) the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Judah’s King Jehoiachin, in the year Evil-merodach became king of Babylon, he pardoned King Jehoiachin(CN) of Judah and released him[k] from prison.(CO) 28 He spoke kindly(CP) to him and set his throne over the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon.(CQ) 29 So Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and he dined regularly in the presence of the king of Babylon for the rest of his life.(CR) 30 As for his allowance, a regular allowance(CS) was given to him by the king, a portion for each day, for the rest of his life.

Footnotes:

  1. 23:33 Lit 100 talents
  2. 23:33 Lit one talent
  3. 24:12 Or eunuchs
  4. 24:17 Lit his
  5. 25:13 Lit sea
  6. 25:17 Lit 18 cubits
  7. 25:17 Lit three cubits
  8. 25:19 Or eunuch
  9. 25:19 Lit five men who look on the king’s face
  10. 25:19 Lit the people of the land
  11. 25:27 and released him supplied for clarity

Cross references:

  1. 23:31 : 1Ch 3:15; Jr 22:11
  2. 23:31-33 : 2Ch 36:2-3
  3. 23:31 : 2Kg 24:18
  4. 23:32 : 2Kg 21:2-7
  5. 23:33 : 2Kg 25:6
  6. 23:33 : 1Kg 8:65
  7. 23:34-37 : 2Ch 36:4-5
  8. 23:34 : 1Ch 3:15
  9. 23:34 : 2Kg 24:17; 2Ch 36:4
  10. 23:34 : Jr 22:11-12; Ezk 19:3-4
  11. 23:35 : Ex 30:12-16; Lv 27:2-8
  12. 23:37 : Jr 22:13-19; 36:1-26
  13. 24:1-6 : 2Ch 36:6-8
  14. 24:1 : 2Kg 23:26-27
  15. 24:1 : 2Kg 24:10-11; Dn 1:1
  16. 24:1 : 2Kg 20:14
  17. 24:1 : Jr 35:11
  18. 24:2 : 2Kg 6:23
  19. 24:2 : 2Kg 13:20
  20. 24:2 : 2Kg 23:27
  21. 24:3 : 2Kg 18:25
  22. 24:3 : 2Kg 23:26
  23. 24:4 : 2Kg 21:16
  24. 24:5 : 2Kg 23:28
  25. 24:5-6 : Jr 22:18-19
  26. 24:7 : Jr 37:5-7
  27. 24:7 : Jr 46:2
  28. 24:7 : Gn 15:18; 1Kg 4:21; Is 27:12
  29. 24:8-9 : 2Ch 36:9; Jr 22:24-30
  30. 24:10-17 : 2Ch 36:10
  31. 24:10 : 2Kg 24:1; Dn 1:1
  32. 24:12 : 2Kg 25:27; Jr 22:24-30
  33. 24:13 : 1Kg 7:48-50
  34. 24:13 : 2Kg 20:16-18; Is 39:5-7
  35. 24:14 : Jr 24:1
  36. 24:14 : Jr 52:28
  37. 24:14 : Jr 24:1; 29:2
  38. 24:14 : 2Kg 25:12
  39. 24:15 : 2Ch 36:10; Jr 22:24-28
  40. 24:17 : 1Ch 3:15; 2Ch 36:11; Jr 1:3
  41. 24:18 : Jr 27:1; 28:1
  42. 24:18-20 : 2Ch 36:11-12; Jr 52:1-3
  43. 24:18 : 2Kg 23:31
  44. 24:19 : 2Kg 23:37
  45. 24:20 : Dt 4:26; 29:27; 2Kg 23:26
  46. 24:20 : 2Kg 13:23
  47. 24:20 : 2Ch 36:13; Ezk 17:15
  48. 25:1 : Jr 32:1
  49. 25:1-7 : Jr 39:1-7; 52:4-11
  50. 25:1 : Jr 21:2; 34:1-2; Ezk 24:2
  51. 25:1 : Ezk 21:22
  52. 25:3 : 2Kg 6:24-25; Lm 4:9-10
  53. 25:4 : Jr 39:2
  54. 25:4 : Ezk 33:21
  55. 25:4 : Neh 3:15
  56. 25:4 : Dt 2:8
  57. 25:5 : Lv 26:36; Ezk 12:14; 17:21
  58. 25:6 : Jr 34:21-22
  59. 25:6 : Jr 32:4
  60. 25:6 : Nm 34:11; 2Kg 23:33; Jr 52:9
  61. 25:7 : Jr 39:6-7; Ezk 12:13
  62. 25:8-12 : Jr 39:8-10; 52:12-16
  63. 25:8 : 2Kg 24:12; Jr 39:9; 52:12
  64. 25:9 : 1Kg 9:8; 2Ch 36:19
  65. 25:9 : Jr 39:8; Am 2:5
  66. 25:9 : Jr 17:27
  67. 25:10 : 2Kg 24:13; Neh 1:3; Jr 50:15
  68. 25:11 : 2Ch 36:20; Jr 5:19; 39:1-9
  69. 25:12 : 2Kg 24:14; Jr 39:10; 40:7
  70. 25:13-21 : Jr 52:17-27
  71. 25:13 : 2Kg 20:17; 2Ch 36:18; Jr 52:17
  72. 25:13 : 1Kg 7:23; 2Ch 4:2-4
  73. 25:13 : Jr 27:19-22
  74. 25:14 : Ex 27:3; 1Kg 7:47-50; 2Ch 4:16
  75. 25:15 : 2Kg 24:13; Jr 15:13; 20:5
  76. 25:16 : 1Kg 7:47
  77. 25:17 : 1Kg 7:15-22
  78. 25:18 : Jr 39:9-13; 52:12-16,24
  79. 25:18 : 1Ch 6:14; Ezr 7:1
  80. 25:18 : Jr 21:1; 29:25,29
  81. 25:19 : Jr 52:25
  82. 25:20 : 2Kg 23:33
  83. 25:21 : Dt 28:63-64; 2Kg 23:27
  84. 25:22 : Jr 39:14; 40:7-9
  85. 25:22 : Is 1:9; Jr 40:5
  86. 25:23 : Jos 18:26
  87. 25:23 : Jr 40:7-8
  88. 25:24 : Jr 40:9
  89. 25:25 : Jr 41:1-2
  90. 25:26 : Is 30:2; Jr 43:4-7
  91. 25:27-30 : Jr 52:31-34
  92. 25:27 : 2Kg 24:12
  93. 25:27 : Gn 40:13,20
  94. 25:28 : 1Kg 8:50
  95. 25:28 : Ezr 5:5; 7:6,28
  96. 25:29 : 2Sm 9:7
  97. 25:30 : Gn 43:34; Neh 12:47
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Acts 22:17-23:10

17 “After I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance(A) 18 and saw him telling me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’

19 “But I said, ‘Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in you imprisoned and beaten.(B) 20 And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I stood there giving approval[a] and guarding the clothes of those who killed him.’(C)

21 “He said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’(D)

Paul’s Roman Protection

22 They listened to him up to this point. Then they raised their voices, shouting, “Wipe this man off the face of the earth! He should not be allowed to live!” (E)

23 As they were yelling and flinging aside their garments and throwing dust into the air,(F) 24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, directing that he be interrogated with the scourge to discover the reason they were shouting against him like this. 25 As they stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing by, “Is it legal for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and is uncondemned?” (G)

26 When the centurion heard this, he went and reported to the commander, saying, “What are you going to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”

27 The commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes,” he said.

28 The commander replied, “I bought this citizenship for a large amount of money.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul said.

29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately. The commander too was alarmed when he realized Paul was a Roman citizen and he had bound him.(H)

Paul before the Sanhedrin

30 The next day, since he wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him[b] and instructed the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to convene.(I) He brought Paul down and placed him before them.

23 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience(J) to this day.” The high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to strike him on the mouth.(K) Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law are you ordering me to be struck?” (L)

Those standing nearby said, “Do you dare revile God’s high priest?”

“I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest,” replied Paul. “For it is written, You must not speak evil of a ruler of your people.[c](M) When Paul realized that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees.(N) I am being judged because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” (O) When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection,(P) and neither angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees affirm them all.

The shouting grew loud, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’(Q) party got up and argued vehemently: “We find nothing evil in this man.(R) What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” [d](S)

10 When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, take him away from them, and bring him into the barracks.(T)

Footnotes:

  1. 22:20 Other mss add of his murder
  2. 22:30 Other mss add from his chains
  3. 23:5 Ex 22:28
  4. 23:9 Other mss add Let us not fight God.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Psalm 2

Psalm 2

Coronation of the Son

Why(A) do the nations rage(B)
and the peoples plot in vain?(C)
The kings of the earth take their stand,(D)
and the rulers conspire together
against the Lord and his Anointed One:[a](E)
“Let’s tear off their chains
and throw their ropes off of us.”(F)

The one enthroned[b] in heaven laughs;
the Lord ridicules them.(G)
Then he speaks to them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath:(H)
“I have installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”(I)

I will declare the Lord’s decree.
He said to me, “You are my Son;[c]
today I have become your Father.(J)
Ask of me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance
and the ends of the earth your possession.(K)
You will break them with an iron scepter;
you will shatter them like pottery.”(L)

10 So now, kings, be wise;
receive instruction, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with reverential awe
and rejoice with trembling.(M)
12 Pay homage to[d] the Son or he will be angry
and you will perish in your rebellion,[e](N)
for his anger may ignite at any moment.(O)
All who take refuge in him are happy.(P)

Footnotes:

  1. 2:2 Or anointed one
  2. 2:4 Lit who sits
  3. 2:7 Or son, also in v. 12
  4. 2:12 Lit Kiss
  5. 2:12 Lit perish in the way
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Proverbs 18:13

13 The one who gives an answer before he listens—
this is foolishness and disgrace for him.(A)

Cross references:

  1. 18:13 : Pr 15:28
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

07/03/2019 DAB Transcript

2 Kings 22:3-23:30, Acts 21:37-22:16, Psalms 1:1-6, Proverbs 18:11-12

Today is the 3rd day of July. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am, of course, Brian like every day. It’s great to be here with you, yeah, fully getting ourselves immersed into this seventh month of the year. Tomorrow’s a big holiday, the 4th of July, at least for those of us who live in the United States. It’s Independence Day for us. It’s Jill’s birthday as well. So, we’re looking forward to that, but let’s not get out of ourselves. That’s tomorrow and today is happening right now. And, so, we’ll take the next step forward in our journey through the book of second Kings. We’re reading from the Christian Standard Bible this week. Second Kings chapter 22 verse 3 through 23 verse 30.

Commentary:

Okay. So, we’ve been through some pretty evil kings in the book of second Kings in succession. Some even were sacrificing their children, like human sacrifice in Hinnom Valley which is which is in Jerusalem, but that we encountered the reformer, a king like no other named Josiah in second Kings today. So, he was repairing the temple when they found, the priest Hilkiah found an ancient scroll, which was the covenant between God and Israel. And, so, this was read to the king and once the king heard these words, he understood that they had strayed far from God then he was relentless in his pursuit of cleansing, like, restoring the land. So, he doesn’t take up a lot of space in the Scriptures, but the Scriptures do indicate that there was no king like him.

So, then in the in the book of Acts we’re in the same city, we’re in Jerusalem, we’re just there centuries later and we are seeing come to fruition all that Paul’s friends had been telling him all along his journey back to Jerusalem. He’s caused a riot, people are trying to kill him, Roman soldiers have swept in and rescued him from death, and he wants to talk to them. And, so, we began that today.

And we also started…started our second trip to the Psalms this year, which we do every year. It’s interesting how we get to this point in the year and as we hear the words of the Psalms, they have different…like…we’re used to their cadence and rhythm and what they’re telling us. So, as we go through the second time, so rich, so meaningful, and we’re reminded that if we will actually take the time to meditate on God’s word and His ways in our lives we’ll be like trees planted next to a river bank, we won’t wither, we’ll be fruitful and prosperous and strong, which is what we want. So, the instruction there is to meditate upon God’s word, allowing it to instruct our ways.

And then from Proverbs we got some practical wisdom that we have to hold onto, “pride goes before destruction, humility precedes honor”. So, what we’re basically talking about here is arrogance, right? Arrogance that lifts us above, elevates us above another person. Haughtiness can be seen in the way that we demand somebody’s esteem by dominating them. So, like we’ve said so many times, if we could begin to observe, if we could watch, if we could catch ourselves doing these things we’ll see all kinds of weeds that are growing in our lives, but there supposed to be identified, like they’re not supposed to be ignored. They’re supposed to be seen and identified and pulled because they’re leading us on a path that results in destruction. On the other hand, the proverb tells us that being humble before our brothers and sisters, right, the opposite of the arrogance and contempt and haughtiness. It’s our humility that actually elevates us to the place of respect and honor that we keep demanding. So, in other words, if you want to be respected and be respectable and respect-full. So, demanding respect is only gonna make enemies and is only gonna destroy us in the end.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for the many things that You have shared with us through Your word today as we continue to move in and through the second half of the year. Show us how to be humble. Show us how to stop dominating people. Show us how to be comfortable in who You’ve created us to be. I pray this in the name of Jesus our savior. Amen.

Announcements:

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

Coming up pretty immediately on the calendar is the seventh day of July, just a few days from now on Sunday, this is the Daily Audio Bible long walk, a day that it is our own internal, our own community holiday and a beautiful one it is because it’s a day that we set aside to go for a long walk with God, to actually have a day where all of the obligations and responsibilities, all of the chaos, all of the anxiety, all of the things that bring on the depression, like all of this stuff that plagues us, we just make a decision and say, I’m taking a day off from that and I am running to my Father because none of that is gonna make any sense any other way and I’m not living the second half of the year like that. So, we go for a long walk with the one who loves us more than anyone ever will, with the one who laid his life down on our behalf. Yeah. We go somewhere beautiful, somewhere beautiful in nature, the creation of our God and we be still and know that He is God and we be still and listen for the still small voice and we go for a long walk and we share everything that’s in our hearts. Like, we just never have the time and we never will if we don’t make the time, which is the point of the Daily Audio Bible long walk. We’re just making the time to go pour our hearts out and to listen as God speaks His heart to us about what the second half of the year is supposed to look like. So, make plans for that. That’s on Sunday. You may be like, “well…make plans…like how do…like how do you do it?” Basically, you walk out your front door and you either get in your car or you walk from there to somewhere beautiful, whether that’s a park…I mean it doesn’t matter whether you’re five minutes away from where you want to be, or whether you’re five hours away from where you want to be, just go somewhere that compels you, somewhere that’s beautiful and go for a long walk. So, that’s very individual, but it’s communal when you know that all over the world your brothers and sisters are doing this. And then we just ask, hey wherever it is that you are, you’re probably gonna have your phone, so take a picture. Like, you probably have your phone and you probably should but you probably should stay off of it, right? You can go to a park somewhere in nature and blow the entire day on social media…like say nothing to God and that’s probably not gonna be as beneficial though. But anyway wherever you go, take a picture or shoot a little video. Post it back to the Daily Audio Bible Facebook page, facebook.com/dailyaudiobible. And we’ll get those and we’ll post them up and we’ll have a little mosaic. All kinds of windows begin to open up into each other’s lives, and we just get to see the beauty of the world in one day. So, it's…it’s amazing, I’m looking forward to it, I need it very badly. Actually I’m very much looking forward to it. So, make plans for that this Sunday.

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. 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, this is Jesse from Washington. I called in a couple a years ago and a bunch of people prayed for me. I was going through…I hadn’t even gone through a divorce with my wife. Lisa the Encourager prayed for me, a few other people. There was a bunch of stuff going on with my employees, my workplace, my family. My wife and I ended up getting a divorce, but I just wanted to call in. I’m like two months behind and I heard people keep talking about the Daily Prayer and how important it is. And I just want this to be a testimony, my testimony. It changed my life. Every day putting on the armor changed my life. Like, you have to do it or at least try it and then see what happens when you don’t put on your armor every day. It’s just…it’s a life-changing thing. It’s restored my marriage, it’s restored my family, it’s restored my business. Like, my wife and I work together in our own business that we built from nothing with no experience. And part of that stress caused us to get divorced and the Daily Audio Bible brought us back together, like finding a church home, daily prayer, Brian. Like all of this stuff, it’s taken a couple of years, but now we have another baby and another baby on the way. It’s…the best thing you could possibly do besides listening to this is to put on your armor every day. And the restoration…I don’t know what else to say other than thank you all. As pastor Genne would say, “my beautiful family.” Thank you all. I love you all. It changed my life, it’s changed the people around me’s life and we’re…my wife and I are going to be better people for our kids because of this. So, I should have written something down but I think that was the gist of it. Love you all. Thank you all. Pray for you all.

Hi DAB family, this is Scott from Tennessee. I have been putting off calling for a while, but I need prayer. There are a couple things I wanted to ask for. More immediate and pressing, I wanted to ask for prayer for my mental and physical health. I have been experiencing really intense depression and anxiety recently as well as confusion and difficulty focusing. I don’t fully understand what it’s from but I’m trying to stay grounded and I’m looking for help. And then, I’ve had food related issues that I’ve been struggling with for a while, which I think may tie in somehow to the mental stuff. And then I’ve also been struggling financially, working but having difficulty making ends meet. Seems like there’s been things just kind of cropping up all over the place that have made it difficult. Anyways, thank you all for your prayers and I enjoy listening every day. Take care. Bye.

Hey this is Jerry calling from Duluth Minnesota. And now this is the Jesus carrier from my familiar bus stop that I carried newspapers for many years listening to the DAB. Calling about three different things here. Don’t know if I’ll get all of the time in __. First of all, God has really impressed upon me how important it is to support that which is feeding me, that which is life to me and that’s the DAB family. You all have been such an incredible blessing and Brian, your faithfulness day by day step-by-step. And, so, God has impressed me to give on a monthly basis and it’s so easy to do. Set it up one time and it’s done. And I pray God would…how much do you want to give? What do you want me to give? And to be honest with you, I have nothing to give right now. My revenue is down $3000 a month from what it was a year and a half ago and it’s as a self-employed social media marketer. But God impressed me that He wanted me to $73 a month, seven is the number of perfection, seven is the years that He sustained me through my self-employment, that journey, and three for the number of the Trinity - the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit __ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the three people, the three leaders of Israel in David’s kingdom there. So, $73. Don’t have it but I’m gonna trust God for it. I’m not giving to get. I’m giving because that’s what God wants me to do. So, please, pray that what does God want you to do to support this spiritual nurturing. God has been so good to us…

Good morning Daily Audio Bible, Loralee in Boynton. Let’s pray. Giver of all, another day has started, and we take our place beneath our great Redeemer’s cross. Lord, healing streams continually flow where balm is poured into every wound, where we’re washed in the all cleansing blood confident that You see us in Christ. Help us to pick up the loins of our minds, to quicken our steps, to speed as if each moment where our last, that our life be joy, our death glory. We thank You for the temporary blessings of this world - the fresh air, the sunlight, the food that renews our strength, the garments that clothe us, the sleep that gives rest, the canopy of the stars at night, the summer breeze, the flowing streams, the relationships of family and friends. Our cup runs over. Help us appreciate these daily mercies. Your hand gives blessings, Your power turns away evil. We bring our tribute of thanks for Your graces, the full warmth of faith, the presence of Your spirit, the strength of Your restraining will. Blessed be our Father and Lord. Thank you for Daily Audio Bible family, Lord. Brian, Jill God bless you. God bless everyone. I love you. Have a great day.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday July 3, 2019 (NIV)

2 Kings 22:3-23:30

Josiah Repairs the Temple

In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent the court secretary Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, to the Lord’s temple,(A) saying, “Go up to the high priest Hilkiah so that he may total up the silver brought into the Lord’s temple—the silver the doorkeepers have collected from the people.(B) It is to be given to those doing the work—those who oversee the Lord’s temple. They in turn are to give it to the workmen in the Lord’s temple to repair the damage.(C) They are to give it to the carpenters, builders, and masons to buy timber and quarried stone to repair the temple.(D) But no accounting is to be required from them for the silver given to them since they work with integrity.”(E)

The Book of the Law Found

The high priest Hilkiah told the court secretary Shaphan, “I have found the book of the law(F) in the Lord’s temple,” and he gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.

Then the court secretary Shaphan went to the king and reported,[a] “Your servants have emptied out the silver that was found in the temple and have given it to those doing the work—those who oversee the Lord’s temple.” 10 Then the court secretary Shaphan told the king, “The priest Hilkiah has given me a book,” and Shaphan read it in the presence of the king.(G)

11 When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes.(H) 12 Then he commanded the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam(I) son of Shaphan, Achbor(J) son of Micaiah, the court secretary Shaphan, and the king’s servant Asaiah: 13 “Go and inquire of the Lord for me, the people, and all Judah about the words in this book that has been found. For great is the Lord’s wrath that is kindled against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this book in order to do everything written about us.”(K)

Huldah’s Prophecy of Judgment

14 So(L) the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the prophetess(M) Huldah, wife of Shallum son of Tikvah,(N) son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem in the Second District.(O) They spoke with her.

15 She said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: Say to the man who sent you to me, 16 ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to bring disaster on this place and on its inhabitants, fulfilling[b] all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read,(P) 17 because they have abandoned me and burned incense to other gods in order to anger me with all the work of their hands. My wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched.’(Q) 18 Say this to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord: ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: As for the words that you heard,(R) 19 because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the Lord(S) when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse,(T) and because you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I myself have heard’—this is the Lord’s declaration. 20 ‘Therefore, I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace.(U) Your eyes will not see all the disaster that I am bringing on this place.’”

Then they reported[c] to the king.

Covenant Renewal

23 So the king sent messengers,(V) and they gathered all the elders(W) of Judah and Jerusalem to him. Then the king went to the Lord’s temple with all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the prophets—all the people from the youngest to the oldest. He read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant(X) that had been found in the Lord’s temple.(Y) Next, the king stood by the pillar[d](Z) and made a covenant(AA) in the Lord’s presence to follow the Lord and to keep his commands, his decrees, and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul(AB) in order to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book; all the people agreed to[e] the covenant.(AC)

Josiah’s Reforms

Then the king commanded the high priest Hilkiah(AD) and the priests of the second rank(AE) and the doorkeepers to bring out of the Lord’s sanctuary all the articles made for Baal, Asherah, and all the stars in the sky.(AF) He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel.(AG) Then he did away with the idolatrous priests the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense at the high places(AH) in the cities of Judah and in the areas surrounding Jerusalem. They had burned incense to Baal, and to the sun, moon, constellations, and all the stars in the sky.(AI) He brought out the Asherah pole(AJ) from the Lord’s temple to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem. He burned it at the Kidron Valley,(AK) beat it to dust,(AL) and threw its dust on the graves of the common people.[f](AM) He also tore down the houses of the male cult prostitutes(AN) that were in the Lord’s temple, in which the women were weaving tapestries[g] for Asherah.(AO)

Then Josiah brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and he defiled the high places(AP) from Geba(AQ) to Beer-sheba,(AR) where the priests had burned incense. He tore down the high places of the city gates at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city (on the left at the city gate). The priests of the high places, however, did not come up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem; instead, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests.(AS)

10 He defiled Topheth,(AT) which is in Ben Hinnom Valley,(AU) so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire[h](AV) to Molech.(AW) 11 He did away with the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They had been at the entrance of the Lord’s temple in the precincts by the chamber of Nathan-melech, the eunuch. He also burned the chariots of the sun.(AX)

12 The king tore down the altars that the kings of Judah had made on the roof(AY) of Ahaz’s upper chamber.(AZ) He also tore down the altars that Manasseh had made(BA) in the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple. Then he smashed them[i] there and threw their dust into the Kidron Valley. 13 The king also defiled the high places that were across from Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Destruction, which King Solomon of Israel had built for Ashtoreth, the abhorrent idol of the Sidonians; for Chemosh, the abhorrent idol of Moab; and for Milcom, the detestable idol of the Ammonites.(BB) 14 He broke the sacred pillars into pieces,(BC) cut down the Asherah poles,(BD) then filled their places with human bones.

15 He even tore down the altar at Bethel(BE) and the high place(BF) that had been made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. He burned the high place, crushed it to dust, and burned the Asherah.(BG) 16 As Josiah turned, he saw the tombs there on the mountain. He sent someone to take the bones out of the tombs, and he burned them on the altar.(BH) He defiled it according to the word of the Lord proclaimed by the man of God[j] who proclaimed these things.(BI) 17 Then he said, “What is this monument I see?”

The men of the city told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things that you have done to the altar at Bethel.”(BJ)

18 So he said, “Let him rest. Don’t let anyone disturb his bones.” So they left his bones undisturbed with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria.(BK)

19 Josiah also removed all the shrines of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to anger the Lord.(BL) Josiah did the same things to them that he had done at Bethel. 20 He slaughtered on the altars all the priests of those high places,(BM) and he burned human bones on the altars.(BN) Then he returned to Jerusalem.

Passover Observed

21 The king commanded all the people, “Observe the Passover of the Lord your God as written in the book of the covenant.”(BO) 22 No such Passover had ever been observed from the time of the judges who judged Israel through the entire time of the kings of Israel and Judah. 23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the Lord’s Passover was observed in Jerusalem.(BP)

Further Zeal for the Lord

24 In addition, Josiah eradicated the mediums, the spiritists,(BQ) household idols,(BR) images, and all the abhorrent things(BS) that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this in order to carry out the words of the law that were written in the book that the priest Hilkiah found in the Lord’s temple.(BT) 25 Before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength(BU) according to all the law of Moses, and no one like him arose after him.(BV)

26 In spite of all that, the Lord did not turn from the fury of his intense burning anger, which burned against Judah because of all the affronts with which Manasseh had angered him.(BW) 27 For the Lord had said, “I will also remove Judah from my presence just as I have removed Israel.(BX) I will reject this city Jerusalem, that I have chosen, and the temple about which I said, ‘My name will be there.’”(BY)

Josiah’s Death

28 The rest of the events of Josiah’s reign,(BZ) along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings. 29 During his reign, Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt(CA) marched up to help the king of Assyria at the Euphrates River. King Josiah went to confront him, and at Megiddo(CB) when Neco saw him he killed him. 30 From Megiddo his servants carried his dead body in a chariot, brought him into Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb.(CC) Then the common people[k] took Jehoahaz son of Josiah, anointed him, and made him king in place of his father.(CD)

Footnotes:

  1. 22:9 Lit and returned a word to the king and said
  2. 22:16 fulfilling supplied for clarity
  3. 22:20 Lit returned a word
  4. 23:3 2Ch 34:31 reads platform
  5. 23:3 Lit people took a stand in
  6. 23:6 Lit the sons of the people
  7. 23:7 Or clothing
  8. 23:10 Lit could make his son or daughter pass through the fire
  9. 23:12 Text emended; MT reads he ran from
  10. 23:16 LXX adds when Jeroboam stood by the altar of the feast. And he turned and raised his eyes to the tomb of the man of God
  11. 23:30 Lit the people of the land, also in v. 35

Cross references:

  1. 22:3 : 2Ch 34:8
  2. 22:4 : 2Kg 12:4,9-10
  3. 22:5 : 2Kg 12:5
  4. 22:6 : 2Kg 12:11-12
  5. 22:7 : 2Kg 12:15; 1Co 4:2
  6. 22:8 : Dt 31:24-26; 2Ch 34:14-15
  7. 22:10 : Dt 17:18-20
  8. 22:11 : Gn 37:34; Jos 7:6
  9. 22:12 : 2Kg 25:22; Jr 26:24
  10. 22:12 : 2Ch 34:20
  11. 22:13 : Dt 29:24-28; 31:17-18
  12. 22:14-20 : 2Ch 34:22-28
  13. 22:14 : Ex 15:20
  14. 22:14 : 2Ch 34:22
  15. 22:14 : Zph 1:10
  16. 22:16 : Dt 29:27; Dn 9:11-14
  17. 22:17 : Dt 29:25-26; 1Kg 9:9
  18. 22:18 : 2Ch 34:26
  19. 22:19 : 1Sm 24:5; 1Kg 21:29
  20. 22:19 : Dt 28:15; Jr 26:6
  21. 22:20 : 2Kg 20:19; 23:30
  22. 23:1 : 2Ch 34:29-32
  23. 23:1 : 2Kg 10:1
  24. 23:2 : Dt 31:10-13
  25. 23:2 : 2Kg 22:8
  26. 23:3 : 1Kg 7:15; 2Kg 11:14
  27. 23:3 : 2Kg 11:17
  28. 23:3 : Dt 6:4-6; 13:4
  29. 23:3 : Ex 24:3-8; Jos 24:14-28
  30. 23:4 : 2Kg 22:8,14
  31. 23:4 : 2Kg 25:18; Jr 35:4; 52:24
  32. 23:4 : 2Kg 21:3,7; 2Ch 33:3
  33. 23:4 : 2Kg 23:15
  34. 23:5 : 2Kg 16:4
  35. 23:5 : 2Kg 21:3
  36. 23:6 : 1Kg 14:15,23; 2Kg 18:4; 21:7
  37. 23:6 : 1Kg 15:13
  38. 23:6 : 2Kg 23:15
  39. 23:6 : 2Ch 34:4; Jr 26:23
  40. 23:7 : Dt 23:17; 1Kg 14:24; 15:12
  41. 23:7 : Ex 38:8; Ezk 16:16
  42. 23:8 : 2Kg 18:4
  43. 23:8 : Jos 21:17; 1Kg 15:22
  44. 23:8 : 1Sm 3:20
  45. 23:9 : Ezk 44:10-14
  46. 23:10 : Is 30:33; Jr 7:31-32
  47. 23:10 : Jos 15:8
  48. 23:10 : Lv 18:21; 20:2-5
  49. 23:10 : 1Kg 11:7; Jr 32:35
  50. 23:11 : Dt 4:19; Ezk 8:16
  51. 23:12 : Jr 19:13; Zph 1:4-5
  52. 23:12 : 2Kg 20:11
  53. 23:12 : 2Kg 21:5; 2Ch 33:5
  54. 23:13 : 1Kg 11:5-8
  55. 23:14 : Ex 23:24
  56. 23:14 : 2Kg 18:4
  57. 23:15 : 1Kg 13:1-3
  58. 23:15 : 1Kg 12:28-33
  59. 23:15 : 2Kg 23:6
  60. 23:16 : 2Ch 34:5
  61. 23:16 : 1Kg 13:2
  62. 23:17 : 1Kg 13:1,31-32
  63. 23:18 : 1Kg 13:29-31
  64. 23:19 : 2Ch 34:6-7
  65. 23:20 : 1Kg 12:31; 13:2
  66. 23:20 : 2Kg 10:25; 11:18; 2Ch 34:5
  67. 23:21 : Nm 9:1-14; Dt 16:1-8; 2Ch 35:1-6
  68. 23:22-23 : 2Ch 35:18-19
  69. 23:24 : Lv 19:31; 2Kg 21:6
  70. 23:24 : Gn 31:19
  71. 23:24 : Dt 7:26; 2Kg 16:3
  72. 23:24 : 2Kg 22:8; 23:2-3
  73. 23:25 : Dt 6:4-9; 2Kg 23:3
  74. 23:25 : 1Kg 3:12; 2Kg 18:5
  75. 23:26 : 2Kg 21:11-13; Jr 15:4
  76. 23:27 : 2Kg 18:11-12
  77. 23:27 : Dt 12:11; 1Kg 9:3; 2Kg 21:4
  78. 23:28-30 : 2Ch 35:20-27
  79. 23:29 : Jr 46:2
  80. 23:29 : Jdg 5:19
  81. 23:30 : 2Kg 9:28
  82. 23:30 : 2Ch 36:1
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Acts 21:37-22:16

Paul’s Defense before the Jerusalem Mob

37 As he was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the commander, “Am I allowed to say something to you?”

He replied, “You know how to speak Greek? 38 Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt some time ago and led four thousand men of the Assassins into the wilderness?” (A)

39 Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus of Cilicia,(B) a citizen of an important city. Now I ask you, let me speak to the people.”

40 After he had given permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people. When there was a great hush, he addressed them in Aramaic:[a](C)

22 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.” When they heard that he was addressing them in Aramaic,[b] they became even quieter.(D) He(E) continued, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel(F) according to the law of our ancestors. I was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.(G) I persecuted this Way(H) to the death, arresting and putting both men and women in jail,(I) as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. After I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to arrest those who were there and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.(J)

Paul’s Testimony

“As(K) I was traveling and approaching Damascus, about noon an intense light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

“I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.’ Now those who were with me saw the light,[c] but they did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.(L)

10 “I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’

“The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that you have been assigned to do.’

11 “Since I couldn’t see because of the brightness of the light,[d] I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and went into Damascus.(M) 12 Someone named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, who had a good reputation with all the Jews living there,(N) 13 came and stood by me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And in that very hour I looked up and saw him. 14 And he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has appointed(O) you to know his will, to see(P) the Righteous One,(Q) and to hear the words from his mouth, 15 since you will be a witness for him to all people of what you have seen and heard.(R) 16 And now, why are you delaying? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins,(S) calling on his name.’(T)

Footnotes:

  1. 21:40 Or Hebrew
  2. 22:2 Or Hebrew
  3. 22:9 Other mss add and were afraid
  4. 22:11 Lit the glory of that light
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Psalm 1

Psalm 1

The Two Ways

How happy is the one who does not
walk in the advice of the wicked
or stand in the pathway with sinners
or sit in the company of mockers!(A)
Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
and he meditates on it day and night.(B)
He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams[a]
that bears its fruit in its season(C)
and whose leaf does not wither.(D)
Whatever he does prospers.(E)

The wicked are not like this;
instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away.(F)
Therefore the wicked will not stand up in the judgment,(G)
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,(H)
but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.(I)

Footnotes:

  1. 1:3 Or beside irrigation channels
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Proverbs 18:11-12

11 The wealth of the rich is his fortified city;
in his imagination it is like a high wall.(A)

12 Before his downfall a person’s heart is proud,(B)
but humility comes before honor.(C)

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

07/02/2019 DAB Transcript

2 Kings 20:1-22:2, Acts 21:18-36, Psalms 150:1-6, Proverbs 18:9-10

Today is the 2nd day of July. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It’s great to be here with you. I guess we are through threshold and we are squarely in the month of July. We’re in the seventh month of the year and there’s no going back. There’s only going forward. And, so, that’s what we’ll do. We’ll continue taking steps forward as we move our way through the Scriptures. And just to kind of get a lay of the land, we have a couple of days left in the book of second Kings and then we will have completed first and second Kings and before this month is out we will have read the entirety of first Chronicles and gotten our way into second Chronicles and then in the New Testament for the month of August we will complete the book Acts and then begin to move our way through the book of Romans, which will be the first of Paul’s writings that we encounter. But that’s a bit over a week from now. So, let’s settle into where we are. We’re reading from the Christian Standard Bible this week. Today, second Kings chapter 20 verse 1 through 22 verse 2.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in the book of Acts, right, we first followed along with the apostle Peter then we got to know Saul who became Paul and we’ve been traveling on these missionary journeys with the apostle Paul who was instructed to go back to Jerusalem and we went along with him as he went port to port on his way back to Jerusalem, visiting with the believers who had nurtured. And pretty much they all told him the same thing, “don’t go back to Jerusalem. It’s gonna be bad news”. Of course, Paul was aware of this through the Holy Spirit’s counsel, He kind of had an idea of what was coming and yet he…it was important that he obey God, right, not the Council of everybody else. So, he went to Jerusalem. And that is what we got to experience today, Paul arriving back in Jerusalem. And the reason that I’m recapping again is because we are touching up against serious, serious, issues in the early church, issues that are still with us today, issues that will and should challenge us, issues that people are spouting off everywhere all of the time on a continual basis. And that is fundamentally this, “who gets to be a follower, a disciple of Jesus Christ? Who gets to do that? Who gets to be in?” So, let’s explore this. As we read in the book of Acts today, when Paul arrived back to Jerusalem and the church leaders met with him they essentially said, “look, thousands of Jewish people are now following the Lord Jesus Christ. They are following The Way. They have embraced the teachings of Jesus and found a more comprehensive way of obeying the Mosaic Law and living into their faith. But they are devout about their faith and they and we are hearing things coming back here to Jerusalem that you are out all over the world saying you don’t have to observe circumcision, you don’t have to obey the Mosaic law in order to follow Jesus.” So, two very different viewpoints and we’re gonna talk about this as we continue our way all the way through the New Testament because there’s no avoiding it if you’re looking for it. And the issues are so fundamental that they affect us until today. So, on one hand you have Jesus who is Jewish, who ministered under…inside…within the Jewish context. And, so, of course, Jewish people began to follow the Rabbi. They began to follow Jesus and obey His teachings and even put their faith in Him and believe in Him, but they never ever considered the idea that they would be leaving their Jewish heritage and faith. Jesus never called them to leave their Hebrew roots. And He said with his own mouth, “I didn’t come to abolish the law I came to fulfill the law.” So, that’s where they’re coming from. At the same time, the apostles, including Peter and obviously the apostle Paul is now become the apostle to the Gentiles, they saw with their own eyes, they witnessed in their own ministry the Holy Spirit coming upon Gentiles. They saw Jesus come into the lives of households who had never heard anything about Jesus or Judaism. So, I mean, this caused dissonance for them. This is something to figure out because on the one hand the Hebrew religion, Judaism had always been very exclusive. These were God’s chosen people. Like this is a very exclusive people with a very exclusive religion. And yet then this rabbi comes, so Jesus comes, the son of God comes, but they’re all…all of those things are what people are thinking about Jesus. Like not everyone is like, “oh…of the Virgin Mary…yeah…of course…He’s the son of God”. Like, some people dismissed Jesus completely outright. Some people believed He was a wise and beyond His years, rabbi. Other people were following Him because His teachings made more sense while other people were following Him because they believed He was the son of the living God, the Messiah, but they all recognize that He was Hebrew and that was the context that He was in. So, for the Holy Spirit to begin falling upon Gentiles the world over, like, this is kind of a problem because the exclusivity is going away and everyone is universally welcome into this new thing that God is doing in the world. So, for many, especially the Jewish people, this is really hard to wrap their minds around. And, so, the way that, for the most part they could reason this through, is that a Gentile would need to convert to Judaism and then begin to follow the rabbi, Jesus, the Messiah. And we watched an entire church counsel, the first church council, like, this was the first and big issue that they needed to have a meeting about. And they took the witness and they realized, “okay, we thought we understood one way. We can see that God is doing something different that we haven’t seen before. We can’t deny what God is doing among the Gentiles, but we can’t deny who Jesus was, and the context that he taught in.” Right? So, it becomes the central question, who gets to be in? Who gets to be a follower, a disciple of Jesus? Who gets to be saved. In other words, and as we will see, this was always a disagreement. So, when we get to the writings of Paul and as we start moving through the different letters that he is sending to specific churches we will notice that the argument was an intense one because people were coming in behind Paul and telling people, “Gentile or not, you gotta get circumcised. Gentile or not you basically have to become Hebrew and follow the Hebrew customs.” This caused a tremendous amount of confusion but also seriously, seriously, made Paul angry. So, there were these conflicts about who gets to walk with Jesus. And if we’re honest and we look throughout our world today, we’re still fighting the same battle. We certainly aren’t these days, for the most part, trying to get people to convert to Judaism in order to follow Jesus. As it turned out, and we’ll see why as this story continues, the Jewish people mostly abandoned the idea of Jesus the Messiah, the son of God, who died to take away the sins of the world. It largely, as time went on, became something that was predominantly Gentile. And that is the way of the world today. But we’re still arguing about who gets to be in and sort of creating these grids in our minds about how much tolerance we can take for a person who doesn’t believe the way that we do. Like, do we say, “well…you don’t believe the same theological points on the Trinity, so you must not be a Christian” or “you don’t see the doctrine of original sin the same way that I do so you must be going to hell.” On the one hand, we could say, “well…this kind of vigorous debate has always been a part of our faith journey and the story of our faith in Jesus.” And yet it was Jesus. Like, whether you’re Jew or Gentile, it was Jesus who told us that the world would know us by our love for one another. Our disdain and disregard and dislike for one another are what’s most easy to see in the world today. I mean, troll the Internet for five minutes and you can find it. Vigorous debates among believers who seem to be convinced that it is their job to inform other believers that they will be cast into outer darkness. It’s not helping. I’ve actually had many conversations with people who love to do that kind of debate. Ad they’re like, “well…we do this kind of debate, we do this vigorous kind of debate so that the world won’t be deceived by the inaccuracies of everybody else.” And I’m like, “the world doesn’t care at all what you have to say.” They don’t want any part of this.” Sometimes I wish, as believers, we were forced to have a bumper sticker on our car. You know how you’re driving along in their delivery trucks…it’s like or our school buses…like, “how’s my driving? If there’s a problem call 1-800, you know, 123-4567.” I wish we had all have those bumper stickers, maybe on our four heads even sometimes. “How am I loving? If there’s a problem, call 1-800-123-4567.” How would that go for you on any given day? Because you will be known by your love. At least if you believe in Jesus, if you believe the words of Jesus then we will be known as disciples of Jesus by our love for one another. The early church had to deal with these kinds of issues. It’s been a part of our story and yet Jesus couldn’t have been more clear about the posture of God’s kingdom and the importance of actually loving those around us. So, I don’t know if I can plant something in your mind, but I wish that when you wake up in the morning you would think, “how am I going to be known by my love today?” And when you put your head on your pillow at night and you’re saying your night night prayers, I wish you would think was I known by my love today?

Prayer:

Jesus, obviously as we read the stories of Your life and ministry You were known by Your love and You were known because You were true, there was nothing false in You. It seems like every day we’re like juggling the false and the true, right, the shadow and the light. We can even think that we’re shining the light when we’re actually spreading the darkness. We so easily forget the fact that we will be known by our love for one another. So, come Holy Spirit and help us be known today by our love in every way we. We ask this in Your name. We ask Holy Spirit that You would come because we don’t…we can’t navigate…we can’t do this on our own. Like, we forget. We don’t have the discipline, we get too angry, we get pulled in so many directions we forget. So, the next thing You know we find ourselves condemning one another instead of loving each other and we can get ourselves twisted so backward so quickly. Holy Spirit come, that we be known by our love. Love is the currency of Your kingdom, not being right, not dogma, not doctrine, not being the sheriff at the gate of who gets to be in and who doesn’t. You are the judge. You will be known by our love. Let us love today we ask in Your precious name. Amen.

Song:

We are one in the spirit we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah they’ll know we are Christians by our love

We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we’ll guard each man’s dignity and save each man’s pride
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday July 2, 2019 (NIV)

2 Kings 20:1-22:2

Hezekiah’s Illness and Recovery

20 In those days(A) Hezekiah became terminally ill.(B) The prophet Isaiah(C) son of Amoz came and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Set your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’”(D)

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall(E) and prayed to the Lord, “Please, Lord, remember(F) how I have walked before you faithfully and wholeheartedly and have done what pleases you.”[a](G) And Hezekiah wept bitterly.(H)

Isaiah had not yet gone out of the inner courtyard when the word of the Lord came to him: “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader(I) of my people, ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer;(J) I have seen your tears. Look, I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the Lord’s temple. I will add fifteen years to your life. I will rescue you and this city from the grasp of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’”(K)

Then Isaiah said, “Bring a lump of pressed figs.” So they brought it and applied it to his infected skin, and he recovered.(L)

Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What is the sign(M) that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the Lord’s temple on the third day?”

Isaiah said, “This is the sign(N) to you from the Lord that he will do what he has promised: Should the shadow go ahead ten steps or go back ten steps?”

10 Then Hezekiah answered, “It’s easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. No, let the shadow go back ten steps.” 11 So the prophet Isaiah called out to the Lord, and he brought the shadow[b] back the ten steps it had descended on the stairway of Ahaz.[c](O)

Hezekiah’s Folly

12 At that time(P) Merodach-baladan[d] son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah since he heard that he had been sick. 13 Hezekiah listened to the letters and showed the envoys his whole treasure house—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil—and his armory, and everything that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his palace and in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them.(Q)

14 Then the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah and asked him, “Where did these men come from and what did they say to you?”

Hezekiah replied, “They came from a distant country, from Babylon.”

15 Isaiah asked, “What have they seen in your palace?”

Hezekiah answered, “They have seen everything in my palace. There isn’t anything in my treasuries that I didn’t show them.”

16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: 17 ‘Look, the days are coming when everything in your palace and all that your fathers have stored up until today will be carried off to Babylon; nothing will be left,’(R) says the Lord. 18 ‘Some of your descendants—who come from you, whom you father—will be taken away,(S) and they will become eunuchs[e] in the palace of the king of Babylon.’”(T)

19 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good,”(U) for he thought: Why not, if there will be peace and security during my lifetime?

Hezekiah’s Death

20 The rest of the events of Hezekiah’s reign, along with all his might and how he made the pool(V) and the tunnel and brought water into the city,(W) are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.(X) 21 Hezekiah rested with his fathers, and his son Manasseh became king in his place.(Y)

Judah’s King Manasseh

21 Manasseh(Z) was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah.(AA) He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight,(AB) imitating the detestable practices of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites.(AC) He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed(AD) and reestablished the altars for Baal. He made an Asherah,(AE) as King Ahab of Israel had done;(AF) he also bowed in worship to all the stars in the sky(AG) and served them. He built altars in the Lord’s temple,(AH) where the Lord had said, “Jerusalem is where I will put my name.”(AI) He built altars to all the stars in the sky(AJ) in both courtyards of the Lord’s temple.(AK) He sacrificed his son in the fire,[f](AL) practiced witchcraft and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists.(AM) He did a huge amount of evil in the Lord’s sight, angering him.(AN)

Manasseh set up the carved image of Asherah, which he made, in the temple that the Lord had spoken about to David and his son Solomon: “I will establish my name forever in this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.(AO) I will never again cause the feet of the Israelites to wander from the land I gave to their ancestors if only they will be careful to do all I have commanded them—the whole law that my servant Moses commanded them.”(AP) But they did not listen; Manasseh caused them to stray so that they did worse evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.(AQ)

10 The Lord said through his servants the prophets, 11 “Since King Manasseh of Judah has committed all these detestable acts(AR)—worse evil than the Amorites(AS) who preceded him had done—and by means of his idols has also caused Judah to sin, 12 this is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I am about to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that everyone who hears about it will shudder.[g](AT) 13 I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line used on Samaria and the mason’s level used on the house of Ahab,(AU) and I will wipe(AV) Jerusalem clean as one wipes a bowl—wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 I will abandon the remnant(AW) of my inheritance and hand them over to their enemies. They will become plunder and spoil to all their enemies, 15 because they have done what is evil in my sight and have angered me from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until today.’”(AX)

16 Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem with it from one end to another.(AY) This was in addition to his sin that he caused Judah to commit, so that they did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.

Manasseh’s Death

17 The rest(AZ) of the events of Manasseh’s reign, along with all his accomplishments and the sin that he committed, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.(BA) 18 Manasseh rested with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his own house, the garden of Uzza. His son Amon became king in his place.

Judah’s King Amon

19 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king,(BB) and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz; she was from Jotbah. 20 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, just as his father Manasseh had done.(BC) 21 He walked in all the ways his father had walked; he served the idols his father had served, and he bowed in worship to them.(BD) 22 He abandoned the Lord God of his ancestors(BE) and did not walk in the ways of the Lord.(BF)

23 Amon’s servants conspired against him and put the king to death in his own house.(BG) 24 The common people[h] killed(BH) all who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah(BI) king in his place.

25 The rest of the events of Amon’s reign, along with his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings. 26 He was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza, and his son Josiah became king in his place.

Judah’s King Josiah

22 Josiah(BJ) was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath.(BK) He did what was right in the Lord’s sight and walked in all the ways of his ancestor David;(BL) he did not turn to the right or the left.(BM)

Footnotes:

  1. 20:3 Lit what is good in your eyes
  2. 20:11 Lit shadow on the steps
  3. 20:11 Tg, Vg; DSS read on the steps of Ahaz’s roof chamber; Is 38:8
  4. 20:12 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Tg, some Vg mss, Is 39:1; other Hb mss read Berodach-baladan
  5. 20:18 Or court officials
  6. 21:6 Lit He made his son pass through the fire
  7. 21:12 Lit about it, his two ears will tingle; Hb obscure
  8. 21:24 Lit The people of the land
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Acts 21:18-36

18 The following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.(A) 19 After greeting them, he reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.(B)

20 When they heard it, they glorified God and said, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous(C) for the law. 21 But they have been informed about you—that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to live according to our customs.(D) 22 So what is to be done?[a] They will certainly hear that you’ve come. 23 Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have made a vow. 24 Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay for them to get their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that what they were told about you amounts to nothing, but that you yourself are also careful about observing the law.(E) 25 With regard to the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter containing our decision that[b] they should keep themselves from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality.”

The Riot in the Temple

26 So the next day, Paul took the men, having purified himself along with them, and entered the temple, announcing the completion of the purification days when the offering would be made for each of them.(F) 27 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd, and seized him,(G) 28 shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place. What’s more, he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”(H) 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.(I)

30 The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul, dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.(J)

31 As they were trying to kill him, word went up to the commander of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in chaos. 32 Taking along soldiers and centurions, he immediately ran down to them. Seeing the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the commander approached, took him into custody, and ordered him to be bound with two chains.(K) He asked who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd were shouting one thing and some another. Since he was not able to get reliable information because of the uproar, he ordered him to be taken into the barracks.(L) 35 When Paul got to the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, 36 for the mass of people followed, yelling, “Get rid of him!” (M)

Footnotes:

  1. 21:22 Other mss add A multitude has to come together, since
  2. 21:25 Other mss add they should observe no such thing, except that
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Psalm 150

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord

Hallelujah!
Praise God in his sanctuary.
Praise him in his mighty expanse.(A)
Praise him for his powerful acts;(B)
praise him for his abundant greatness.(C)

Praise him with trumpet blast;(D)
praise him with harp and lyre.(E)
Praise him with tambourine and dance;(F)
praise him with strings and flute.(G)
Praise him with resounding cymbals;
praise him with clashing cymbals.(H)

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.(I)
Hallelujah!

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Proverbs 18:9-10

The one who is lazy in his work
is brother to a vandal.[a](A)

10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower;(B)
the righteous run to it and are protected.[b](C)

Footnotes:

  1. 18:9 Lit master of destruction
  2. 18:10 Lit raised high
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

07/01/2019 DAB Transcript

2 Kings 18:13-19:37, Acts 21:1-17, Psalms 149:1-9, Proverbs 18:8

Today is the 1st day of July. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is a pleasure and a joy, it is an honor to be here with you as we step ourselves into the seventh month of the year. Today is the 182nd day of the year. And, so, we’re one hundred eight days into our journey together and what a journey it’s been. We have been everywhere together in the first six months. We’ve been all the way from the creation of the world, all the way through the stories in the Gospels of Jesus. We’re in the book of Acts now learning of the early church, but we have wandered in the wilderness, we have traveled with Joseph, we have traveled with Moses, we’ve traveled with Abraham, we’ve moved through the time of the judges, we’ve moved through the times of the Kings and spent plenty of time with Israel’s first King Saul and second King David. That’s just scratching the surface. And look at all that God has spoken to us directly into our own spirits and directly into our own lives about our postures and our motives. The Bible is amazing because it’s alive and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and it can penetrate within us to the point where soul and spirit divide. That…I’m not sure exactly where that is but that’s deep because that’s where our identity is. God is speaking to and transforming our identity, which is one of the big themes of the Bible that we’ve seen, right? The children of Israel were slaves. Their identity needed to be changed. The wilderness was used to change their identity from slave to chosen. And perhaps the exact same thing is happening within us. So, here we are launching ourselves into the brand-new seventh month of the year, the month of July and launching ourselves into the back half of the year. And we’ll do that by picking up where we left off yesterday because that’s what we do. Step-by-step day by day we go all the way around the sun and make a revolution around the sun and that’s called a year on planet Earth. But day by day we make a revolution through the Bible, which makes a revolution and in our lives. So, here we go. Second Kings chapter 18 verse 13 through 19 verse 37 and we’re reading from the Christian Standard Bible this week.

Commentary:

Okay. So, a few things to point out, a couple things we need to touch on. So, yesterday in our reading from a second Kings we witnessed the destruction, the end of the northern kingdom of Israel. So, those 10 tribes that were Israel, they’ve been hauled in exile and displaced all over the Assyrian Empire and they disappear from history at this point as cohesive tribes, like never see them again. We also see that the Assyrian Empire who conquered the northern kingdom of Israel had its sights set on also simultaneously conquering the southern kingdom of Judah and actually was succeeding because fortified city after fortified city was falling. And, so, the scene that we saw today where king Sennacherib sends his envoys to Jerusalem. This was coming from the city of Lachish. The ruins of Lachish still exist today. That can be seen in the Promised Land films, but this one would’ve been just like the second fortified city only to Jerusalem and it fell. So, the king of Assyria is at a conquered city, Lachish, sending envoys to Jerusalem which is the last city to conquer, taunting and threatening them. And we read the story. King Hezekiah goes before the Lord, and Lord delivers Judah. So, as we go into the second half of the year we go into the second half of the year without 10 of the tribes, they’ve been conquered, and we only have Judah remaining.

And as we mentioned yesterday and saw more today, Paul is on his way back to Jerusalem, the city where he started this journey, right? This guy who affirmed and witnessed the stoning of Stephen in Jerusalem. Once he found Jesus the Jewish people wanted him dead just like he wanted all the other Christians dead and he’s been moving around the empire sharing the good news, but he’s on his way back to Jerusalem and we’re seeing that at every stop he’s stopping and visiting with people that he had brought to the Lord and established churches and their all telling him he shouldn’t go to Jerusalem and he’s saying, “yeah, I know. Like, I have to go to Jerusalem because the Holy Spirit told me to go to Jerusalem, but I know. I know that imprisonment and shackles are in front of me and maybe even death. I don’t know but I have to go.” And, so that’s where we find Paul and that’s the story that we will enter into as we continue into the second half of the year.

And then as we enter into this brand-new month and this back half of the year we have some striking words from the book from the book of Proverbs. “A gossips words are like choice food.” Okay. So, gossip is like a currency, it’s like information currency. It’s a secret currency that we carry around. We witness things, we hear things, we see things, and then we don’t hold onto them in confidence. We then go and use the currency to make ourselves look more like we’re in the know and we share it with other people. Like, we talk about people behind their backs and they don’t have the benefit of being there to tell the story correctly or to defend themselves or whatever, to be a part of the conversation. And, so, we’re kind of consuming them behind their back to each other and it’s dark and it’s a community killer because along with gossip…like you get a tasty morsel of gossip and you call up your friend or you meet for coffee and you’re gonna lay out the story and share the gossip, you’re gonna have to make up a bunch of stuff along the way, right? You heard this little bit of information and you’re gonna have to say, “so, I think what’s happening here is…” And then you’ve gotta give your interpretation of it when you are not involved, and you do not know what you’re talking about. Gossip gives us little portions of information that we then flesh out with assumptions and we create false realities about people. And if you’ve been on the receiving end of this before, if you’ve been gossiped about you know how destructive it can be because we are peddling half-truths and made-up things. We are carrying falseness around and infecting our communities like cancer with this stuff. So, you have to listen to the proverb and wonder if it matters to you. “A gossips words are like choice food that goes down into one’s innermost being.” Do you want all that stuff down in your innermost being? Because that’s what you’re doing when you listen to it. That’s what you’re peddling when you offer it, poison that goes down to one’s innermost being. So, let’s think about that as we move through this new week and as we move into this new month and as we move into the second half of the year.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, we invite You into that. We often find ourselves sharing things we shouldn’t be sharing, telling things we shouldn’t be telling, filling in blanks we have no business filling in because we don’t know what we’re talking about and consuming each other. And this is not helpful to Your body. It’s like cancer in Your body. So, Holy Spirit come. Help us to understand the power of our words and the power that rests behind our teeth to make those words. And may we bring light and life and good news through our words this day and every day. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

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

So, this coming Sunday, the most immediate thing that’s going on around here. This coming Sunday is the 7th of July and the 7th of July is kind of our own little Daily Audio Bible holiday that we have together. It’s the day we do the Daily Audio Bible long walk and this has been a tradition over a decade now. It’s a day that wherever you are, no matter where you are, this doesn’t have to be all that complicated. You can go somewhere as close as next-door. Like, just go for walk down your sidewalk. Wherever you find beautiful, that’s where you want to go. Whether you drive for hours, or whether you just go for a walk, it’s a long walk with God. It’s a day set aside to truly honestly rest in Him. Like, to truly take everything off of our plates altogether. This happens on a Sunday, this coming Sunday. So, this happens on the weekend, which will make it a little easier scheduling wise, but take everything off your plates, every obligation, like it can wait for a day, especially when it’s a day that your giving to God, where you really are going to rest in Him. You’re going to go somewhere beautiful and hear life happening all around you. I mean, if you go to a local park, if you go somewhere and sit down and just start listening, you realize that life is exploding everywhere. It’s all around us and we’re missing it. I mean, you spend 10 minutes just listening to nature and you realize I’m missing a lot because I’m running, running, running, running running, but I don’t know why. I’m accumulating, accumulating, accumulating, but I don’t know why exactly, it’s just that everybody else is. But what if you slow the world out enough to hear your heart beat again? What if you had a day that there was no agenda other than to say everything, everything, everything in your heart to God and to let Him say everything He’s been waiting to say back to you for the longest of times? But you’re just so busy and when conversation happens with Him it’s one-sided, it’s you, you’re doing all talking. What if you had space to listen? That’s what the Daily Audio Bible long walk is about and that is one wonderful way of resetting and moving into the second half of the year. So, make plans for that this Sunday. It’s very individual. It’s a solitary endeavor but it’s also a community event because we’re doing it together at the same time on the same day. So, wherever you go just take a picture, take a video, post it back to Daily Audio Bible’s Facebook page, which is facebook.com/dailyaaudiobible and then we just watch it all unfold. We see the beauty of the earth all around the world all in one day. It’s magnificent. So, that’s coming up this Sunday. Make plans for that.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that dailyaudiobible.com. There’s a link on the homepage. Thank you profoundly for your partnership as we are here in the thick of the summer now. Thank you for your partnership. So, the link is 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, 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:

Sacrifices his only Son to save our sins. And Jesus hanging on the cross for our sins. The gift of the Holy Spirit. And my heart is full of joy today, hence the smile. What I did want to share is even though my heart is full of love and am lifted up by the Holy Spirit, the world we live in would tell me otherwise because I can share that my life is not perfect and far from it. I have a prodigal son who has not spoken to me or any type of communication going on for years now, grandbabies I have not seen. And the world would tell me otherwise, that I should just be broken, but thank God, thank God for His grace and His mercy and His love that keeps me lifted. So, I wanted to share that family, that we’re all…we all have something that the world will tell us that we should be broken. Hang on to the promise of Jesus and He will see us through. You can think back if you have something in your life that He has lifted you, He has pulled you up, why would He not do that again for your family? I’m keeping my eyes on Christ and I’m praying for each one of you as it’s been every day. Thank you. Amen.

Hello DAB family this is Joyful Noise from Southern California. I’m calling in…haven’t called in for quite some time but I do listen or __ listen every single day and if I don’t I try to pay catch up. Isn’t this the most amazing ministry? So, if this ministry has blessed you in any way…like, if you’re listening in as a new listener or…I don’t know that about the Lord and are becoming closer to Him and even understanding like His purpose in your life and His purpose for the world and the universe and even from the beginning, you know, if you’ve been hanging out with us since January 1st, from Genesis onward then kudos. That is awesome! Hang in there. This is my…I think…seventh year through the Bible with Brian and the community. And it is actually amazing how it’s grown me as a Christian and as a community member, as a mom, as a wife, as everything. So, hang in there. And then also, if this ministry blesses you, consider blessing the ministry back, through prayer certainly but also through, you know, your financial contribution. If you think about it this is __ but there’s never a day where I wake up and go, “I wonder if they recorded the…nope for sure, they did it.” Even when Brian’s traveling or the families traveling. Even when…I’m sure…I’m they have birthday parties and, you know, they’ve got stuff in life just like us, but they make it a priority. So, and the team of people. It’s not just Brian of course, it’s a team of people that make this happen in the background. So, consider supporting them. Look. It’s just a thought. Maybe pray about it. So, I’m calling in today to ask all of you to lift up my friend who is an amazing young man, he’s 16 years old, he’s the youngest of our three kids and we really thought until this last fall, whew, we’ve skated…whew we skated this one. We are not going through those tough teen…” Oh no. It came out. And probably as a result of learning disabilities and since he was in about fifth grade just really feeling stupid even though we’re getting accommodations, even though we’re helping him even though we’re trying to convey to him how to, you know, God has a plan for him and you know…

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family this is Jay from Nashville Tennessee. All right, so I wanted to just shoot out a praise report real quick to just thank God for this promotion that I’ve gotten. I went from technician level to engineer level at my job. So, I mean, I’m just, I’m overwhelmed. So, those of you who are in positions that you don’t want to be in or you feel like there beneath you or you feel like you should be doing something different, you know, I started working for this company six years ago and my job was to take out the trash. That was my job. And for six months I did that as effectively, as efficiently, and as professionally as I possibly could all the while praying to God and believing that whatever he had for me that’s what I would do. And today I am an engineer in the same company and, you know, God has just blessed me because…I didn’t want to…but I humbled myself and I did what I had to do. So, let that be a lesson or at least an example to you because I know that there are a lot of people that are not working where they want to work, or they don’t like where they work, or they don’t like what they do. That could very well be an opportunity for you to relax and enjoy the simplicity of a job that really isn’t super complicated. And you can take that time to pray and be with God while you’re at work. I can’t tell you how many times I put my headphones in and listened to sermons, listened to Brian and, you know, just listened to God’s music and just put that time for him. So, I encourage you to find time throughout your day to do that with Jesus. Love you guys. Bye.

Good morning everyone. This is a Christie from Kentucky. I wanted to pray for us of our friends. Daniel Johnson Junior, congratulations on your 24th wedding anniversary on 6/17. I wanted to pray for Slave of Jesus to let you know brother that I’m praying for your work situation. Also praying for Natalie as you go into your inpatient treatment for your anorexia. Praying for you sweet child, for you and your family. Also, I am praying for Victoria Soldier to ask the Lord to bless her with as many blessings as that she gives to all of us. We love you so much Victoria Soldier. Also praying for Christie in Korea for your husband who you say is agnostic. Christ’s Child in New Zealand, I’m praying for your brother who is in a bad relationship and Vera in California, praying for your precious daughter Michelle as she goes through her surgery, which should be done by now. Praying for a good outcome for that and that her Lupus is at bay. We ask for complete healing and restoration on your precious daughter’s body. Not Shaken, I’m praying for your son who is in jail. Also, for your daughter who needs forgiveness from family members, but especially from her daddy. Also praying for you Jerry in Maryland, thinking about what you said about your long walk and I was thinking, just a suggestion, but Jerry, why don’t you take your beautiful wife with you on that long walk? Just pull away from all the noise and confusion of the everyday trials and maybe while you’re on that walk you can share the significance of what it means and maybe have a heart-to-heart talk with her. You are the leader of the household and we just pray for you Jerry. All right everyone. I just want to thank you all for continued prayers. We are healing. We still have a king-sized hole in our house and our heart from the loss of our dog. And today I will go pick up the remains. So, continued prayers are appreciated, and I love you guys so much. Have a blessed and lovely day today.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday July 1, 2019 (NIV)

2 Kings 18:13-19:37

Sennacherib’s Invasion

13 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Assyria’s King Sennacherib attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.(A) 14 So King Hezekiah of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish:(B) “I have done wrong;(C) withdraw from me. Whatever you demand from me, I will pay.” The king of Assyria demanded eleven tons[a] of silver and one ton[b] of gold from King Hezekiah of Judah. 15 So Hezekiah gave him all the silver found in the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the king’s palace.

16 At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the Lord’s sanctuary and from the doorposts he had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria.(D)

17 Then the king of Assyria sent the field marshal,(E) the chief of staff, and his royal spokesman, along with a massive army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem.(F) They advanced and came to Jerusalem, and[c] they took their position by the aqueduct of the upper pool, by the road to the Launderer’s Field.(G) 18 They called for the king, but Eliakim(H) son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebnah(I) the court secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian, came out to them.(J)

The Royal Spokesman’s Speech

19 Then(K) the royal spokesman said to them, “Tell Hezekiah this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: ‘What are you relying on?[d](L) 20 You think mere words are strategy and strength for war. Who are you now relying on so that you have rebelled against me?(M) 21 Now look, you are relying on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff(N) that will pierce the hand of anyone who grabs it and leans on it.(O) This is what Pharaoh king of Egypt is to all who rely on him. 22 Suppose you say to me, “We rely on the Lord our God.” Isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed,(P) saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, “You must worship at this altar in Jerusalem”?’

23 “So now, make a bargain with my master the king of Assyria. I’ll give you two thousand horses if you’re able to supply riders for them! 24 How then can you drive back a single officer(Q) among the least of my master’s servants? How can you rely on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 25 Now, have I attacked this place to destroy it without the Lord’s approval?(R) The Lord said to me, ‘Attack this land and destroy it.’”

26 Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah said to the royal spokesman, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic,(S) since we understand it. Don’t speak with us in Hebrew[e] within earshot of the people on the wall.”

27 But the royal spokesman said to them, “Has my master sent me to speak these words only to your master and to you? Hasn’t he also sent me to the men who sit on the wall, destined with you to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?” (T)

28 The royal spokesman stood and called out loudly in Hebrew: “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria. 29 This is what the king says: ‘Don’t let Hezekiah deceive(U) you; he can’t rescue you from my power.(V) 30 Don’t let Hezekiah persuade you to rely on the Lord by saying, “Certainly the Lord will rescue us! This city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.”’(W)

31 “Don’t listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: ‘Make peace[f] with me and surrender to me. Then each of you may eat from his own vine and his own fig tree,(X) and each may drink water from his own cistern 32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey(Y)—so that you may live(Z) and not die. But don’t listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you, saying, “The Lord will rescue us.” 33 Has any of the gods of the nations ever rescued(AA) his land from the power of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?[g] Have they rescued Samaria from my power?(AB) 35 Who among all the gods of the lands has rescued his land from my power? So will the Lord rescue Jerusalem from my power?’” (AC)

36 But the people kept silent; they did not answer him at all, for the king’s command was, “Don’t answer him.” 37 Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the court historian,(AD) came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn(AE) and reported to him the words of the royal spokesman.

Hezekiah Seeks Isaiah’s Counsel

19 When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth,(AF) and went into the Lord’s temple.(AG) He sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary,(AH) and the leading priests, who were wearing sackcloth,(AI) to the prophet Isaiah(AJ) son of Amoz. They said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says: ‘Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace, for children have come to the point of birth,(AK) but there is no strength to deliver them. Perhaps the Lord your God(AL) will hear(AM) all the words of the royal spokesman, whom his master the king of Assyria sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke(AN) him for the words that the Lord your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the surviving remnant.’”(AO)

So the servants of King Hezekiah went to Isaiah, who said to them, “Tell your master, ‘The Lord says this: Don’t be afraid(AP) because of the words you have heard, with which the king of Assyria’s attendants(AQ) have blasphemed(AR) me. I am about to put a spirit in him, and he will hear a rumor and return to his own land,(AS) where I will cause him to fall by the sword.’”(AT)

Sennacherib’s Departing Threat

When(AU) the royal spokesman heard that the king of Assyria had pulled out of Lachish,(AV) he left and found him fighting against Libnah.(AW) The king had heard concerning King Tirhakah of Cush, “Look, he has set out to fight against you.” So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “Say this to King Hezekiah of Judah: ‘Don’t let your God, on whom you rely,(AX) deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.(AY) 11 Look, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries: They completely destroyed them. Will you be rescued? 12 Did the gods of the nations(AZ) that my predecessors destroyed rescue them—nations such as Gozan,(BA) Haran,(BB) Rezeph, and the Edenites(BC) in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of[h] Sepharvaim, Hena, or Ivvah?’” (BD)

Hezekiah’s Prayer

14 Hezekiah took(BE) the letter(BF) from the messengers’ hands, read it, then went up to the Lord’s temple, and spread it out before the Lord.(BG) 15 Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord:

Lord God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim,(BH) you are God—you alone—of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.(BI) 16 Listen closely, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see.(BJ) Hear the words that Sennacherib has sent to mock the living God.(BK) 17 Lord, it is true that the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands.(BL) 18 They have thrown their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but made by human hands—wood and stone.(BM) So they have destroyed them. 19 Now, Lord our God, please save us from his power so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are God—you alone.(BN)

God’s Answer through Isaiah

20 Then(BO) Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “The Lord, the God of Israel says, ‘I have heard your prayer(BP) to me about King Sennacherib of Assyria.’(BQ) 21 This is the word the Lord has spoken against him:

Virgin Daughter Zion(BR)
despises you and scorns you;
Daughter Jerusalem
shakes her head behind your back.(BS)
22 Who is it you mocked and blasphemed?(BT)
Against whom have you raised your voice
and lifted your eyes in pride?
Against the Holy One of Israel!(BU)
23 You have mocked the Lord[i] through[j] your messengers.(BV)
You have said, ‘With my many chariots(BW)
I have gone up to the heights of the mountains,
to the far recesses of Lebanon.
I cut down its tallest cedars,
its choice cypress trees.
I came to its farthest outpost,
its densest forest.
24 I dug wells
and drank water in foreign lands.
I dried up all the streams of Egypt(BX)
with the soles of my feet.’

25 Have you not heard?(BY)
I designed it long ago;
I planned it in days gone by.
I have now brought it to pass,(BZ)
and you have crushed fortified cities
into piles of rubble.
26 Their inhabitants have become powerless,
dismayed, and ashamed.
They are plants of the field,
tender grass,
grass on the rooftops,(CA)
blasted by the east wind.[k]

27 But I know your sitting down,(CB)
your going out and your coming in,
and your raging against me.
28 Because your raging against me
and your arrogance have reached my ears,
I will put my hook in your nose(CC)
and my bit in your mouth;
I will make you go back
the way you came.

29 “This will be the sign(CD) for you: This year you will eat what grows on its own, and in the second year what grows from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 30 The surviving remnant(CE) of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. 31 For a remnant will go out from Jerusalem, and survivors, from Mount Zion.(CF) The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.(CG)

32 Therefore, this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:
He will not enter this city,
shoot an arrow here,
come before it with a shield,
or build up a siege ramp against it.(CH)
33 He will go back
the way he came,
and he will not enter this city.

This is the Lord’s declaration.

34 I will defend this city and rescue it
for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.”(CI)

Defeat and Death of Sennacherib

35 That night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!(CJ) 36 So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and left. He returned home and lived in Nineveh.(CK)

37 One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech(CL) and Sharezer struck him down with the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat.(CM) Then his son Esar-haddon(CN) became king in his place.

Footnotes:

  1. 18:14 Lit 300 talents
  2. 18:14 Lit 30 talents
  3. 18:17 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads and came and
  4. 18:19 Lit ‘What is this trust which you trust
  5. 18:26 Lit Judahite, also in v. 28
  6. 18:31 Lit a blessing
  7. 18:34 Some LXX mss, Old Lat read Sepharvaim? Where are the gods of the land of Samaria?
  8. 19:13 Or king of Lair,
  9. 19:23 Many mss read Lord
  10. 19:23 Lit by the hand of
  11. 19:26 DSS; MT reads blasted before standing grain; Is 37:27

Cross references:

  1. 18:13 : 2Ch 32:1; Is 36:1
  2. 18:14 : 2Kg 19:8
  3. 18:14 : Is 24:5; 33:8
  4. 18:15-16 : 2Kg 12:18; 16:8; 2Ch 16:2
  5. 18:17 : Is 20:1
  6. 18:17 : 2Ch 32:9
  7. 18:17 : 2Kg 20:20; Is 7:3
  8. 18:18 : 2Kg 19:2; Is 22:20
  9. 18:18 : Is 22:15
  10. 18:17-18 : Is 36:2-3
  11. 18:19-37 : Is 36:4-22
  12. 18:19 : 2Kg 18:5; 2Ch 32:10
  13. 18:20 : 2Kg 18:7
  14. 18:21 : Is 30:2-3,7
  15. 18:21 : Ezk 29:6-7
  16. 18:22 : 2Kg 18:4; 2Ch 31:1; 32:11-12
  17. 18:24 : Is 10:8
  18. 18:25 : 2Kg 19:6,22; 24:3; 2Ch 35:21
  19. 18:26 : Ezr 4:7; Dn 2:4
  20. 18:26-27 : Is 36:11-12
  21. 18:29 : 2Kg 19:10
  22. 18:29 : 2Ch 32:15
  23. 18:30 : 2Ch 32:18
  24. 18:31 : 1Kg 4:25
  25. 18:32 : Dt 8:7-9; 11:12
  26. 18:32 : Dt 30:19
  27. 18:33 : 2Kg 19:12; Is 10:10-11
  28. 18:34 : 2Kg 17:24; 19:13
  29. 18:35 : 2Ch 32:14; Ps 2:1-4; Dn 3:15
  30. 18:37 : 2Kg 18:26; 19:2
  31. 18:37 : 2Kg 6:30; Is 33:7
  32. 19:1 : 1Kg 21:27; 2Kg 18:37; Ps 69:11
  33. 19:1 : 2Ch 32:20; Is 37:1
  34. 19:2 : 2Kg 18:26,37
  35. 19:2 : 2Sm 3:31
  36. 19:2 : Is 1:1; 2:1
  37. 19:3 : Hs 13:13
  38. 19:4 : 1Sm 17:26; 2Kg 18:35
  39. 19:4 : Jos 14:12; 2Sm 16:12
  40. 19:4 : Ps 50:21
  41. 19:4 : 2Kg 19:30; Is 1:9
  42. 19:6 : Is 37:6
  43. 19:6 : 2Kg 18:17
  44. 19:6 : 2Kg 18:22-25,30,35
  45. 19:7 : 2Kg 7:6
  46. 19:7 : 2Kg 19:35-37
  47. 19:8-13 : Is 37:8-13
  48. 19:8 : 2Kg 18:14
  49. 19:8 : Jos 10:29
  50. 19:10 : 2Kg 18:5
  51. 19:10 : 2Kg 18:29-30
  52. 19:12 : 2Kg 18:33,35
  53. 19:12 : 2Kg 17:6
  54. 19:12 : Gn 11:31
  55. 19:12 : Is 37:12
  56. 19:13 : 2Kg 18:34
  57. 19:14-19 : Is 37:14-20
  58. 19:14 : 2Kg 5:7
  59. 19:14 : Is 37:14
  60. 19:15 : Ex 25:22
  61. 19:15 : Gn 1:1; 2Kg 5:15; Is 44:6
  62. 19:16 : Dn 9:18
  63. 19:16 : 2Kg 19:4; Ps 31:2; Is 37:17
  64. 19:17 : 2Kg 18:34
  65. 19:18 : Is 44:9-20; Jr 10:3-5; Ac 17:29
  66. 19:19 : 1Kg 8:42-43; Is 43:10-11
  67. 19:20-34 : Is 37:21-35
  68. 19:20 : 2Kg 20:5
  69. 19:20 : Is 37:21
  70. 19:21 : Jr 14:17; Lm 2:13
  71. 19:21 : Ps 22:7-8; 109:25; Mt 27:39
  72. 19:22 : 2Kg 19:4,6
  73. 19:22 : Is 5:24; 30:11-15; Jr 51:5
  74. 19:23 : 2Kg 18:17; 19:4
  75. 19:23 : Ps 20:7; Jr 50:37
  76. 19:24 : Is 19:6
  77. 19:25 : Is 40:21; 45:7
  78. 19:25 : Is 10:5
  79. 19:26 : Ps 129:6
  80. 19:27 : Ps 139:1-2
  81. 19:28 : Ezk 19:9; 29:4; 38:4
  82. 19:29 : Ex 3:14; 2Kg 20:8-9; Is 7:14
  83. 19:30 : 2Kg 19:4; 2Ch 32:22-23
  84. 19:31 : Is 10:20
  85. 19:31 : Is 9:7
  86. 19:32 : Is 8:7-10
  87. 19:34 : 1Kg 11:12-13; 2Kg 20:6; Is 31:5
  88. 19:35 : 2Ch 32:21; Is 37:36
  89. 19:36 : Jnh 1:2
  90. 19:37 : 2Kg 17:31
  91. 19:37 : Gn 8:4; Jr 51:27
  92. 19:37 : Gn 10:11; Ezr 4:2
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Acts 21:1-17

Warnings on the Journey to Jerusalem

21 After(A) we tore ourselves away from them, we set sail straight for Cos, the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. Finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we boarded and set sail. After we sighted Cyprus, passing to the south of it,[a] we sailed on to Syria and arrived at Tyre, since the ship was to unload its cargo there. We sought out the disciples and stayed there seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem.(B) When our time had come to an end, we left to continue our journey, while all of them, with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach to pray, we said farewell to one another and boarded the ship, and they returned home.

When we completed our voyage[b] from Tyre, we reached Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day.(C) The next day we left and came to Caesarea, where we entered the house of Philip(D) the evangelist,(E) who was one of the Seven, and stayed with him. This man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.(F)

10 After we had been there for several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him over to the Gentiles.’”(G) 12 When we heard this, both we and the local people pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem.

13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”(H)

14 Since he would not be persuaded, we said no more except, “The Lord’s will be done.”(I)

Conflict over the Gentile Mission

15 After this we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us and brought us to Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to stay.(J)

17 When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters welcomed us warmly.(K)

Footnotes:

  1. 21:3 Lit leaving it on the left
  2. 21:7 Or As we continued our voyage
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Psalm 149

Psalm 149

Praise for God’s Triumph

Hallelujah!
Sing to the Lord a new song,(A)
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.(B)
Let Israel celebrate its Maker;
let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.(C)
Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music to him with tambourine and lyre.(D)
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;(E)
he adorns the humble with salvation.(F)
Let the faithful celebrate in triumphal glory;
let them shout for joy on their beds.(G)

Let the exaltation of God be in their mouths[a]
and a double-edged sword in their hands,(H)
inflicting vengeance on the nations
and punishment on the peoples,(I)
binding their kings with chains
and their dignitaries with iron shackles,(J)
carrying out the judgment decreed against them.
This honor is for all his faithful people.(K)
Hallelujah!

Footnotes:

  1. 149:6 Lit throat
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Proverbs 18:8

A gossip’s words are like choice food
that goes down to one’s innermost being.[a](A)

Footnotes:

  1. 18:8 Lit to the chambers of the belly

Cross references:

  1. 18:8 : Pr 26:22
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

06/30/2019 DAB Transcript

2 Kings 17:1-18:12, Acts 20:1-38, Psalms 148:1-14, Proverbs 18:6-7

Today is June 30th. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and it is great to be here with you today as we enter a brand-new, sparkly, shiny week, but also this is the last day of the sixth month of the year. So, this is kinda the point where we’re halfway through the Bible. Well done for making it six months every day through the Scriptures. And we have another six months out in front of us as we reach for the end of the year and reach for all that God has for us in the second half of the year through His Word. So, let’s dive in and get this week off to a good start knowing that we will enter the seventh month of the year beginning tomorrow. This week we’ll read from the Christian Standard Bible, and we’ll be picking up where we left off in the book of second Kings today. Chapter 18…sorry…17 verse 1 through 18 verse 12.

Commentary:

Okay. So, even as we conclude our reading for the first six months of the year and even as we prepare tomorrow to kinda turn the page and move into the back half, the second six months of the year, some pretty big things have happened today that we should know, kinda going forward. And these things are things that we will refer back to, but this is the place where we encountered them in the Bible. So, in the book of second Kings today, we’ve been tracking…and you gotta pay attention…because we’re moving through the kings of Israel, which is the northern kingdom, and the kings of Judah, which is the southern kingdom. So, today, what we just read was the end of the northern kingdom of Israel. Like, it will never be the northern kingdom of Israel again. It never was again. Assyria captured Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom and deported all of its inhabitants, which, as we have referred to before, is the way that they built the empires back then. Like, displacing people so that they didn’t have a homeland outside of the empire, and so that over the course of generations they would forget where they came from. And, so, what we watched in today’s reading was that the children of Israel were displaced from the Promised Land, 10 of the tribes were deported to other lands while many other conquered peoples from different places were moved in, right? And, so, they’re like, we don’t know how to worship these gods and there were lions and all of this. What we are seeing happen now is the earliest versions of what would later be known in Jesus time as Samaritans, right? So, the capital city of the northern kingdom was Samaria, but the Israelites were deported, and new people were moved in. They sent for a priest who already was worshiping false idols and he began to teach them, and they began to mix all of their cultures together creating a new way of worshiping God unlike Moses teachings and over time they became the Samaritans. And, so, the people of Judah, they will get conquered, but they will get to come back and they will believe that they are holding onto the true traditions. And, so, those people up in the north near the Galilee area, they will be known as Samaritans because although they worship Yahweh they don’t worship him the same. They don’t have the same understanding of Him at all. And, so, we will…it won’t be the last time that we interact with people of the north near the Galilee. But at this point in second Kings we are well before of the Roman Empire came in and controlled the area.

So, then in the book of Acts we’re obviously moving into the New Testament, moving forward in time considerably. So, are at a time where Paul is moving around the Roman empire, but these returned exiles who have come back to Judah and control Jerusalem, the remnant, the remainder of these people are trying to hold onto some influence and power. Paul has been moving around the empire sharing the gospel, but in Jerusalem they want Paul dead, right? He’s an apostate as far as they’re concerned, he has left is faith and has begun these crazy teachings about this guy Jesus. So, he deserves to die under Mosaic law…they want Paul to die. And now Paul’s on his way to Jerusalem where people want him dead, but the Holy Spirit has told him to come. And, so, we see this final meeting between Paul and the brothers and sisters, the Ephesians who have come to see him at the docks and we see this tearful farewell where he’s like, “I have to go back to Jerusalem. I don’t know exactly what’s gonna happen. The Holy Spirit just keeps telling me I have to go back there and that I will experience chains and affliction and I know that I’ll never see you…you will never see me again.” So, it’s a bittersweet moment to say the least. And we’ll continue to track with Paul, obviously, for quite a while, but we’ll see where this story leads because he’s on his way to Jerusalem and the complexion of his ministry is gonna change dramatically.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. And here we are at the end of the first half of the year and at the precipice of the second half of the year and we invite Your Holy Spirit into that second half of the year, into all that is out in front of us and we ask that You speak to us and transform us and change us, so that as we complete this year we don’t even recognize the person that we once were. You have changed our hearts from within. And we look back and we’re thankful for all the work that You have done in our lives this first six months. We are so grateful. We are so thankful. And as we move through the center of the year, even as we prepare for the Daily Audio Bible long walk, just to reset and live into this second half of the year, next week, we invite Your Holy Spirit. Come Jesus we pray. In Your mighty name, we ask. Amen.