11/13/2017 DAB Transcript

Ezekiel 27:1-28:26, Hebrews 11:17-31, Psalms 111:1-10, Proverbs 27:15-16

Today is the 13th day of November. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It’s wonderful to be here with you today as we launch ourselves into a new work week. So, let’s dive. We’re reading from the Common English Bible this week. Ezekiel chapter 27 verse 1 through 28 verse 26.

Commentary:

Alright. So, yesterday in the book of Hebrews, we started walking down what is known as the ‘hall of faith’. And it kind of turns the corner in the book of Hebrews. Previously, as we’ve already talked at length about, we were examining the sacrificial system and its completion in Jesus and the implications of a new covenant, a new thing God is doing. And then we turned the corner toward what activates, what fuels that new covenant, which is faith. And, so, we’ve been working through examples of people’s faith in what they couldn’t see but they believed to be true and hoped in. And, so, in today’s reading, we read about Abraham’s faith and Isaac’s faith and Jacob’s faith and Joseph’s faith and Moses faith and the faith of the Hebrew people when they crossed the Red Sea on dry land and the faith of the people when Jericho’s walls fell and the faith of Rahab, who was in Jericho but was spared. And the writer of Hebrews is saying all of these people demonstrated faith in something that they hoped for, but could not see, and it became a reality. And it, in fact, became the Hebrew story. So, once again, Hebrews is written to Hebrews. So, that is the context and that is the cultural backdrop so that we can see in all the names, like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob - all these names that we just read through - they were examples of faith as heroes from the Bible. That’s how we would see them in this time, but for the Hebrew people reading this letter, it’s their story being told back to them, showing them that faith is beyond a sacrificial system or a Mosaic law and it’s going to be faith that they have to leap into, a leap of faith, to move into this new covenant, this new thing that God is doing in the world through his son, Jesus, and how this new thing rearranges and changes things for them. And, so, tomorrow, when we get into the book of Hebrews, we’ll be moving out of these examples, this ‘hallway of faith’ that some people call it, we’ll be moving out of these examples, and into what this means.

Prayer 

Father, we have asked for You to come and well up within us and increase our faith because we know it’s impossible to please You without faith. And we know without faith our hope cannot grow and we can’t reach for what we can’t see. So, come Holy Spirit, increase our faith. And we know, we understand, we have to collaborate in that, we have to turn our heart toward You and run toward You in every decision in every word in every thought of our lives. But we can’t do that on our own. We’ve tried. We need your help. Come Holy Spirit, we turn and run toward You, knowing that You will meet us, You will guide us, You will lead us into all truth. And we put our hope in that. We pray these things 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.

Looking at the calendar, this coming Sunday, which will be the 19th of November, we’ll be out on the road for the final time of the year. And we’ll be in Louisiana, in Bossier City, Louisiana, which is near Shreveport. And we’ll be at River Valley church and we’re looking forward to that. So, if you’re in the area, love to see you. Come say hello. You can get the details at dailyaudiobible.com in the events section.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There’s a link, it’s on the homepage and we thank you humbly for your partnership. If you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill, TN 37174.

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

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

Community Prayers and Praise Reports

Hello Daily Audio Bible. I just want to say thank you for praying for my husband. I called in three years ago and didn’t know what was wrong with him. A lot of things came to light, but there was repentance and God is good. He is a believer in Jesus Christ. He is guiding and leading bible studies for men of addiction groups and it’s amazing. We’re reading scripture. Thank you for your prayers Daily Audio Bible.

Hi family. This is Melan in Northern California. I haven’t called in in a while. I do listen, I do pray. But I am going to have a prayer request. I know that God is beyond all time. And, so, that’s why I’m calling in now. I am currently on my way up to the hospital for a stress test / treadmill test. Earlier this week I had some serious symptoms of a heart attack. And everything was ruled out. We determined it’s just anxiety. I am suffering from severe anxiety. I have serious marital issues. My husband and I are on the brink of divorce and I keep telling myself that I can’t say that word anymore because thinking it is to strong but I also know that speaking the name of Jesus is even stronger. And, so, I have called so that you would please pray for my marriage and for my husband. We are just really, really on the verge. We’ve had a rough go of it for…well…we’ve been married for 16 years and it’s been 16 been of rough marriage. So, please pray for us. Pray for him to please turn his heart back to the Lord. His faith has grown cold. And I know that when he falls back in love with Jesus then all the right in his world and even if I’m not in the picture for that that his will world will be good and right and just. So, thank you family. Love you. Pray for you all daily. Bye.

Good morning. It is Beloved by Him in Gloucester in the UK. I want to thank Miguel for all his prayers for our churches and I hope to take up the challenge as well to continue praying for our leaders and for our church communities. Today I wanted to pray for the Polish Catholic Church ___ Stella. She is a Polish Catholic but she doesn’t worship regularly because there isn’t a church near her. I also wanted to pray for her as well and others like who are overwhelmed with work and stressed out by work so much so that their bodies have made them ___. Anyway, let’s pray. Father God, thank You so much for Your people, whatever denomination they are. Thank You that they know and love You and acknowledge You for who You are, the Creator of the universe, that You love us, that You sent Your Son to die for us, to die for our sins so that we might have a relationship with you, and might have eternal life with you. Father God, I lift up the Polish Catholic church. I pray Lord that You’d be blessing that church and that You’d be helping those communities of Polish Catholics, wherever they are Lord, find a way to worship. I pray Lord that there would be opportunities for Stella and people like her to worship You in the way they want to worship You. I pray Lord that You would become real to Stella and that You would be blessing her. Father God I lift up my brothers and sisters out there who are overworked by work at the moment, overwhelmed by stresses and things like and anxiety, so much so that it’s affecting their health. I pray Lord that You’d be giving them what they need, You’d be restoring their health and giving them peace. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family. This is Wrapped in His Unfailing Love and I just wanted to share something with you. Good morning. I love you all. This is what I’ve been doing. I’ve been keeping a copy of Sneezing Jesus in my car and I pray about who I can give it to. And I told you, I think, that I gave it to my massage therapist and she was very happy about it. And then I gave it to a lady that I see at a place where I exercise. And I really prayed about it first and she thanked me for it the next time she saw me and she said it was really interesting and it has given her allot to think about. So, I was so encouraged by that I wanted to share it with you and thought that that is a good idea. So, anyway I just wanted to say good morning on this beautiful day, that I love you all, and I think about you, and I pray with you as I listen to your prayer requests. And thank you for praying for me too. So, love you all and have a wonderful weekend. Bye-bye.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday November 13, 2017 (NIV)

Ezekiel 27-28

Tyre, the ship of state

27 The Lord’s word came to me: You, human one, sing a lament for Tyre. Say this about Tyre, who sits enthroned at the entrance to the sea, the people’s agent for trade throughout the coastlands. The Lord God proclaims:

Tyre, you say,
“I’m perfectly beautiful!”
But your territory is in the depths of the sea,
and it’s your builders who made you beautiful.
For you they made your deck of cypress from Senir.
To make your mast, they took cedar from Lebanon.
For your oars, they used the oaks of Bashan.
They made your hull, inlaid with ivory, of boxwood from the coasts of Cyprus.
Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was your sail;
it became your emblem.
Your awning was made of blue and purple cloth from the coasts of Elishah.

The princes of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen. Your own wise men were in you as your helmsmen. The elders and wise men of Gebal were in you, patching up your leaks. Every seagoing ship and its sailors came to do business with you. 10 Paras, Lud, and Put were the warriors in your army. By hanging their shields and helmets on you, they made you radiant. 11 The men of Arvad and Helech were stationed on your walls all around; the men of Gamad were in your towers. They hung their weapons on your walls all around. They were the ones who completed your beauty.

12 Tarshish was your procurer of great wealth. For your wares, they exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead. 13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your agents in human trafficking. They gave you bronze vessels for these wares of yours. 14 Beth-togarmah traded horses, warhorses, and mules for your wares. 15 Islanders from Rhodes[a] were your agents. By contract they procured ebony and ivory for you from many coastlands. 16 Aram was your agent for many products. They traded turquoise, purple cloth, colorful brocades, linen, coral, and rubies for your wares. 17 Judah and the land of Israel were your agents, trading the finest wheat,[b] millet,[c] honey, oil, and balm for your wares. 18 For many of your finished products, Damascus traded out of its great wealth the wine of Helbon and white wool. 19 Vedan and Javan from the region of Uzal traded with you. They exchanged wrought iron, cinnamon, and spices for your wares. 20 Dedan was your agent for saddle blankets. 21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar traded for you. They procured lambs, rams, and goats for you. 22 They were your agents in Sheba and Raamah. For your wares they exchanged the finest spices, every kind of precious stone, and gold. 23 Haran, Canneh, and Eden were your agents,[d] and also Assyria and Chilmad. 24 They procured fine finished goods for you, garments of purple and brocade, and plush carpets rolled up and securely tied with ropes, among your acquisitions. 25 The ships of Tarshish carried your goods.

You were filled to capacity and heavily laden in the middle of the sea.
26 Your oarsmen brought you out onto the high seas;
an east wind sank you into the sea’s depths.
27 Your goods, your wares, your wealth,
your sailors, your helmsmen, those patching your leaks,
your merchants, all your warriors in you,
and all the company that is with you—
they also sank into the sea’s depth
on the day of your demise.
28 At your helmsmen’s cries for help,
the troubled waters seethe.
29 Those entrusted with the oars desert their posts.
All sailors and helmsmen seek footing on the shore.
30 Loudly they cry,
bitterly they wail,
and they put dust on their heads
and cover themselves with ashes.
31 They cut off all their hair
and put on mourning clothes.
In despair they weep for you,
and bitterly perform the mourning rites.
32 In their lamentation they raise a lament for you;
they sing lamentions over you:
“Who was like Tyre, silenced in the middle of the sea?”

33 When your wares came out from the seas,
you satisfied many people.
Your abundant wealth and merchandise
enriched the kings of the earth.
34 Now you are shattered by the seas;
your cargoes, as well as everyone in your company,
are sunk into the water’s depths.
35 Now the inhabitants of the coastlands
shudder on account of you.
And as for their kings, their hair stands on end;
their faces betray their horror.
36 The merchants for the peoples hiss because of you.
You have become a terror;
from now on you are nothing.

Prince of Tyre

28 The Lord’s word came to me: Human one, say to the prince of Tyre, The Lord God proclaims: In your arrogance, you say, “I am God, and as God I rule the seas!” Though you claim to have the mind of a god, you are mortal, not divine. You are certainly wiser than Daniel; no secrets are hidden from you. By your wisdom and discernment, you made yourself rich, and you filled your storehouses with silver and gold. Through your shrewd trading you multiplied your riches. But then you became proud of your riches.

So now the Lord God proclaims: Because you claim to have the mind of a god, I’ll bring foreigners, the most ruthless nations, against you. They will let loose their swords against your fine wisdom, and they will degrade your splendor. They will hurl you to destruction, and you will die, murdered, on the high seas. When you face your murderers, will you still say, “I’m God”? In your killers’ hands, you are mortal, not divine. 10 You will die as the uncircumcised do, at the hands of foreigners. I have spoken. This is what the Lord God has said.

11 The Lord’s word came to me: 12 Human one, sing a lament for the king of Tyre. Say to him, The Lord God proclaims: You were full of wisdom and beauty, the image of perfection. 13 You were in Eden, God’s garden. You were covered with gold and every precious stone: carnelian, topaz, and moonstone; beryl, onyx, and jasper; lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald. On the day that you were created, finely crafted pendants and engravings were prepared. 14 You, a winged creature, were installed as a guardian. I placed you in God’s holy mountain where you walked among the stones of fire. 15 From the day you were created until injustice was found in you, your ways were assured. 16 But because of your trade, your oppressive business practices piled up, and you became impure. So I expelled you from God’s mountain. I removed you, winged creature, guardian, from among the stones of fire. 17 You exalted yourself because of your beauty and corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I will cast you down to the earth in the sight of kings, and I will make a spectacle of you. 18 Because of your corrupt trade, which surpassed your many other sins, you made your sanctuaries impure. Therefore, I will bring fire from your midst. When it has consumed you, I will turn you into dust on the earth in the sight of all who see you. 19 Everyone among the peoples who knows you will be appalled because of you. You will become a terror. From that time on, you will be nothing.

Against Sidon

20 The Lord’s word came to me: 21 Human one, face Sidon, prophesy against it, 22 and say, The Lord God proclaims: I’m against you, Sidon, and I will manifest my glory in you. When I’ve executed judgment against it and through it have manifested my holiness, they will know that I am the Lord. 23 I will hurl plague against it, and blood will run in its streets. When the sword comes against it from all sides, the slain will fall within it. Then they will know that I am the Lord. 24 The house of Israel will no longer suffer from the pricking thorn or painful briar of any of its neighbors who hold it in contempt. And they will know that I am the Lord God.

25 The Lord God proclaims: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they’ve scattered, and I demonstrate my holiness through them in the sight of the nations, they will live on their fertile land, which I gave to my servant Jacob. 26 They will live on it in safety. They will build houses, plant vineyards, and live in safety. When I execute judgments against all who hold them in contempt on every side, they will know that I, the Lord, am their God.

Footnotes:

  1. Ezekiel 27:15 Heb Dedan
  2. Ezekiel 27:17 Or wheat from Minnith
  3. Ezekiel 27:17 Heb uncertain
  4. Ezekiel 27:23 LXX; MT adds Sheba.
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Hebrews 11:17-31

17 By faith Abraham offered Isaac when he was tested. The one who received the promises was offering his only son. 18 He had been told concerning him, Your legitimate descendants will come from Isaac.[a] 19 He figured that God could even raise him from the dead. So in a way he did receive him back from the dead.

20 By faith Isaac also blessed Jacob and Esau concerning their future.

21 By faith Jacob blessed each of Joseph’s sons as he was dying and bowed in worship over the head of his staff.[b]

22 By faith Joseph recalled the exodus of the Israelites at the end of his life, and gave instructions about burying his bones.

23 By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months when he was born, because they saw that the child was beautiful and they weren’t afraid of the king’s orders.

24 By faith Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter when he was grown up. 25 He chose to be mistreated with God’s people instead of having the temporary pleasures of sin. 26 He thought that the abuses he suffered for Christ were more valuable than the treasures of Egypt, since he was looking forward to the reward.

27 By faith he left Egypt without being afraid of the king’s anger. He kept on going as if he could see what is invisible.

28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, in order that the destroyer could not touch their firstborn children.

29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if they were on dry land, but when the Egyptians tried it, they were drowned.

30 By faith Jericho’s walls fell after the people marched around them for seven days.

31 By faith Rahab the prostitute wasn’t killed with the disobedient because she welcomed the spies in peace.

Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Psalm 111

Psalm 111[a]

111 Praise the Lord!
I thank the Lord with all my heart
in the company of those who do right, in the congregation.
The works of the Lord are magnificent;
they are treasured by all who desire them.
God’s deeds are majestic and glorious.
God’s righteousness stands forever.
God is famous for his wondrous works.
The Lord is full of mercy and compassion.
God gives food to those who honor him.
God remembers his covenant forever.
God proclaimed his powerful deeds to his people
and gave them what had belonged to other nations.
God’s handiwork is honesty and justice;
all God’s rules are trustworthy—
they are established always and forever:
they are fulfilled with truth and right doing.
God sent redemption for his people;
God commanded that his covenant last forever.
Holy and awesome is God’s name!
10 Fear of the Lord is where wisdom begins;
sure knowledge is for all who keep God’s laws.
God’s praise lasts forever!

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 111:1 Ps 111 is an alphabetic acrostic poem; see the note at Pss 9–10.
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Proverbs 27:15-16

15 The constant dripping on a rainy day
and a contentious woman are alike;
16 anyone who can control her
can control the wind
or pick up oil in his hand.

Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

11/12/2017 DAB Transcript

Ezekiel 24:1-26:21; Hebrews 11:1-16; Psalms 110:1-7; Proverbs 27:14

Today is the 12th day of November. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It’s great to be here with you today and every day. And, of course, here we are at the sparkly, shiny, threshold of a brand-new week. And looking at the week, we will continue to journey our way through the book of Ezekiel and in the New Testament we will conclude this week, the book of Hebrews, and move forward into James and we will read from the Common English Bible this week. So, let’s dive in. Ezekiel, chapter 24 verse 1 through 26 verse 21.

Commentary:

Okay. In our reading from Psalms today we read Psalm 110, which refers to Melchizedek, one of the two only references to Melchizedek in the Old Testament. We talked about that at length when we began the book of Hebrews. So, I’m just pointing that out. In the book of Hebrews, we turn the corner and begin to move into the next piece of what is being laid out in Hebrews. So, since we began Hebrews we’ve been examining from a Hebrew context, a Jewish context, the sacrificial system, the way to get to God and to be absolved of sin. And the writer of Hebrews is saying that in Jesus death that system is completed and is no longer necessary. We now have a high priest in heaven. A new covenant has been instituted. We can now ourselves go into the holy of holies. So, in other words, we can now, ourselves as individuals, stand clean and righteous before God and enter His presence ourselves. And we’ve talked about what a monumental paradigm shift that was for the Hebrews that this was written to. Today we begin to talk about what enables all of that - the reality that we have to enter and live from within in order for this to become true. And that reality is called faith. So, as we turn the corner and begin Hebrews chapter 11 we’re greeted with that. Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see. And then we spent the rest of our time in Hebrews today seeing examples of this from the Scriptures. And we started at the beginning and began to work our way forward. And we will continue with those examples as we read forward, as we go forward tomorrow. Some scholars call this the hall of faith – the hall of faith in the Bible - because it’s example after example of people who lived by faith in order to move into a reality that would otherwise be impossible. And we should enjoy this because it’s kind of a fast motion move through a number of the stories that we’ve encountered as we’ve moved through the Bible this year, but it also shows us this common thread, faith is a necessary part of our humanity, of our journey, and, certainly, is the rocket fuel of our relationship with God. So, we should enjoy ourselves as we move through these examples, but then Hebrews will lead us to a place where we realize, okay, the examples are wonderful, but I can’t move into this on someone else’s faith, it’s going to come down to some choices and decisions that I have to make. And we’ll get to that over the next couple of days.

Prayer:

Father, the Scriptures tell us that it’s impossible to please You without faith. And, so, now as we begin to explore faith from the book of Hebrews, we invite Your Holy Spirit to strengthen and increase our faith in You as we look at these examples of people who had faith against all odds, faith in a reality that they could not see, faith in You and You alone. Come Holy Spirit and make this a reality in our lives. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Announcements:

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

Looking at the calendar, one week from today we will be back out on the road sharing the Sneezing Jesus message. This will be the final time for this year. We’ll be Louisiana, in the Shreveport area, Bossier City, to be specific, and we’ll be at River Valley church. So, we’re looking forward to that very much. If you are in the area or want to come into the area, looking forward to seeing you, hugging your neck, shaking your hand, and seeing your face in person. So, all of the details are at dailyaudiobible.com in the events section and I will see you next week.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There’s a link, it’s on the homepage. Thank you profoundly and humbly for your partnership. If you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill, TN 37174.

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

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

Community Prayers and Praise Reports

Hi family. This is Malisha from Alberville, Alabama. Hey Brian. Hey Jill. I love you all.  Kristy from Kentucky, I heard your call this morning about losing your daddy. I am so sorry. I just want you to know I have lifted you up in prayer. Candice, I’m continually praying for you and everybody that’s lost a loved one. It’s so hard, but God knows. The bible says, blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. So, I’m praying for y’all.  Brian from Wisconsin, your nephew Nicholas, I’m praying for him. I’m praying that God will heal him from the crown of his head to the soul of his feet. And, Victoria S., you called in and were praying for somebody but you didn’t say you were sick but you sounded like you were a little under the weather. I’ve already prayed for you just in case you are sick because we love you and we need you praying for us sister. Let’s see, Jillian’s mom, with the brain tumor, I hadn’t heard from you in a while. She’s been on my mind. I’m praying for her still. I’m praying for all y’all. Rayna, praise God for you. I love y’all so, so much. Talk to you later. Bye-bye.

Hi, this is Melissa from Baltimore. I am a two-year listener. This is the first ti me I’ve called. The teachers that have called in this week have just broken my heart and I just want to tell you guys, thank you for all that you all do. As a mother of three children in a city that is so broken, Lord, oh gosh, we just need teachers, just the ones that have called in, just like that Lord, with broken hearts. And Lord we just trust that You will move in their lives Lord God, that they will see and get a glimpse of what they do, Lord God, and how You have a bigger purpose for them and Lord I just ask that you would help, just, to reveal this in a small way, Lord God, that they will see that they’re impact…that there’s power…there’s a purpose. Lord, we thank You for these people that are really laying down their lives and their hearts trying to do Your work. Thank you, teachers, all of you guys that do so much. And know that you are not unnoticed. Thank you.

Hi family, it’s Shannon from Texas. I was thinking this morning and listening to the prayer requests and if you heard me call in about my job, I just wanted to kind of reassess my situation and speak to those of us that are going through situations in our jobs. I’m trying to look at it like I’m a missionary and this is my mission from the Lord and I’m going to go into my job every day like it’s war and it’s a spiritual war. And the way I look at it is, I just proclaim God, this is a takeover, this is holy takeover. And I just cry out that every day, because I feel like I’m going into a place that, it is a battle for soul and the Lord has sent me there and it doesn’t belong to them anymore. It belongs to Him and they might not know but they have a date with destiny. And it is over for them. And they might not know why I am there and they might hate me and they might talk about me and they might think it’s this or that. And that I’m there do some kind of job, but not that’s why I’m there. I’m there because the Lord has sent me on a mission, a mission for schools, and that is how we have got to start looking at it. Because that is what it’s about. It’s not about the job. It is about our duty for the Lord and that is how we are going to have to look at it. And we are going to have to pray, day and night. And we are going to have to realize that we are servants. And that is what this about. And I know it’s hard, but we’ve got to keep lifting each other up. And We’ve got to stay out of negativity in our talking and in our thinking. So, let’s lift each other up.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday November 12, 2017 (NIV)

Ezekiel 24-26

The useless pot

24 In the ninth year, on the tenth day of the tenth month, the Lord’s word came to me: Human one, write down today’s date, because today the king of Babylon has set up camp at Jerusalem—today! Compose a parable for the rebels’ household and say to them, The Lord God proclaims:

Put on the pot, set it on,
and fill it with water.
Add meat to it,
every good piece.
With shoulder and thigh,
the meatiest bones, fill it up.
Take the flock’s best animal;
arrange the wood[a] beneath it.
Bring it to a rolling boil,
and cook its bones in it.

The Lord God proclaims: Horror! You bloody city, you corroded pot; pot whose corrosion can’t be removed! Empty it piece by piece. She is rejected[b] because her blood is still with her. She didn’t pour it out on the ground so that it could be covered with dirt, but she spread it out on a bare rock. In order to arouse wrath, to guarantee vengeance, I will spread her blood on a bare rock, never to be covered.

So now the Lord God proclaims:

Horror! You bloody city!
I myself will add fuel to the fire!
10 Pile on the wood, light the fire, and cook the meat.
Season it well and let the bones be charred.
11 Let the pot stand empty on its coals
until it’s so hot that its copper glows,
its impurities melt in it,
and its corrosion is consumed.
12 It’s a worthless task.
Even by fire its great corrosion isn’t removed.

13 How your betrayals defile you! I cleansed you, but you didn’t come clean from your impurities. You won’t be clean again until I have exhausted my anger against you. 14 I, the Lord, have spoken! It’s coming, and I’ll do it. I won’t relent or have any pity or compassion. Your punishments will fit your ways and your deeds! This is what the Lord God says.

Ezekiel’s wife dies

15 The Lord’s word came to me: 16 Human one, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you in a single stroke. Don’t mourn or weep. Don’t even let your tears well up. 17 Sigh inwardly; be deathly still. Don’t perform mourning rites, but bind on your turban and put your shoes on your feet. And don’t cover your upper lip or eat in human company.

18 I spoke with the people in the morning, and by evening my wife was dead. The next morning I did as I was commanded. 19 The people asked, “Won’t you tell us what your actions mean for us?”

20 So I said to them, The Lord’s word came to me: 21 Say to the house of Israel, the Lord God proclaims: I’m about to make my sanctuary impure, the pride of your strength, the delight of your eyes. Your heart’s desire, the sons and daughters you left behind, will fall by the sword. 22 You will do as I have done. You will neither cover your upper lip nor eat in human company. 23 Your turbans will be on your heads, your sandals on your feet. You won’t mourn or weep. You will waste away in your guilt, all of you groaning to each other. 24 Ezekiel is your sign. You will do everything that he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord God.

25 And you, human one: On the day that I take from them their proud stronghold—their crowning joy, the delight of their eyes—and their sons and daughters, whose fate weighs on them, 26 on that day, a refugee will come to you so that you yourself will hear the news. 27 On that day your mouth will be opened to the refugee, and you will speak and no longer be silent. You will be their sign, and they will know that I am the Lord.

Against the neighboring nations

25 The Lord’s word came to me: Human one, face the Ammonites and prophesy against them. Say to the Ammonites: Hear the Lord God’s word! The Lord God proclaims: You laughed when my sanctuary was degraded, when Israel’s fertile land was laid waste, and when the house of Judah went into exile; therefore, I’m handing you over to people in the east for them to take possession. They will set up their encampments against you, establish residence, devour your fruit, and drink your milk. I’ll make Rabbah into pastureland for camels and Ammon a resting place for flocks. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

The Lord God proclaims: Because you clapped your hands and stamped your feet when you rejoiced with utter contempt for Israel’s fertile land, I’m about to overpower you. Nations will plunder you. I will cut you off from the peoples, remove you from the lands, and utterly destroy you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

The Lord God proclaims: Because Moab and Seir say, “Aha! The house of Judah has become like all the nations,” I’ll open up the flank of Moab from the cities at its border, the land’s splendid cities, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim. 10 I’ll hand it over, along with the Ammonites, to people in the east for them to take possession. And so Ammon will no longer be remembered among the nations. 11 I’ll execute judgments in Moab, and they will know that I am the Lord.

12 The Lord God proclaims: Edom acted with excessive force against the house of Judah. The Judeans were guilty, but Edom’s vengeance was excessive. 13 So the Lord God now proclaims: I’ll overpower Edom, eliminate all living creatures, and make it a wasteland from Teman to Dedan. They will fall by the sword. 14 I will execute my vengeance in Edom through my people Israel’s power. They will act in Edom according to my anger and fury, and they will know my vengeance. This is what the Lord God says.

15 The Lord God proclaims: When the Philistines set out to right the wrongs done to them, they enacted revenge with utter contempt and old hatreds. 16 So now the Lord God proclaims: I will overpower the Philistines, eliminate the Cherethites, and obliterate all who are left along the coastline. 17 I will act against them with great vengeance and with wrathful punishments. When I execute my vengeance against them, they will know that I am the Lord.

Against Tyre

26 In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the Lord’s word came to me:

Human one, because Tyre laughed at Jerusalem:
“The gate of the peoples is broken,
she lies open before me,
she is destroyed, but I will succeed!”

The Lord God now proclaims:

Tyre, I’m now against you!
Just as the sea hurls up its waves,
I will bring many nations up against you.
When they destroy the walls of Tyre
and throw down its towers,
I will scrape off all its dirt
and make it into a bare rock,
a place for drying nets
in the middle of the sea.
I have spoken! This is what the Lord God says.
It will become prey for the nations,
and its towns around it
will be put to the sword.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.

The Lord God proclaims:
I’m bringing Nebuchadrezzar against Tyre,
the king of Babylon from the north,
the greatest of all kings,
with horses, chariots, and charioteers,
an assembly, a great army.
The towns around you he will destroy with the sword.
Then he will build towers against you,
erect siege ramps against you,
and set up shields.
He will pound his battering ram against your walls;
with crowbars he will tear down your towers.
10 The dust from all his horses will cover you
when he enters your gates
as one who enters a breached city.
Your walls will quake
at the thundering of the charioteers and chariot wheels.
11 His horses’ hooves will trample all your courtyards;
he will cut down your people with the sword,
and the monuments to your strength he will bring down[c] to the ground.
12 They will destroy your wealth, plunder your goods,
tear down your walls, and raze your fine houses.
Your stone, lumber, and rubble they will dump into the sea.

13 I will bring an end to your cacophonous songs;
the sound of your lyres will never be heard again.
14 I will make you into a bare rock, a place for drying nets,
and you will never be rebuilt.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
This is what the Lord God says.

A lament for Tyre

15 The Lord God proclaims to Tyre: Won’t the coastlands quake at the news of your downfall, when the wounded groan, and when the slaughter in your midst goes on and on? 16 All the princes of the sea will come down from their thrones, remove their royal robes, and strip off their fine garments. They will be clothed only in terror as they sit on the ground. They will be so terrified, they won’t stop shuddering because of you. 17 They will sing a lament for you, and they will say:

How you have perished, queen of the sea,
city once praised,
who once dominated the sea,
she and her rulers,
who spread their terror abroad,
every one of them.
18 Now the wastelands tremble on the day of your fall.
Your expulsion horrifies the islands of the sea.

19 The Lord God proclaims: When I turn you into ruins like uninhabitable cities, when the deep sea washes over you and the raging seas cover you, 20 I will lead you down into the pit, to the everlasting people. I will install you in the world below,[d] in the everlasting ruins, with those who go down to the pit. And so you will neither rule nor radiate splendor in the land of the living. 21 I will terrify you, and you will disappear. You will be sought but never found again. This is what the Lord God says.

Footnotes:

  1. Ezekiel 24:5 Or bones
  2. Ezekiel 24:6 Or the lot did not fall to her
  3. Ezekiel 26:11 LXX; MT it will fall
  4. Ezekiel 26:20 Or the land of the lowest places
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Hebrews 11:1-16

Description of faith

11 Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see. The elders in the past were approved because they showed faith.

Acts of faith by God’s people

By faith we understand that the universe has been created by a word from God so that the visible came into existence from the invisible.

By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice to God than Cain, which showed that he was righteous, since God gave approval to him for his gift. Though he died, he’s still speaking through faith.

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he didn’t see death, and he wasn’t found because God took him up.[a] He was given approval for having pleased God before he was taken up. It’s impossible to please God without faith because the one who draws near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards people who try to find him.

By faith Noah responded with godly fear when he was warned about events he hadn’t seen yet. He built an ark to deliver his household. With his faith, he criticized the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes from faith.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out without knowing where he was going.

By faith he lived in the land he had been promised as a stranger. He lived in tents along with Isaac and Jacob, who were coheirs of the same promise. 10 He was looking forward to a city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

11 By faith even Sarah received the ability to have a child, though she herself was barren and past the age for having children, because she believed that the one who promised was faithful. 12 So descendants were born from one man (and he was as good as dead). They were as many as the number of the stars in the sky and as countless as the grains of sand on the seashore. 13 All of these people died in faith without receiving the promises, but they saw the promises from a distance and welcomed them. They confessed that they were strangers and immigrants on earth. 14 People who say this kind of thing make it clear that they are looking for a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking about the country that they had left, they would have had the opportunity to return to it. 16 But at this point in time, they are longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God isn’t ashamed to be called their God—he has prepared a city for them.

Footnotes:

  1. Hebrews 11:5 Gen 5:24
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Psalm 110

Psalm 110

Of David. A psalm.

110 What the Lord says to my master:
“Sit right beside me
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet!”

May the Lord make your mighty scepter
reach far from Zion!
Rule over your enemies!
Your people stand ready
on your day of battle.
“In holy grandeur, from the dawn’s womb, fight![a]
Your youthful strength is like the dew itself.”
The Lord has sworn a solemn pledge and won’t change his mind:
“You are a priest forever in line with Melchizedek.”[b]
My master, by your strong hand,
God has crushed kings on his day of wrath.[c]

God brings the nations to justice,
piling the dead bodies, crushing heads throughout the earth.
God drinks from a stream along the way,
then holds his head up high.[d]

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 110:3 Correction; or Go!; MT to you
  2. Psalm 110:4 Or a rightful king by my decree
  3. Psalm 110:5 Or My Lord (God), because of your (the king’s) strong hand, has crushed or The Lord is above your strong hand, crushing kings
  4. Psalm 110:7 Heb uncertain
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Proverbs 27:14

14 Greeting a neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning
will be viewed as a curse.

Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

11/11/2017 DAB Transcript

Ezekiel 23:1-49; Hebrews 10:18-39; Psalms 109:1-31; Proverbs 27:13

Today is the 11th day of November. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It’s great to be here with you today, kind of bringing this week in for a landing together. I have some nice, steamy wind farm coffee to my left, in my new roasted red pepper Clean Canteen, which I’ll tell you about at the end. Let’s dive in. Ezekiel chapter 23 verses 1 through 49 today. And we’re reading from the New Living translation this week.

Commentary:

Okay. So, some saucy stuff in the book of Ezekiel today. God compares Samaria and Jerusalem, so the northern and the southern kingdom, to prostitutes who lust for lovers who are hung like donkeys. And I don’t think we need to…I don’t think we need to go into that, it’s pretty self-explanatory, other than to say God is using a graphic metaphor to show how this constant generational mixture with all of the nations around them, we’re there mixing themselves in with these people and adopting all of their culture and mixing it with their own, including the worship of foreign and false gods is an utter betrayal of God. And God is pretty clear about how he feels about it.

But in the book of Hebrews we reach this kind of breakthrough moment, where everything that we’ve been talking about in the book of Hebrews leads to this place where the implications become apparent. So first, we have to remember, Hebrews was written to Hebrews. So, everything that’s being said is from a Hebrew cultural perspective. And at length, we’ve been looking at the sacrificial system that every Hebrew who grew up Hebrew would understand. We spent some time looking at things that happened before the sacrificial system, so before the Mosaic law, which is something that the apostle Paul also did in his writings. We talked about how there was precedent in the Hebrew culture, that something new was going to happen, that redemption would happen by God doing a new thing. And then we watched as the writer of Hebrew declared that Jesus is that new thing and then referred back to the Old Testament to show how. And, so, today we see the implications of Jesus being this new thing, this new high priest, this final sacrifice in the sacrificial system, and the institution of this new covenant, this new thing. And the implications are found in the 10th chapter of Hebrews, beginning with verse 19. ‘And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heavens most holy place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the most holy place. And since we have a great high priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts, fully trusting Him, for our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water’. Okay. So, this is something we take for granted, that we have instant and always on access to God. That’s not the story for the readers here. The only way they can get to God is by offering a sacrifice and the high priest once a year entering the most holy place and entering the presence of God on behalf of the people. So, the writer of Hebrews is saying, all of that has come to its completion. And now, because we have this high priest, Jesus, presiding over a new covenant, directly from heaven, we can actually go into the holy of holies. In other words, we can actually, personally individually, enter the presence of God. This is a massive, massive paradigm shift. A completely different way of looking at things and a giant leap of faith for the early Hebrew believers. It forces them, by default, to be at odds with their culture and flies in the face of their religious tradition. And the pressure that brings upon these people is remarkable. But the promise of intimacy, and union, and collaboration, and a personal relationship with God is also remarkable. Now, because the pressures are so remarkable, I mean, to the point of persecution, the writer of Hebrews leaves words of encouragement, words that echo across time, words that find themselves in our lives today, right now, because in a lot of ways we face these same kind of pressures, maybe not pressures of persecution like they were facing, but definitely the crush of culture in the world. So, I’m going to read the last little portion of Hebrews that we just read as words of encouragement to you, whatever is going on in your life and invite you to meditate upon it as you go through your day. So, beginning at verse 32. ‘Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail. And when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever. So, do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you. Patient endurance is what you need now so that you will continue to do God’s will, then you will receive all that He has promised. For in just a little while the coming One will come and not delay and my righteous ones will live by faith, but I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.

Prayer:

Father we invite your Holy Spirit to sear these words on our hearts, that we may remember the magnitude of what You have done in doing this new thing through Jesus our Lord, that this relationship that we often take for granted is only available to us because of Jesus, and that we can come clean and righteous before You, into your presence, into the holy of holies, as it were, and be in Your very presence. Come Holy Spirit, and let us see what this means, because all of the other circumstances of life begin to fade away in the truth of this reality. Come Holy Spirit. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Announcements:

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

And what is going on?

Yesterday we talked about the new clean canteens that we have in stock. We get them in stock a couple of times a year and this will be the last time this year they are in stock. And these are a special edition. In the past, we’ve imprinted our logo on the food grade stainless steel that these are made out of and they are awesome. This time we made them in a roasted red pepper color, a deep red color, that we use a lot at Daily Audio Bible with the Daily Audio Bible logo in white and they are striking, really beautiful. I may be a little biased, but I think they stand out. So, the way that it usually works is that they’re gone in a matter of days and that is definitely proving to be the case. So, they won’t last long. And I’ll be surprised if we have any left before the weekend is over. So, grab them while you can. They’re in the Daily Audio Bible shop, in the active and drink wear section, until we run out of them.

And then, looking at the calendar, the 19th of November will be the final travel date for Sneezing Jesus this year. And that will be in the Shreveport Louisiana area. We’ll be in Bossier City, Louisiana at River Valley church and we’re looking for that. You can get the details at dailyaudiobible.com by scrolling down to the events section and clicking this event. And we’ll look forward to seeing you on the road.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There’s a link, it’s on the homepage. Thank you profoundly for your partnership. If you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill, TN 37174.

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

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

Community Prayers and Praise Reports

Hey, good morning everybody. This is ___ from Oklahoma City. I hope you all are doing well today. Good news, my young son Alex in Colorado got a new job building tanks for oilfield stuff, which is going to pay him pretty good. Thank you. Praise the Lord. Hey, I’m praying for everybody who is thinking about attending the Louisiana, Bossier City family gathering. I’m pretty sure I’m going to go or get to go. That’s a long drive but I love and I get to stop in Dallas and that’s cool. Hey, my husband, Lloyd, is going for an interview this Friday with the power plant to become a supervisor and it looks like it’s pretty much like one of those shoe-in kind of jobs where he’s been doing it for a while and you’ve pretty much got it but he is going to be up against some of his friends. And I would just pray that everybody goes through the interview and does well and the person that they would like to select, whoever God wants to put in that position, let Him put him them there. And we are both on that page for sure. So, I would appreciate all the prayers that cover that. And then, hopefully, there’s no any animosity afterwards, you know? Because sometimes it can be that way among your friends. So, anyways, guys, I love you guys. Kristy from Kentucky, my sister, I couldn’t even imagine being in your shoes. If something happened to my dad, I mean, he was like, I mean, is my best friend and I’m sure your dad was the same way. So, I’m giving you some great big hugs about that. Okay, I love you guys. Have a great day. Bye-bye.

Good morning. This is November the 7th and I’m calling anonymously because I don’t want to offend anyone that knows me, but Brian you said it today, you said something that I’ve been trying to, I guess, put in the words for six years since I’ve been listening to the Daily Audio Bible, every day. And what you said is you said it’s the covenant being talked about here and not the scriptures. You see, I grew up in a religion that discredited the Old Testament and I was told things like, music was wrong in worship, and this and that were wrong. And when I started reading the Daily Audio Bible, listening in, and reading along, within a few months of the first year, I would read in the Psalms about one of my heroes, David, who would often talk about worshiping the Lord with cymbals and harps and the liar. And my encouragement to everyone today is to, with your life, is to, if you are just getting started with this, to continue on and read these Scriptures for yourself and ask God to speak directly to you. And He’ll reveal to you the truth like he did to me. And Brian, I don’t think you, in your talk about the Global Campfire initiative, I don’t think you gave enough credit to your commentary and your prayers, and I just thank God for your insight and your wisdom and your prayers that continue to teach me and so many others the truth. So, I thank you for that and that’s why I invested in the Global Campfire Initiative. I’m so excited about my print coming and I’m going to be able to put it on the wall of my office.

Good morning DAB family. It’s Patty calling from Calgary Canada. Just want to say hello to everybody and thank you so much for Brian for your ministry and Jill for supporting him. I’ve been listening for about 7 years. I’ve only called in a couple of times. Once was about 4 years ago when our son was heavy in an addictive addiction and I just want to say, praise the Lord. He is now over 2 years in recovery, doing very well. But I do have a prayer request today. My husband has been out of work for 18 months because of a down turn in the economy here in Alberta. And, so, could you please pray for him for employment. It’s really weighing heavily upon him. I’ve gotten a job in order to help support us. But we’re pretty close to retirement and it’s not working for us. So, if you could please pray for my husband Neil to find employment in his field I would so appreciate it. Thank you so much I love listening to you all. I lift you all up in prayer when I hear your prayers and see you on the Facebook page. Love you and God bless.

Hey guys. If you could pray for my wife, that would be great. She is like 26 weeks pregnant or something with twins and she having some Braxton Hicks and lots of discomfort and stuff. It’s still within the normal range of things, but could use some prayers for her that would be great. The longer they’re in there the better. I’m praying for you guys. I love you all. I will keep you updated and I will be praying for you guys. God bless you.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday November 11, 2017 (NIV)

Ezekiel 23

The Adultery of Two Sisters

23 This message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, once there were two sisters who were daughters of the same mother. They became prostitutes in Egypt. Even as young girls, they allowed men to fondle their breasts. The older girl was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. I married them, and they bore me sons and daughters. I am speaking of Samaria and Jerusalem, for Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

“Then Oholah lusted after other lovers instead of me, and she gave her love to the Assyrian officers. They were all attractive young men, captains and commanders dressed in handsome blue, charioteers driving their horses. And so she prostituted herself with the most desirable men of Assyria, worshiping their idols[a] and defiling herself. For when she left Egypt, she did not leave her spirit of prostitution behind. She was still as lewd as in her youth, when the Egyptians slept with her, fondled her breasts, and used her as a prostitute.

“And so I handed her over to her Assyrian lovers, whom she desired so much. 10 They stripped her, took away her children as their slaves, and then killed her. After she received her punishment, her reputation was known to every woman in the land.

11 “Yet even though Oholibah saw what had happened to Oholah, her sister, she followed right in her footsteps. And she was even more depraved, abandoning herself to her lust and prostitution. 12 She fawned over all the Assyrian officers—those captains and commanders in handsome uniforms, those charioteers driving their horses—all of them attractive young men. 13 I saw the way she was going, defiling herself just like her older sister.

14 “Then she carried her prostitution even further. She fell in love with pictures that were painted on a wall—pictures of Babylonian[b] military officers, outfitted in striking red uniforms. 15 Handsome belts encircled their waists, and flowing turbans crowned their heads. They were dressed like chariot officers from the land of Babylonia.[c] 16 When she saw these paintings, she longed to give herself to them, so she sent messengers to Babylonia to invite them to come to her. 17 So they came and committed adultery with her, defiling her in the bed of love. After being defiled, however, she rejected them in disgust.

18 “In the same way, I became disgusted with Oholibah and rejected her, just as I had rejected her sister, because she flaunted herself before them and gave herself to satisfy their lusts. 19 Yet she turned to even greater prostitution, remembering her youth when she was a prostitute in Egypt. 20 She lusted after lovers with genitals as large as a donkey’s and emissions like those of a horse. 21 And so, Oholibah, you relived your former days as a young girl in Egypt, when you first allowed your breasts to be fondled.

The Lord’s Judgment of Oholibah

22 “Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will send your lovers against you from every direction—those very nations from which you turned away in disgust. 23 For the Babylonians will come with all the Chaldeans from Pekod and Shoa and Koa. And all the Assyrians will come with them—handsome young captains, commanders, chariot officers, and other high-ranking officers, all riding their horses. 24 They will all come against you from the north[d] with chariots, wagons, and a great army prepared for attack. They will take up positions on every side, surrounding you with men armed with shields and helmets. And I will hand you over to them for punishment so they can do with you as they please. 25 I will turn my jealous anger against you, and they will deal harshly with you. They will cut off your nose and ears, and any survivors will then be slaughtered by the sword. Your children will be taken away as captives, and everything that is left will be burned. 26 They will strip you of your beautiful clothes and jewels. 27 In this way, I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you brought from Egypt. You will never again cast longing eyes on those things or fondly remember your time in Egypt.

28 “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will surely hand you over to your enemies, to those you loathe, those you rejected. 29 They will treat you with hatred and rob you of all you own, leaving you stark naked. The shame of your prostitution will be exposed to all the world. 30 You brought all this on yourself by prostituting yourself to other nations, defiling yourself with all their idols. 31 Because you have followed in your sister’s footsteps, I will force you to drink the same cup of terror she drank.

32 “Yes, this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“You will drink from your sister’s cup of terror,
a cup that is large and deep.
It is filled to the brim
with scorn and derision.
33 Drunkenness and anguish will fill you,
for your cup is filled to the brim with distress and desolation,
the same cup your sister Samaria drank.
34 You will drain that cup of terror
to the very bottom.
Then you will smash it to pieces
and beat your breast in anguish.
I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!

35 “And because you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You must bear the consequences of all your lewdness and prostitution.”

The Lord’s Judgment on Both Sisters

36 The Lord said to me, “Son of man, you must accuse Oholah and Oholibah of all their detestable sins. 37 They have committed both adultery and murder—adultery by worshiping idols and murder by burning as sacrifices the children they bore to me. 38 Furthermore, they have defiled my Temple and violated my Sabbath day! 39 On the very day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they boldly came into my Temple to worship! They came in and defiled my house.

40 “You sisters sent messengers to distant lands to get men. Then when they arrived, you bathed yourselves, painted your eyelids, and put on your finest jewels for them. 41 You sat with them on a beautifully embroidered couch and put my incense and my special oil on a table that was spread before you. 42 From your room came the sound of many men carousing. They were lustful men and drunkards[e] from the wilderness, who put bracelets on your wrists and beautiful crowns on your heads. 43 Then I said, ‘If they really want to have sex with old worn-out prostitutes like these, let them!’ 44 And that is what they did. They had sex with Oholah and Oholibah, these shameless prostitutes. 45 But righteous people will judge these sister cities for what they really are—adulterers and murderers.

46 “Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Bring an army against them and hand them over to be terrorized and plundered. 47 For their enemies will stone them and kill them with swords. They will butcher their sons and daughters and burn their homes. 48 In this way, I will put an end to lewdness and idolatry in the land, and my judgment will be a warning to all women not to follow your wicked example. 49 You will be fully repaid for all your prostitution—your worship of idols. Yes, you will suffer the full penalty. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.”

Footnotes:

  1. 23:7 The Hebrew term (literally round things) probably alludes to dung; also in 23:30, 37, 39, 49.
  2. 23:14 Or Chaldean.
  3. 23:15 Or Chaldea; also in 23:16.
  4. 23:24 As in Greek version; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  5. 23:42 Or Sabeans.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Hebrews 10:18-39

18 And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.

A Call to Persevere

19 And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death,[b] Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

26 Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. 27 There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. 28 For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. 30 For we know the one who said,

“I will take revenge.
I will pay them back.”[c]

He also said,

“The Lord will judge his own people.”[d]

31 It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32 Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ.[e] Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. 34 You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.

35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

37 “For in just a little while,
the Coming One will come and not delay.
38 And my righteous ones will live by faith.[f]
But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”[g]

39 But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.

Footnotes:

  1. 10:19 Greek brothers.
  2. 10:20 Greek Through his flesh.
  3. 10:30a Deut 32:35.
  4. 10:30b Deut 32:36.
  5. 10:32 Greek when you were first enlightened.
  6. 10:38 Or my righteous ones will live by their faithfulness; Greek reads my righteous one will live by faith.
  7. 10:37-38 Hab 2:3-4.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 109

Psalm 109

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

O God, whom I praise,
don’t stand silent and aloof
while the wicked slander me
and tell lies about me.
They surround me with hateful words
and fight against me for no reason.
I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations
even as I am praying for them!
They repay evil for good,
and hatred for my love.

They say,[a] “Get an evil person to turn against him.
Send an accuser to bring him to trial.
When his case comes up for judgment,
let him be pronounced guilty.
Count his prayers as sins.
Let his years be few;
let someone else take his position.
May his children become fatherless,
and his wife a widow.
10 May his children wander as beggars
and be driven from[b] their ruined homes.
11 May creditors seize his entire estate,
and strangers take all he has earned.
12 Let no one be kind to him;
let no one pity his fatherless children.
13 May all his offspring die.
May his family name be blotted out in the next generation.
14 May the Lord never forget the sins of his fathers;
may his mother’s sins never be erased from the record.
15 May the Lord always remember these sins,
and may his name disappear from human memory.
16 For he refused all kindness to others;
he persecuted the poor and needy,
and he hounded the brokenhearted to death.
17 He loved to curse others;
now you curse him.
He never blessed others;
now don’t you bless him.
18 Cursing is as natural to him as his clothing,
or the water he drinks,
or the rich food he eats.
19 Now may his curses return and cling to him like clothing;
may they be tied around him like a belt.”

20 May those curses become the Lord’s punishment
for my accusers who speak evil of me.
21 But deal well with me, O Sovereign Lord,
for the sake of your own reputation!
Rescue me
because you are so faithful and good.
22 For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is full of pain.
23 I am fading like a shadow at dusk;
I am brushed off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak from fasting,
and I am skin and bones.
25 I am a joke to people everywhere;
when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn.

26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Save me because of your unfailing love.
27 Let them see that this is your doing,
that you yourself have done it, Lord.
28 Then let them curse me if they like,
but you will bless me!
When they attack me, they will be disgraced!
But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing!
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace;
may their humiliation cover them like a cloak.
30 But I will give repeated thanks to the Lord,
praising him to everyone.
31 For he stands beside the needy,
ready to save them from those who condemn them.

Footnotes:

  1. 109:6 Hebrew lacks They say.
  2. 109:10 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads and seek.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 27:13

13 Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger’s debt.
Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners.[a]

Footnotes:

  1. 27:13 As in Greek and Latin versions (see also 20:16); Hebrew reads for a promiscuous woman.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


11/10/2017 DAB Transcript

Ezekiel 21:1-22:31; Hebrews 10:1-17; Psalms 108:1-13; Proverbs 27:12

Today is the 10th day of November. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It’s great to be here with you today. And both of those things are totally true. I am Brian and it is great to be here with you today as we take the next step forward in the adventure that we’re on through the Bible this year. And our journey leads us back into the book of Ezekiel and back into the book of Hebrews when we get to the New Testament. So, first, Ezekiel chapter 21 verse 1 through 22 verse 31. We’re reading from the New Living translation this week.

Commentary:

Okay. In the book of Hebrews today, things continue to unfold and blossom like a flower before us as the greater context materializes, the greater story emerges. It’s been emerging all along, but it’s like we’re at this vista now. And it’s disruptive because it’s a true paradigm shift and we’ve been talking about it all along, but it’s explicit. The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. On the other hand, Jesus came and His one sacrifice is for all time and sacrificial offerings are no longer required. We kind of talked about how this is like a paradigm shift. So, kind of, controversial and troubling on the one hand, but if it were true, what an utter relief it would be. And we talked about this yesterday. And today we see this is explicitly what’s being said. So, you have to imagine how Hebrew people, who had the Mosaic law baked into their culture, who were trying to live right in devout, would have difficulty embracing this because their whole lives have been taught a different way. And now they kind of to open up their eyes and wake up to something new that God is doing in the world and realize that their the first ones in. So, it’s not like this group mentality, where something is, over time, been brought into culture like we experience now in our faith. They’re, like, the first ones. So, this is a big step of faith forward. So, like, if someone came along and started saying, okay, all of you Gentile believers, you now need to practice animal sacrifice. God is doing a new thing and we’re going back to the old way. But it’s a new thing and you need to offer these sacrifices. Right? It would be hard for us to get our minds around in the same way that would be difficult for them to make that step forward, even though, even though this was supposed to happen, even though there was precedent for this new thing to come. All kinds of new things are coming down the pipe, just like they are now. And, so, we can see the tension in this that we don’t normally see without context because this is just a doctrinal statement about our faith. Like, we understand these things, that like, that Jesus was the sacrifice once and for all. His blood covers all sins for all time. We no longer need to sacrifice. Like, that’s the normal way of thinking. But if it weren’t. Right? We’d have to take some time to be able to move in that direction prayerfully. And yet, the writer of Hebrews is skilled enough to continually look back into the sacred Hebrew Scriptures. So, when we were talking about Melchizedek, we were talking about Psalm 110, but all throughout there’s these references back to prophetic utterances that are revealing that this is what’s happening and it’s happening right now. So, Psalm 40 is quoted today as a prophetic utterance supporting what they’re saying. Jeremiah chapter 31 is quoted today as a prophetic utterance to show - this is what’s happening. And for we, who are so far removed from this time, like, we can get the book of Romans and we get the book of Hebrews together and read them and go like, there, there’s the complete doctrine of the Christian faith. But what’s really going on historically is that Paul is out moving among the Gentiles, the gospel is spreading like wildfire among the Gentiles, the Jewish people, Hebrew people, are having a much more difficult time embracing this, and for the most part they’re not embracing this, but this letter to the Hebrews is intended to be circulated, and wrestled with, and talked about among those people. This is the document to those people to explain all of this in a very Hebrew centric context. So, it’s not just a book of theological understandings and doctrines. It’s a very missional letter, offering language to explain the good news to a people who had rejected Jesus at face value, but because of all that came afterward were considering. So, we have the book of Hebrews as the basis for so much Christian doctrine, but the story that kind of lingers here, behind the story, is the tension that arises when God begins to do a new thing. So, if we go back to the time when the book of Hebrews was written, God is doing a new thing and the writer of Hebrews is using the Scriptures to show how that works. And in the process, it’s setting aside old things. In this case, the whole sacrificial system. But God does new things when He chooses to do new things. And we see the ways in which we struggle to move forward as God does new things inside of us or around us or among us. And we’ll start telling each other our doctrine stories to explain away what God might be doing when it starts to mess with a little tidy box of theology. And all the sudden we become just like the Hebrew people that this was written to. And, so there’s attention in a disruption exposed there behind the story. So, ultimately, we have to learn to hold onto our theology and doctrine loosely and hold onto the Father and the guidance of his Holy Spirit tightly when believe God is beginning to do a new thing. And that is our prayer.

Prayer:

Father, like our brothers and sisters of old, we struggle. We try to put You in a box. We try to explain You in every way that we can. We try to make doctrine around it and these are our best efforts from finite minds and hearts to explain the infinite and Almighty. And yet, it is this infinite and Almighty Spirit that is within us, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. And, so, we live within that tension and that mystery. And often we’ll hang on to what we think that we know more tightly than we’ll hold onto You and we’ll trust what we think we know more than will trust You. And the same invitation given to the Hebrew people in the book of Hebrews at that time is still given to us - the opportunity to be in a personal, first-hand, first person relationship with You. And, so, what can we do but what we do most every day? Invite You. Come Holy Spirit. Well up within us. Spill out from us. Illuminate our path. Lead us into all truth. It is not information about You that we seek. It is to You, Your heart, Your essence, that we seek. And You have sought out the same thing in us from the moment of our birth – union, collaboration, relationship. So, come Holy Spirit. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website. It’s home base. It’s where you find out what’s going on around here. And there has been a lot going on around here lately.

So, let’s talk about an update, a date, and a new resource announcement.

First, the update on the Global Campfire Initiative. So, almost a week ago now, we deployed the first beta version of the new app to 500 people that were part of the Global Campfire Initiative. And that feedback has been invaluable. Throwing this out into the wild, even a limited wild, out into the world of multiple phones and platforms has been really helpful. So, those of you who are participating have helped us identify a couple of really key things and those are being worked on as we speak. And we’ll be pushing out an update, but you’ll be getting an email, but we’ll be pushing out an update as soon as we can, fairly shortly. And our goal is to kind of get this into the wide open world so everybody, anybody, can listen by mid-December. So, thank you, everyone, everyone. Thank you for your prayers as we keep taking steps forward and moving toward this.

And then the date, the date is November 19th. And it will be the last travel date for us for the year as we move around the country and speak the Sneezing Jesus message. We’ll be in Louisiana, in the Shreveport area, Bossier City, at River Valley church and that will be Sunday the 19th of November. So, you can get all the details at dailyaudiobible.com. And if you’re in the area, love nothing more than to see your face and hug your neck. And, so, come, say hello.

And then the resource announcement [clapping and rubbing hands], that’s me clapping my hands and  rubbing them together because I’m excited about this. So, several years ago, I mean we’ve been doing coffee, our own Windfarm coffee, for many, many years. And several years ago, I was on a quest to find the best possible thing I could find to drink my coffee out of and I ended up finding it in Oregon at a local coffee roaster. And, so, I bought this tumbler, kind of mug thermosee thing. Abd I wasn’t sure, it was kind of expensive, I wasn’t sure, but I bought it and then it became a favorite thing because it would keep my coffee, like I could pour a cup coffee early in the morning and still have hot coffee at lunchtime. And so, I looked at the brand. The brand was Clean Canteen. And I was like, oh, I know this brand, like, I see this brand around. And just started wondering, can we do this? And, so, a couple years ago, called Clean Canteen and yup, we could do this, and we made our first batch of Clean Canteen’s and offered them and they were gone in like two days. But because they’re kind of expensive to get and we don’t hold onto inventory like that, we didn’t have them again for a while. And then we got them again later in the year and then they were gone in two days. So, we get them a couple of times a year. And that’s the point. And, so, we got them earlier this year and they were gone, like usual. And now we’re getting to the end of the year and we have them back, but, but these are a little different. We’ve created a special edition. So, in the past, we’ve used the silver, the food grade stainless steel that these are made out of, they are double-walled and insulated. So, we’ve always kept that stainless look with the Daily Audio Bible logo imprinted on the side. This special edition Clean Canteen is a beautiful deep red color. Roasted pepper is the name of the color, which is one of the primary colors that we use a Daily Audio Bible. So, it’s this roasted pepper color with the Daily Audio Bible logo in white. And it’s a gorgeous. I’m literally looking at it right now. Like, I always have my coffee to my left every time I’m doing the Daily Audio Bible and I’ve been drinking out of this new one and I love it. It’s got their 2.0 version of their café lid so that it’s much more spill proof than in the past and it just works. It is the it’s best thing I found to drink out of. It will keep your coffee hot for like six hours. It’ll keep your, like, your iced tea cold for like 24 hours. I’ve actually tested that. I put ice water in mine before and come back a day later, 24 hours later and there was still ice in it. So, anyway, we have these. They are in stock on the Daily Audio Bible shop. This is a special edition and when they’re gone they’re gone. And we won’t be getting anymore Clean Canteens until next year. So, those of you who been writing in and saying when are you going to have them, I want to get some for gifts for Christmas, this your chance. And those of you who have just been waiting for them to be back in stock for yourself, they are in stock right now but they won’t last but a couple of days. So, you can check them out and see what they look like at dailyaudiobible.com in the shop.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There’s a link, it’s on the homepage. If you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill, TN 37174.

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

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

Community Prayers and Praise Reports

Hi this is Elaine from Victoria. I love you so much Daily Audio Bible. And God is so faithful. First of all, I want to thank God for all my Christian brothers and sisters that are with the Daily Audio Bible. And this is what really caught me at church yesterday. In my distress, I called to the Lord and he answered me. This is from Jonah 2:2. And he did answer. He gave me Ephesians 6, putting on the full armor of God. He stands when the enemy attacks. And Ephesians 6:10, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power put on the full armor of God so that you can take a stand against the devil’s schemes. So, Daily Audio Bible Family, we are covered.  We are covered by the blood of the Lamb. God bless you, all of you. I love you. I thank you for your prayers. Thank you, Brian for your love of family, God’s family. And Praise You Jesus for this. In Jesus precious and Holy name, cover all my Daily Audio Bible family. Amen.

Hi this is Tony and I am calling because today is my one year anniversary and I didn’t know exactly when it was until I heard the reading today, November 6th. Basically, Ezekiel 16. And it resonates with me so much. And that is because I feel that I am attacked a lot. And those of you who are walking closely with the Lord know. And when we are walking with Him and trying to, you know, be that light, we are going to encounter a counter force, a negative counterforce. So…that’s…I know what this is about. And, so, I know also too, when we do it well then we will also find joy amidst the suffering. So, I just say that just to encourage people on. I just wanted to call…today is my anniversary. The other thing is, I think I have a name, and it’s Facilitator. I think I’m a facilitator for the Lord for health, primarily in mind, body, and soul. The other thing is, I’m praying for people, but I wanted to call out Rayna in California with fibromyalgia. There is hope. And I’m going to tell you’ve got health. You may email me if you wish at toni.m.08@gmail.com…and I can give you…but there is hope. I know people whose pain has gone away. So, God bless everyone. And Brian, we will be supporting you with…growing that 2% number…and supporting the enterprise…the global enterprise. Bye-bye.

When the Jews went into exile someone left the tended lamb
They mingled with the Canaanites and that went against God’s plan
The other Jews looked down on them and despised them very much
They even called them filthy dogs who were unworthy of Your touch
These people were called Samaritans, they were ostracized and kept away
In much the way the Ku Klux Klan treats all nonwhites today
Can you imagine telling the grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan the parable about the good black man
things would quickly deteriorate, you’d have a situation out of hand
But Jesus is the master and when He tells it, it gets told
Even in the things you don’t want to hear would be worth their weight in gold
There’s the legal and the illegal
There’s honor and there are thieves
Some are Godly and are moral but a true minister believes what’s thine is mine and what’s mine is thine
In Jesus’ parable both are clearly there
But people in His ministry should always make time to care
Robbers by the wayside
Robbers in the church
Begging in the name of God
Like vultures on a perch
Caveat emptor
let the buyer be ware
The IRS and con men too
Thieves are everywhere
Fleeced like sheep and tossed about, Gods people need to know
That the ones you think who will help you most are the first to tell you no
Pious and self-righteous, too good to soil their hands
But once they’ve seen light from the ditch they’ll clearly see God’s plans
We need to be good neighbors and help those who are in need
Freely giving of ourselves, true ministers in deed
And not be so caught up in our own rituals that our lives contain no power
To bind the wounds of those in need which should be our finest hour
Jesus loves all the same
He plainly made that true
His life He gave as a sacrifice
A pattern for me and you

Hello my DAB family this is Mark S. from Sydney Australia. Today’s Tuesday the 7th of November and I’m calling in for a praise report and prayer request. The praise report is that this family is so wonderful. There’s quite a few members in Sydney…if there’s more members in Sydney…and Chris in the background had organized myself and Ruby get together, which we got together a few weeks ago and we were able to talk about the DAB and talk about the Christian life. And the other prayer request I was going to put in was, Ruby’s been sick. She’s been in the hospital. And she’s come out. She’s still in pain. So, family if you could kindly pray for her that she fully recovers. And she did give me permission to talk to other DAB people about it. And can you also pray, she’s a wonderful Christian lady, and pray that she can find a lovely Christian man for herself. She’s a young, lovely, Christian lady and she’s trying to find the right Christian man. So, let’s keep praying for her for recovery and for her to find a love partner with God. Alright. Thank you. Bye-bye. Love Mark S. from Sydney Australia. Bye.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday November 10, 2017 (NIV)

Ezekiel 21-22

The Lord’s Sword of Judgment

21 [a]Then this message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, turn and face Jerusalem and prophesy against Israel and her sanctuaries. Tell her, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am your enemy, O Israel, and I am about to unsheath my sword to destroy your people—the righteous and the wicked alike. Yes, I will cut off both the righteous and the wicked! I will draw my sword against everyone in the land from south to north. Everyone in the world will know that I am the Lord. My sword is in my hand, and it will not return to its sheath until its work is finished.’

“Son of man, groan before the people! Groan before them with bitter anguish and a broken heart. When they ask why you are groaning, tell them, ‘I groan because of the terrifying news I have heard. When it comes true, the boldest heart will melt with fear; all strength will disappear. Every spirit will faint; strong knees will become as weak as water. And the Sovereign Lord says: It is coming! It’s on its way!’”

Then the Lord said to me, “Son of man, give the people this message from the Lord:

“A sword, a sword
is being sharpened and polished.
10 It is sharpened for terrible slaughter
and polished to flash like lightning!
Now will you laugh?
Those far stronger than you have fallen beneath its power![b]
11 Yes, the sword is now being sharpened and polished;
it is being prepared for the executioner.

12 “Son of man, cry out and wail;
pound your thighs in anguish,
for that sword will slaughter my people and their leaders—
everyone will die!
13 It will put them all to the test.
What chance do they have?[c]
says the Sovereign Lord.

14 “Son of man, prophesy to them
and clap your hands.
Then take the sword and brandish it twice,
even three times,
to symbolize the great massacre,
the great massacre facing them on every side.
15 Let their hearts melt with terror,
for the sword glitters at every gate.
It flashes like lightning
and is polished for slaughter!
16 O sword, slash to the right,
then slash to the left,
wherever you will,
wherever you want.
17 I, too, will clap my hands,
and I will satisfy my fury.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Omens for Babylon’s King

18 Then this message came to me from the Lord: 19 “Son of man, make a map and trace two routes on it for the sword of Babylon’s king to follow. Put a signpost on the road that comes out of Babylon where the road forks into two— 20 one road going to Ammon and its capital, Rabbah, and the other to Judah and fortified Jerusalem. 21 The king of Babylon now stands at the fork, uncertain whether to attack Jerusalem or Rabbah. He calls his magicians to look for omens. They cast lots by shaking arrows from the quiver. They inspect the livers of animal sacrifices. 22 The omen in his right hand says, ‘Jerusalem!’ With battering rams his soldiers will go against the gates, shouting for the kill. They will put up siege towers and build ramps against the walls. 23 The people of Jerusalem will think it is a false omen, because of their treaty with the Babylonians. But the king of Babylon will remind the people of their rebellion. Then he will attack and capture them.

24 “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Again and again you remind me of your sin and your guilt. You don’t even try to hide it! In everything you do, your sins are obvious for all to see. So now the time of your punishment has come!

25 “O you corrupt and wicked prince of Israel, your final day of reckoning is here! 26 This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“Take off your jeweled crown,
for the old order changes.
Now the lowly will be exalted,
and the mighty will be brought down.
27 Destruction! Destruction!
I will surely destroy the kingdom.
And it will not be restored until the one appears
who has the right to judge it.
Then I will hand it over to him.

A Message for the Ammonites

28 “And now, son of man, prophesy concerning the Ammonites and their mockery. Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord:

“A sword, a sword
is drawn for your slaughter.
It is polished to destroy,
flashing like lightning!
29 Your prophets have given false visions,
and your fortune-tellers have told lies.
The sword will fall on the necks of the wicked
for whom the day of final reckoning has come.

30 “Now return the sword to its sheath,
for in your own country,
the land of your birth,
I will pass judgment upon you.
31 I will pour out my fury on you
and blow on you with the fire of my anger.
I will hand you over to cruel men
who are skilled in destruction.
32 You will be fuel for the fire,
and your blood will be spilled in your own land.
You will be utterly wiped out,
your memory lost to history,
for I, the Lord, have spoken!”

The Sins of Jerusalem

22 Now this message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, are you ready to judge Jerusalem? Are you ready to judge this city of murderers? Publicly denounce her detestable sins, and give her this message from the Sovereign Lord: O city of murderers, doomed and damned—city of idols,[d] filthy and foul— you are guilty because of the blood you have shed. You are defiled because of the idols you have made. Your day of destruction has come! You have reached the end of your years. I will make you an object of mockery throughout the world. O infamous city, filled with confusion, you will be mocked by people far and near.

“Every leader in Israel who lives within your walls is bent on murder. Fathers and mothers are treated with contempt. Foreigners are forced to pay for protection. Orphans and widows are wronged and oppressed among you. You despise my holy things and violate my Sabbath days of rest. People accuse others falsely and send them to their death. You are filled with idol worshipers and people who do obscene things. 10 Men sleep with their fathers’ wives and force themselves on women who are menstruating. 11 Within your walls live men who commit adultery with their neighbors’ wives, who defile their daughters-in-law, or who rape their own sisters. 12 There are hired murderers, loan racketeers, and extortioners everywhere. They never even think of me and my commands, says the Sovereign Lord.

13 “But now I clap my hands in indignation over your dishonest gain and bloodshed. 14 How strong and courageous will you be in my day of reckoning? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I said. 15 I will scatter you among the nations and purge you of your wickedness. 16 And when I have been dishonored among the nations because of you,[e] you will know that I am the Lord.”

The Lord’s Refining Furnace

17 Then this message came to me from the Lord: 18 “Son of man, the people of Israel are the worthless slag that remains after silver is smelted. They are the dross that is left over—a useless mixture of copper, tin, iron, and lead. 19 So tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you are all worthless slag, I will bring you to my crucible in Jerusalem. 20 Just as silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin are melted down in a furnace, I will melt you down in the heat of my fury. 21 I will gather you together and blow the fire of my anger upon you, 22 and you will melt like silver in fierce heat. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have poured out my fury on you.’”

The Sins of Israel’s Leaders

23 Again a message came to me from the Lord: 24 “Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: In the day of my indignation, you will be like a polluted land, a land without rain. 25 Your princes[f] plot conspiracies just as lions stalk their prey. They devour innocent people, seizing treasures and extorting wealth. They make many widows in the land. 26 Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. And they do not teach my people the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean. They disregard my Sabbath days so that I am dishonored among them. 27 Your leaders are like wolves who tear apart their victims. They actually destroy people’s lives for money! 28 And your prophets cover up for them by announcing false visions and making lying predictions. They say, ‘My message is from the Sovereign Lord,’ when the Lord hasn’t spoken a single word to them. 29 Even common people oppress the poor, rob the needy, and deprive foreigners of justice.

30 “I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. 31 So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

Footnotes:

  1. 21:1 Verses 21:1-32 are numbered 21:6-37 in Hebrew text.
  2. 21:10 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  3. 21:13 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  4. 22:3 The Hebrew term (literally round things) probably alludes to dung; also in 22:4.
  5. 22:16 As in one Hebrew manuscript and Greek and Syriac versions; Masoretic Text reads when you have been dishonored among the nations.
  6. 22:25 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads prophets.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Hebrews 10:1-17

Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All

10 The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.

But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ[a] came into the world, he said to God,

“You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings.
But you have given me a body to offer.
You were not pleased with burnt offerings
or other offerings for sin.
Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—
as is written about me in the Scriptures.’”[b]

First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. 10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.

11 Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 13 There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. 14 For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.

15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says,

16 “This is the new covenant I will make
with my people on that day,[c] says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”[d]

17 Then he says,

“I will never again remember
their sins and lawless deeds.”[e]

Footnotes:

  1. 10:5 Greek he; also in 10:8.
  2. 10:5-7 Ps 40:6-8 (Greek version).
  3. 10:16a Greek after those days.
  4. 10:16b Jer 31:33a.
  5. 10:17 Jer 31:34b.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 108

Psalm 108

A song. A psalm of David.

My heart is confident in you, O God;
no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!
Wake up, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.
I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
I will sing your praises among the nations.
For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
May your glory shine over all the earth.

Now rescue your beloved people.
Answer and save us by your power.
God has promised this by his holiness[a]:
“I will divide up Shechem with joy.
I will measure out the valley of Succoth.
Gilead is mine,
and Manasseh, too.
Ephraim, my helmet, will produce my warriors,
and Judah, my scepter, will produce my kings.
But Moab, my washbasin, will become my servant,
and I will wipe my feet on Edom
and shout in triumph over Philistia.”

10 Who will bring me into the fortified city?
Who will bring me victory over Edom?
11 Have you rejected us, O God?
Will you no longer march with our armies?
12 Oh, please help us against our enemies,
for all human help is useless.
13 With God’s help we will do mighty things,
for he will trample down our foes.

Footnotes:

  1. 108:7 Or in his sanctuary.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 27:12

12 A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.
The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


11/9/2017 DAB Transcript

Ezekiel 20:1-49; Hebrews 9:11-28; Psalms 107:1-43; Proverbs 27:11

Today is the ninth day of November. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It’s great to be here with you today, and for that matter, every day, as we continue to take these steps forward through the Scriptures. And right now we’re working our way through the book of Ezekiel and in the New Testament, the book of Hebrews, and we’ve been talking about that along the way. Today, reading from the New Living translation. Ezekiel 20:1-49.

Commentary:

Okay. Let’s talk about Hebrews for a second. And just by way of reminder, Hebrews was written to Hebrews. So, Jewish people. And Hebrews is building and making the argument for Jesus in the Hebrew context. So, all this talk about tabernacles in heaven and high priests and all this stuff…Melchizedek…all this stuff that we talked about so far is within a Jewish context. We, most of us who are not Hebrews, who are not Jewish, but are rather Gentile believers have a bit of an understanding about this because we read the Old Testament. So, we see how this culture developed, where it came from, how it flourished, how it didn’t flourish. And, so, we can navigate this to a great degree, but not the same as if it had been embedded into our culture and we’ve only ever known this, like, it’s how it is. Kind of like how you could move to another country and learn the language and even live there for a decade only to realize all of the unspoken things that are just woven into the culture. So, Hebrews is speaking in a way that’s very clear that the people who are reading this. It’s all interwoven into their culture. And the argument that Jesus is the final high priest from a Jewish perspective is being made. And that all of the rituals and customs that they have in their culture are good but there copies of what’s actually in heaven, perfectly. And this plays into their thought and culture. This isn’t something that’s completely unexpected for them. And Hebrews is just simply trying to say, here’s how we missed this. Jesus blood is the final sacrifice and He poured it out before God once and for all as our eternal High Priest in the perfect place where it cannot be tarnished or ruined or destroyed. And this once and for all language is a big deal because, in terms of sacrifice, this is an ongoing thing. So, the writer of Hebrews is saying, it’s fulfilled once and for all. Like, Jesus doesn’t have to keep dying over and over, following the pattern that we’ve been following all of these years. It’s accomplished. It’s finished, which is what Jesus said as His last words from the cross. So, Hebrews says, ‘but now, once for all time, He has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by His own death as a sacrifice’, which is a pretty sizable paradigm shift if you are at this time and a Hebrew. So, far into the future, and is mostly Gentiles, like, we know this stuff theologically, but can’t always access how good of news this is because we’ve never had to jump to those hoops and do those rituals and have those sacrifices. But the writer of Hebrews is saying, once and for all it’s taken care of, we don’t have to do that anymore. So, on the one hand you can see how difficult it would be for them to get their minds around that they don’t have to do this anymore, from a religious tradition perspective. And on the other hand, you can see what a relief, what a relief it would be if that were true. I can’t think of a good example because we’re talking about the blood of Christ. So, like, there’s nothing that’s going to be that big in our lives. But it’s like, you know, for your entire adulthood, you’ve probably had to do your laundry. Right? If you don’t do your laundry and you don’t have enough money to wear something brand-new every time you put on clothes, then your dirty laundry is going to pile up and you going to start wearing dirty clothes. But doing the laundry is something that you hate doing. You just have to do it. And somebody comes along and is able to say, once and for all, you don’t have to do that anymore. Well, that would be a big relief. So, that’s not like a great example, but at least it gets us into the right headspace. And that headspace is, it’s done. Sin is dealt with. It’s not supposed to be a part of our story anymore and it doesn’t have to be a part of our story. The sacrifice has been made once and for all before God and Jesus is now this is eternal high priest advocating for us before God and presiding over this new covenant on our behalf. What a relief the good news of the gospel is. Let’s not forget it.

Prayer:

Father, we remember. And in understanding further context, we see how big this is, how good this is, how unstoppable this is. The only thing that can stop it is we, ourselves, choosing otherwise. And we have the entire story in the Old Testament, especially these books of prophecy that we’re reading now, to see where those other paths lead. We can certainly walk away and we will certainly reap what we sow. But that’s not what we’re going to do and that’s what we’re doing. We’re running toward You with a continual heart of repentance, knowing that You are fathering us, that You are teaching us and being merciful to us so that we can grow up and become mature sons and daughters in Your kingdom. So, we invite You Holy Spirit, as we contemplate today - ‘once and for all’ - and how big that is to our lives. Come Holy Spirit and continue to reveal this to us. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Announcements:

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

Looking at the calendar, I’ve been mentioning that we’ll be in Louisiana on the 19th and that’s true. We’ll be in Bossier City, Louisiana at River Valley church on Sunday the 19th of November. You can get all the details at dailyaudiobible.com in the events section and we’ll look forward to seeing you. This will be our last travel date for the year. So, we’re looking forward to it.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There’s a link, it’s on the homepage. Thank you for your partnership. Of course, if you prefer the mail, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill, TN 37174.

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

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

Community Prayers and Praise Reports:

Hello, this is Rachel from Pennsylvania. I am calling for Jordan from Detroit ___. I called, probably around last year, just about, me and my last teaching job. I’m in another one now. I teach emotional support for 4th through 6th graders. So, those are kids who are…like…mentally ill. And I feel you Jordan. I have had …like…two major mental breaks in the past two weeks and…just…I’m really, really struggling to do this job well and to do it to the best of my ability and up to the standards that it needs to be held and really just doing anything right and what is right and how do you maintain that and how to be professional with everyone else around you while you’re just dying and in this hole and on this island in your workplace. So, I get it. I had a job last year which was just so hard on me and then I left it and now I’m at this job and its worse. It’s even worse than my last job. So, I really do get it Jordan. So, I pray for both us just to get the support we need and to have the lives that we deserve so that we truly can get rest from the Lord because I’m not getting any rest. I’m sure you’re not either. I’m running out of time. I’m praying for you. Bye.

Hi DABbers this is his little Sheri from Canada and I’m calling tonight to pray for anyone who has a sleeping problems – Insomnia, sleep apnea, nightmares - anything that prevents you from getting the rest you need at night. And I want to pray for this this morning because I was reading these verses this morning from Song of Psalms in chapter 3. ‘Who is this coming up from the desert like a column of smoke, perfumed with mur and incense. Look, it is Solomon’s carriage escorted by 60 warriors, all of them wearing the sword, all experienced in battle, prepared for the terrors of the night’. And suddenly, when I read that I pictured our bridegroom king, Jesus, riding to our rescue with 60 warrior angels, the really big ones, the elite fighting force of heaven, who are experienced fighting the enemy and prepared for the terrors of the night, prepared for our terrors of the night. So, Lord Jesus, I thank You that You fight for us, that all the forces of darkness are no match for Your power. Dispatch Your angels, I pray, to minister to us tonight, to defeat every fear, ever pain, every messenger of evil that would rob us of rest. And, Lord, please give Your beloved sleep as You promised. I thank You for all that You’re doing to write what is wrong, to give us peace. As we lay our heads on our pillows tonight we sink down into trust. And we pray all these things in Your name. Amen.

Hello Daily Audio Bible community. I should have called in before now. Today is November 6th. My wife has been having really awful back pain for like 6 weeks and the doctors think she has some bulging discs, which doesn’t sound that bad, but in the grand scheme of things it’s really killing her and she can’t go to work and she can’t walk around. She can’t really do anything. Today we’re taking her for a procedure and I just got through praying to the Lord that that procedure would go well and that she would be able to heal and get back on her feet. So, now I am calling to you all and asking you to join me in prayer for her healing for my wife and that the procedure goes well. So, please, join me in prayer. Thank you. Bye.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible DABbers. This is Diane B. from Newburg, Indiana and I say shalom, shalom. It is Monday, November the 6th 2017. I have Rayna in my heart every day. How ya doing in LA? And I’m praying and believing for you that God will show you the way and He will direct your steps and He will not let you stumble and He will not let you fall. I know you’re getting better. I know it. I know it. And it’s going to be glorious. And then also Rebecca, Rebecca, sewer of the Gospel, even at bars. I love you. You’re from Michigan. And Michigan is my home town too. So, Rebecca, I am praying for you, sewing your seeds of the Gospel. There’s power, resurrection power, in the gospel Rebecca, and you keep sewing your seeds, your gospel seeds. And I’m praying for the most glorious job that you can’t even think of, it’s so great. And I had to do that. I worked a third shift at a gas station and stayed at that job for 6 months and then I got my dream job. So, if it can happen to me it can happen to anybody. So, here you go Rebecca. Take your job. Just keep sewing your seeds, loving people. Here is shalom, shalom to all my beloved DABbers. Glory, glory, glory, glory, to God the glory, and we give all the glory to Jesus and tell…

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday November 9, 2017 (NIV)

Ezekiel 20

The Rebellion of Israel

20 On August 14,[a] during the seventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, some of the leaders of Israel came to request a message from the Lord. They sat down in front of me to wait for his reply. Then this message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, tell the leaders of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: How dare you come to ask me for a message? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will tell you nothing!’

“Son of man, bring charges against them and condemn them. Make them realize how detestable the sins of their ancestors really were. Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: When I chose Israel—when I revealed myself to the descendants of Jacob in Egypt—I took a solemn oath that I, the Lord, would be their God. I took a solemn oath that day that I would bring them out of Egypt to a land I had discovered and explored for them—a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands anywhere. Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, get rid of the vile images you are so obsessed with. Do not defile yourselves with the idols[b] of Egypt, for I am the Lord your God.’

“But they rebelled against me and would not listen. They did not get rid of the vile images they were obsessed with, or forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I threatened to pour out my fury on them to satisfy my anger while they were still in Egypt. But I didn’t do it, for I acted to protect the honor of my name. I would not allow shame to be brought on my name among the surrounding nations who saw me reveal myself by bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. 10 So I brought them out of Egypt and led them into the wilderness. 11 There I gave them my decrees and regulations so they could find life by keeping them. 12 And I gave them my Sabbath days of rest as a sign between them and me. It was to remind them that I am the Lord, who had set them apart to be holy.

13 “But the people of Israel rebelled against me, and they refused to obey my decrees there in the wilderness. They wouldn’t obey my regulations even though obedience would have given them life. They also violated my Sabbath days. So I threatened to pour out my fury on them, and I made plans to utterly consume them in the wilderness. 14 But again I held back in order to protect the honor of my name before the nations who had seen my power in bringing Israel out of Egypt. 15 But I took a solemn oath against them in the wilderness. I swore I would not bring them into the land I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful place on earth. 16 For they had rejected my regulations, refused to follow my decrees, and violated my Sabbath days. Their hearts were given to their idols. 17 Nevertheless, I took pity on them and held back from destroying them in the wilderness.

18 “Then I warned their children not to follow in their parents’ footsteps, defiling themselves with their idols. 19 ‘I am the Lord your God,’ I told them. ‘Follow my decrees, pay attention to my regulations, 20 and keep my Sabbath days holy, for they are a sign to remind you that I am the Lord your God.’

21 “But their children, too, rebelled against me. They refused to keep my decrees and follow my regulations, even though obedience would have given them life. And they also violated my Sabbath days. So again I threatened to pour out my fury on them in the wilderness. 22 Nevertheless, I withdrew my judgment against them to protect the honor of my name before the nations that had seen my power in bringing them out of Egypt. 23 But I took a solemn oath against them in the wilderness. I swore I would scatter them among all the nations 24 because they did not obey my regulations. They scorned my decrees by violating my Sabbath days and longing for the idols of their ancestors. 25 I gave them over to worthless decrees and regulations that would not lead to life. 26 I let them pollute themselves[c] with the very gifts I had given them, and I allowed them to give their firstborn children as offerings to their gods—so I might devastate them and remind them that I alone am the Lord.

Judgment and Restoration

27 “Therefore, son of man, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: Your ancestors continued to blaspheme and betray me, 28 for when I brought them into the land I had promised them, they offered sacrifices on every high hill and under every green tree they saw! They roused my fury as they offered up sacrifices to their gods. They brought their perfumes and incense and poured out their liquid offerings to them. 29 I said to them, ‘What is this high place where you are going?’ (This kind of pagan shrine has been called Bamah—‘high place’—ever since.)

30 “Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: Do you plan to pollute yourselves just as your ancestors did? Do you intend to keep prostituting yourselves by worshiping vile images? 31 For when you offer gifts to them and give your little children to be burned as sacrifices,[d] you continue to pollute yourselves with idols to this day. Should I allow you to ask for a message from me, O people of Israel? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will tell you nothing.

32 “You say, ‘We want to be like the nations all around us, who serve idols of wood and stone.’ But what you have in mind will never happen. 33 As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will rule over you with an iron fist in great anger and with awesome power. 34 And in anger I will reach out with my strong hand and powerful arm, and I will bring you back[e] from the lands where you are scattered. 35 I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will judge you face to face. 36 I will judge you there just as I did your ancestors in the wilderness after bringing them out of Egypt, says the Sovereign Lord. 37 I will examine you carefully and hold you to the terms of the covenant. 38 I will purge you of all those who rebel and revolt against me. I will bring them out of the countries where they are in exile, but they will never enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

39 “As for you, O people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go right ahead and worship your idols, but sooner or later you will obey me and will stop bringing shame on my holy name by worshiping idols. 40 For on my holy mountain, the great mountain of Israel, says the Sovereign Lord, the people of Israel will someday worship me, and I will accept them. There I will require that you bring me all your offerings and choice gifts and sacrifices. 41 When I bring you home from exile, you will be like a pleasing sacrifice to me. And I will display my holiness through you as all the nations watch. 42 Then when I have brought you home to the land I promised with a solemn oath to give to your ancestors, you will know that I am the Lord. 43 You will look back on all the ways you defiled yourselves and will hate yourselves because of the evil you have done. 44 You will know that I am the Lord, O people of Israel, when I have honored my name by treating you mercifully in spite of your wickedness. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

Judgment against the Negev

45 [f]Then this message came to me from the Lord: 46 “Son of man, turn and face the south[g] and speak out against it; prophesy against the brushlands of the Negev. 47 Tell the southern wilderness, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Hear the word of the Lord! I will set you on fire, and every tree, both green and dry, will be burned. The terrible flames will not be quenched and will scorch everything from south to north. 48 And everyone in the world will see that I, the Lord, have set this fire. It will not be put out.’”

49 Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord, they are saying of me, ‘He only talks in riddles!’”

Footnotes:

  1. 20:1 Hebrew In the fifth month, on the tenth day, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This day was August 14, 591 B.c.; also see note on 1:1.
  2. 20:7 The Hebrew term (literally round things) probably alludes to dung; also in 20:8, 16, 18, 24, 31, 39.
  3. 20:25-26 Or I gave them worthless decrees and regulations. . . . I polluted them.
  4. 20:31 Or and make your little children pass through the fire.
  5. 20:34 Greek version reads I will welcome you. Compare 2 Cor 6:17.
  6. 20:45 Verses 20:45-49 are numbered 21:1-5 in Hebrew text.
  7. 20:46 Hebrew toward Teman.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Hebrews 9:11-28

Christ Is the Perfect Sacrifice

11 So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come.[a] He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 12 With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.

13 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds[b] so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. 15 That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.

16 Now when someone leaves a will,[c] it is necessary to prove that the person who made it is dead.[d] 17 The will goes into effect only after the person’s death. While the person who made it is still alive, the will cannot be put into effect.

18 That is why even the first covenant was put into effect with the blood of an animal. 19 For after Moses had read each of God’s commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats,[e] along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God’s law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool. 20 Then he said, “This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you.”[f] 21 And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship. 22 In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.

23 That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals.

24 For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. 25 And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. 26 If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age[g] to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice.

27 And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, 28 so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.

Footnotes:

  1. 9:11 Some manuscripts read that are about to come.
  2. 9:14 Greek from dead works.
  3. 9:16a Or covenant; also in 9:17.
  4. 9:16b Or Now when someone makes a covenant, it is necessary to ratify it with the death of a sacrifice.
  5. 9:19 Some manuscripts do not include and goats.
  6. 9:20 Exod 24:8.
  7. 9:26 Greek the ages.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 107

Book five (Psalms 107–150)

Psalm 107

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!
Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
For he has gathered the exiles from many lands,
from east and west,
from north and south.[a]

Some wandered in the wilderness,
lost and homeless.
Hungry and thirsty,
they nearly died.
Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he rescued them from their distress.
He led them straight to safety,
to a city where they could live.
Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
For he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.

10 Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom,
imprisoned in iron chains of misery.
11 They rebelled against the words of God,
scorning the counsel of the Most High.
12 That is why he broke them with hard labor;
they fell, and no one was there to help them.
13 Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
14 He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom;
he snapped their chains.
15 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
16 For he broke down their prison gates of bronze;
he cut apart their bars of iron.

17 Some were fools; they rebelled
and suffered for their sins.
18 They couldn’t stand the thought of food,
and they were knocking on death’s door.
19 Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them,
snatching them from the door of death.
21 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving
and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.

23 Some went off to sea in ships,
plying the trade routes of the world.
24 They, too, observed the Lord’s power in action,
his impressive works on the deepest seas.
25 He spoke, and the winds rose,
stirring up the waves.
26 Their ships were tossed to the heavens
and plunged again to the depths;
the sailors cringed in terror.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards
and were at their wits’ end.
28 Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
29 He calmed the storm to a whisper
and stilled the waves.
30 What a blessing was that stillness
as he brought them safely into harbor!
31 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
32 Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation
and before the leaders of the nation.

33 He changes rivers into deserts,
and springs of water into dry, thirsty land.
34 He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands,
because of the wickedness of those who live there.
35 But he also turns deserts into pools of water,
the dry land into springs of water.
36 He brings the hungry to settle there
and to build their cities.
37 They sow their fields, plant their vineyards,
and harvest their bumper crops.
38 How he blesses them!
They raise large families there,
and their herds of livestock increase.

39 When they decrease in number and become impoverished
through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
40 the Lord pours contempt on their princes,
causing them to wander in trackless wastelands.
41 But he rescues the poor from trouble
and increases their families like flocks of sheep.
42 The godly will see these things and be glad,
while the wicked are struck silent.
43 Those who are wise will take all this to heart;
they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.

Footnotes:

  1. 107:3 Hebrew and sea.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 27:11

11 Be wise, my child,[a] and make my heart glad.
Then I will be able to answer my critics.

Footnotes:

  1. 27:11 Hebrew my son.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.