| So my plan is to read the entire Bible over the summer. That's about 26.8 pages a day in my Bible. So I will be posting xanga entries to keep updated on my progress and what I found interesting. So to start us of...
start date: 6/18/06
GENESIS:
Favorite Verse: Gen 29:20
So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. I guess
I could have picked a more... powerful verse, perhaps something about God
creating this world out of nothing, or the fall of man, something from Abraham,
Noah, Joseph, Israel, but this was what stuck out
in my mind at the time because I felt it personally. I know that feeling, when
you long to see someone, that feeling of waiting, but there's nothing you can
do about it, and when you finally look upon that person, the feeling you
have... I don't think that it only seemed like a few days to Jacob... They were
probably seven long years of hard labor no less. Seven years is never a short
amount of time, it’s about a third of my life. I wonder if Jacob ever stopped
and just dropped everything and questioned in his heart, is it worth it? Is
everything I'm doing worth that girl. Seven years of my life... all my
energy... and who's to say that Rachel is all she’s cracked up to be and Laban
(Rachel's father who promised he would give Jacob Rachel in return for seven
years of work) will keep his word? (in fact, Laban lies and gives Jacob Leah,
Rachel's older sister, first, and then for another seven years of work, he
gives him Rachel). Did these doubts gnaw at him during those years? There is so
much trust... faith if you will.
The
word Love from this passage in Greek is the same word ‘to have affection for.’
Is that the response to love we should have, that when we are separated from
those whom we love, it should only seem like a few days if we truly love them?
Or is it that after we see them after so long, seven years seems like a few
days because of the joy we feel from being united. Personally, I feel more
inclined to think that the years were long and hard, because of Jacob’s love,
not being able to have her was more painful. If he didn’t care, it wouldn’t
have made much of a difference. Although love goes far beyond just caring.
Perhaps in going beyond, Jacob was able to look past everything he was going
through at that time and see only Rachel, the joy at the end. What did Jacob
have that made 7 years seem like a few days? If it was only love… then how many
of us truly love like that, or love to that magnitude? That whatever suffering,
hardship, or obstacle never made him look away from that which he loved. Love
is patient, it always protects, trusts, hopes, endures through all things (1
Cor 13 excerpts). That may be the truth.
People
who say they love God, will then this life, however long it may be, seem like
but a few seconds when we encounter God and his great love. Whether at the end,
or while we endure it, through suffering, joy, pain, excitement, what awaits us
at the end of this journey. I guess we trust that it will be worth everything
we go through in this life. Our eternity, eternal souls, and we put them on the
line because of what we believe, our faith.
This
goes out to you know who is in is away. There is no one that I know that
doesn’t like the skinny and fat cow dream. I wonder how many dreams I’ve had
that God was speaking to me, but I didn’t realize it and just forgot it.
Recently I’ve been wondering how to tell what is from God and what isn’t. Is it
a feeling? Or do you just know? Is there a sense of confidence, or do you know
that you will have to take a risk? I think that answer lies in that God speaks
to people in so many ways that it’s dynamic and unique. I feel like sometimes I
have trouble hearing God, so I guess I just have to listen harder =)
Favorite Parts: The renaming, Abram (exalted father) to Abraham (father of many) and Jacob (deciever) to Israel (he struggles with God).
There's
something about naming that's associated with birth. When a baby comes into
this world, you give unto it a name to characterize it. Likewise, there is
something about renaming that is associated with rebirth, stepping out of the
old and taking up your new identity. Not that we let our names define us, but
rather it is a mark, a symbol, of the new. I know people who change their names
once they get into college, not because they don't like their old names, but
they want to start a new. Leave all the burdens of the past behind, that which
we associate with our old names.
Jacob,
he was a deciever, evil in the eyes of men, but Israel, he wrestles with God and
lives to tell of it, he is the father of nations. I think that's why when we
are baptized, they ask our name. In committing our lives to Jesus, and entering
birth, all those things we hold onto with regret that have to do with our past
are forgiven by the only one who is able to forgive us everything, God. And so
we carry on, a new person, a new creation, though we may be called by the same
thing, we have left behind those old things that used to hold us down.
Finish date: 6/25/06
EXODUS:
Favorite Verse: Exo 14:31
And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.
I wonder how many people these days fear God. Not just say they fear
God, but actually are scared. Disasters, locusts, plague, and even an angel of
death sent among the people and they fear AND TRUST in Him and His servant. The
things we fear, cause us to do or not do certain things. We fear being alone,
so we seek out companionship. We fear not being able to provide for ourselves
and family, so we work hard and make sacrifices. I fear the dark, so I tend to
keep lights on a lot or avoid situations of darkness alone.
There is a certain amount of trust in fear. I fear the dark, so
I trust the light, but to have fear and trust seems to be a contradiction. If
we truly fear what God will do to us if we do not follow in His way, disasters
of an unimaginable nature (perhaps Katrina, 9/11, Rwanda, Lebanon) or even
suffering on a more individual basis, how will that impact what we do with our
lives? Can love come from that and overpower the fear, or will fear reign? But
how much more so, if God can bring these miraculous disasters on us, does He
have the ability to bring miraculous fortune. Though the sins of the father go
down to the 3rd or 4th generation, following God will
result in thousands of generations being blessed.
There is difference between not doing evil and doing good. Just
because you’re not being evil doesn’t mean you’re being good. What reason do we
have not to do evil? Perhaps it’s the fear of what will happen to us if we do.
What motive do we have to do good? Perhaps it’s love that pushes us forward. In
this way, the union of fear and love come together to form something beautiful.
Favorite Parts: Moses being transformed into a man who leads an entire nation to freedom.
Moses started off life in the Egyptian courts as royalty,
adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter, in a time when all Israelite boys were being killed.
Educated in all the ways royalty would have been. He kills an Egyptian because
he was harshly beating an Israelite worker and flees to the country to become a
shepherd. Off all things a shepherd! From royalty to peasant, Moses goes from
living at the top of hierarchy to near the bottom. Then he is called on by God
to free his countrymen from bondage. Moses, the murderer and shepherd, you are
to lead God’s people to freedom, but see that everything in Moses’ life lead up
to this. He was prepared by God, even before he knew it, to lead the
Israelites. All the experiences of the royal life, and then of being a
shepherd, that expanse of knowledge of both high and low, of leading and being
led, of giving orders and taking care of. It was all necessary for Moses in
order to be a leader. 40 years in Pharaoh’s court, 40 years as a shepherd, and
then 40 years leading Israel
through the desert. Everything in his life had a purpose, even in his lowest
and highest, it was all for a reason.
Least Favorite Parts: Exodus describes how to build the tabernacle, ark, and other stuff and I didn't really know how to read that or what to take from it. Then it goes into the building of that stuff pretty much exactly the same as how to build it
(ex. Exo 25:10 Have them make a chest of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.
Exo 37:1 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.)
Ok after some more deliberation, I think that these passages say
something about following God. When God tells you to do something, you do it
exactly like He says, He wants 2 and a half cubits you give Him 2 and a half
cubits. When He says go, you go all the way, not halfway and say that is good
enough. It's still my least favorite part though...
Finish date: 6/26/06
LEVITICUS:
Favorite Chapter 26: This chapter brings together the
- Love of the Lord (I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.)
I think that’s one of the major
aspects of Christianity that plays a role in my life. No longer a slave to
________ and you just fill in the blank with whatever used to oppress you. I
put love of the Lord when I was writing this entry not because I know what love
is, or even what God’s love is, but because in my head the role of a savior or
liberator are in my head inseparable from it. It may seem strange to say they
are inseparable yet not be able to define love. There were many such lines
throughout exodus that had to do with the Lord hearing the people of Israel cry out
to Him and thus He has answered them and delivered them into freedom. Because
they were suffering…
I know that it’s hard for me to bear it when someone I love is
suffering. You feel them, literally, that when they are hurting, you are
hurting also. Compassion? Empathy? Whatever word you use, there is an
undeniable bond that attaches you to those whom you love. Even if I had no love
for someone, and he was to go and help me out greatly, that would be the seeds
planted for something greater. I feel like it’s always personal, no matter how
many people may have been helped, when you set someone free, it’s always
personal. When I think of the people in my life that have enabled me to walk
tall with my head to the heavens, I can’t help, but feel at peace and thankful.
I know some of you are reading my xanga bible project. =) I wonder how many
people have helped me greatly, but don’t even realize it. I used to always say
that I’m always the one being helped, but more and more I’m realizing how I
bless others. To live with the mindset of looking for those that are in
slavery, not because that’s what I’m supposed to do, but because of love.
- Fear of the Lord (I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings.)
For those who turn away from the
Lord, this is what awaits them. Perhaps more scary than the laying waste to
cities and sanctuaries is God taking no delight in offerings. Offerings back in
the day were used for everything, for praising God, for sin cleansing, for
thanksgiving, and to have God take no delight is almost like God is not
listening to you. If we suffer hardships, even while God is with us, I can’t imagine
what kind of trials will happen when He removes His face from our presence. I
personally have a lot of questions concerning a God that causes disasters among
His people, but I’ll save those for another time.
- The redemption promised (Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them. I am the LORD their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the LORD.)
And finally
the last part. When those in disaster turn away from their evil ways and go
back to the Lord, He will always welcome them back. It seems so simple when put
this way, if you do good and follow the laws set out by God, you will be
rewarded, but if you stray from that you will be punished, but then if you turn
back, you will be forgiven and rewarded. Life often takes us on a path that we
least expect and is never in terms of black and white. I find myself in the
midst of looking to God, asking how do I do this? What does it mean to repent?
What does it mean to seek God with all your heart, soul, and strength? How do I
know when I’m doing this?
There’s a certainty that comes along
with trust. You turn back because you believe, but if you really believed these
things, why would you put yourself out there to evil and sin in the first
place? Would not the fear of divine retribution drive from your mind any
thought of wrongdoing. There comes a brand of thought, from this idea of an all
forgiving God that goes something like ‘I can do this because God will forgive
me.’ This forgiveness gives me the freedom to do whatever I please! And I say
to that NO that is absolutely garbage. You cannot say that you love someone and
then go find all sorts of tricks and loopholes to hurt them because you know
that he will forgive you in the end. That’s called exploitation, and we shall
reap whatever we sow.
I think something of turning to God
with all you heart has to be genuine. Though my mouth may speak words, my heart
may be far from really feeling them. Many times it was only when I experienced
a pain, similar to a pain that I caused someone else to feel, that I was truly
sorry for causing that pain. I find that God brings upon my head much of that
which I have brought upon others whether good or bad. Love, rejection, and
redemption: three things that go together, three things I know.
Finished date: 6/29/06
NUMBERS:
LOL Verse: Num 19:21
This is a lasting ordinance for them.
"The man who sprinkles
the water of cleansing must also wash his clothes, and anyone who
touches the water of cleansing will be unclean till evening.
Ok, I thought this was funny, I mean anyone who touches the
water of cleansing will be unclean… I mean it’s the water of cleansing used to
cleanse others, but it makes you unclean? Although when you think about what
goes into the water of cleansing it kind of makes sense, something like
heifer’s ashes and water. To make someone else clean, you will have to become
dirty as well. Perhaps not to be taken literally, but on a sense, to become
like the person who is dirty. That’s not to say that you go around doing
exactly what they are doing, but rather you enter into their experience.
There is such a difference between standing atop your tower of
cleanliness distributing water of cleansing to all the “dirty” people and being
on the same level as those who are in need. For weren’t we all in need at some
point? To forget the places where we’ve come from, is exactly the sin that the
Israelites repeat over and over. God says, I am the Lord who brought you out of
Egypt
and slavery therefore follow my commands. Honestly it’s hard for me to think
back even 1 or 2 years much less 5 or 6 which is when I started this journey
called Christianity. How much has happened… I can hardly tell what I was like
back then.
Recently a friend told me that I hadn’t really changed through college,
in the sense that my personality was still like it had been in high school. At
the same time, it feels like I act differently, maybe because the eyes that I
use to look at myself have changed. I feel like I’m attracted to people whom I
see myself in because I want to show them what I’ve found. I see myself from
long ago in them and I want to say, there’s something so much better. I
remember thinking naively back in high school that there wasn’t so much to
living for God and that I was almost there. Now I know that I’m barely out the
starting gate. The world is a big place, and it’s kind of exciting.
Daily Wisdom: Num 23:8
How can I curse those whom God has not cursed?
How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?
I should ask myself this more often. What right do we have to
cast judgment on others if not even God has done so? In my heart, I know the
curses I have against people: Those who have hurt me, those who have hurt my
loved ones, those who hurt God, and even myself. If God has not caused it, then
by what power do I curse people? Anger, hatred, shame, pride, guilt, jealousy,
evil… yeah it’s definitely evil. To want to hate someone, more than I want to
love them…
There’s something satisfying about hate. It almost… makes you
feel good to hate someone. The trap is that it will eat away at your very being,
consume you till that’s all you have left. I heard a story about a holocaust
survivor, a Christian woman, who later saw one of the concentration camp guards
at her church, he had become a Christian since the war. She had watched her
family wither away and die and she was the only survivor. How easy it would
have been to give into hate and condemnation, but she forced herself, no matter
how hard, out of obedience to extend a forgiving hand, and she tells of how
suddenly true compassion surged through her being like lightning and how
freeing it was.
My story is a bit less dramatic perhaps, but still is mine. I am
being sued by a woman I got into a car accident with over 2 years ago. For a
long time, I bore this hate against her, Her allegations attacked my very
character and made me out to be a criminal, whereas at the time of the accident
neither of us blamed the other. The world hates, but that’s not my role as one
who declares he is a son of God. When I made this commitment to compassion, the
feelings of anger subsided, and no longer felt paralyzed by what was happening.
Yeah, this is the way.
Favorite Verse: Num 27:14-18
for when the community
rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my
command to honor me as holy before their eyes." (These were the waters
of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.)
Moses said to the LORD, "May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all mankind, appoint a man over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring
them in, so the LORD's people will not be like sheep without a
shepherd.So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him.
Man, I think this is one of the prime examples of why Moses is
the bombsauce. God has just told him he won't inherit the land promised to
Abraham because of his sins and he's just like "ok, well then we need to
find these people a new leader." Man, so coool! The gushing aside, this
truly shows who is on Moses’ heart. It wasn’t his own glory, but he cared so
much more about God’s people that in spite of this sentence of not entering
into the promised land, he worries more about Israel than himself. When God
brings upon us terror and punishment, what reaction do we have? Is it, why did
you do this to me? Or is it please provide for everyone I love?
This difference is so amazing. They say there was no prophet like Moses
(although Elijah has striking similarities) and seeing things like this show
why. Our reactions tell us so much about ourselves. How would we react to
things like this?
Finish date: 7/03/06
DEUTERONOMY:
Let me start of this entry by saying that Moses is officially my hero of the Pentateuch. Deuteronomy is filled with gems of wisdom, encouragement and good news for those that follow the LORD, but it is also contrasted very sharply with fear, pain, and destruction for those that turn away from Him . I found many many parts that were really interesting and revealing about the nature of God and how He deals with His people. Commands like you must purge the evil from among you... and all of Israel will hear and be afraid, yet at the same time, there is a lot of be kind to widows and the poor.
A huge focus on remembering what the Lord, your God, has done, and using this as a means for action today. (treat aliens respectfully for you were aliens in Egypt and the Lord redeemed you) stuff like that
Interesting Verses:
Deut 1:39
And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children
who do not yet know good from bad—they will enter the land. I will give
it to them and they will take possession of it.
Deut 12:23
But be sure you do not eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.
Deut 20:5-9
The officers shall say to the army: "Has anyone built a new house and
not dedicated it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone
else may dedicate it. Has anyone planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else enjoy it. Has anyone become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him go
home, or he may die in battle and someone else marry her."
Then the officers shall add, "Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let
him go home so that his brothers will not become disheartened too." When the officers have finished speaking to the army, they shall appoint commanders over it.
Wisdom Verses:
Deut 1:45
You came back and wept before the LORD, but he paid no attention to your weeping and turned a deaf ear to you.
Deut 4:9
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget
the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long
as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after
them.
Deut 29:19
When such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing
on himself and therefore thinks, "I will be safe, even though I persist
in going my own way." This will bring disaster on the watered land as
well as the dry.
Deut 30:11-14
Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into
heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
Finish date: 7/07/06
JOSHUA
And so the land of Israel is finally delivered out of bondage into the promised land by the hand of God. =)
Dedication Verses: Joshua 1:6-9
"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.
Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my
servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the
left, that you may be successful wherever you go.
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it
day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in
it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be
terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with
you wherever you go."
Favorite Verses: Joshua 21:43-45
So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there.
The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their
forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed
all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.
Interesting Verses: Joshua 24:15
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for
yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your
forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in
whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will
serve the LORD."
Joshua 24:22
Then Joshua said, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD."
"Yes, we are witnesses," they replied.
Finish date: 7/08/06
JUDGES
The tragic story of how Israel keeps turning away from the Lord and how He appoints over them judges to lead them out of their suffering that God let happen to them. Contains one of my favorite stories of Samson. It seems this is an evil time for even the judges seem to be having little regard for God.
Judges 10:5-8 sums up this book. (well not really, but ...)
When Jair (current judge) died, he was buried in Kamon. Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD. They served the
Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the
gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the
Philistines. And because the Israelites forsook the LORD and no longer
served him, he became angry with them. He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites,
who that year shattered and crushed them. For eighteen years they
oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead,
the land of the Amorites. Finish date: 7/09/06
The boyfriends ruin the picture
Comments and my
analysis on the Bible project are in progress starting at Genesis. In
doing them, I'm not going to be like, "well, I heard a pastor say
this..." Everything will be the beliefs of Kevin Cheung, but at the
same time, great inspiring messages have made their mark on the things
I believe so there will be traces of those in what I say.
RUTH
Ruth
the Moabite, descendent of the incestuous union of Lot and his older
daughter, and eventual ancestor of Jesus Christ. Her husband Boaz is
the son of Salmon and Rahab from the book of Joshua.
Love Verse: Ruth 1:16-17
But
Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you.
Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people
will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and
there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so
severely, if anything but death separates you and me."
Finish date: 7/10/06
1 SAMUEL
Taken from Camp Cedar Exposition about 1 Sam 15-17
1. Who do you fear?
If
God calls you to do something your scared of doing, you should be more
scared of what God is going to do to you if you don't do it
2. Are you swayed by appearances?
Is your focus on appearances or the heart?
3. Are you putting yourself in places to accomplish God's purpose?
So that all the world will know that there is a living God?
4. Are you jealous for God's glory?
If not, who do you serve?
Verses of Power:
1 Sam 14:6
Jonathan
said to his young armor-bearer, "Come, let's go over to the outpost of
those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf.
Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few."
1 Sam 17:45
David
said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and
javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the
God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
Finish date: 7/12/06
2 Samuel
Repeating
themes: David's mercy towards Saul (because he was anointed by God) and
Saul's people, messengers and mourning, the mighty men, and making
things right so that the Lord listens to you.
2 Sam 14:14
Like
water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die.
But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a
banished person may not remain estranged from him.
2 Sam 7:25-26
"And
now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your
servant and his house. Do as you promised, 26 so that your name will be
great forever. Then men will say, 'The LORD Almighty is God over
Israel!' And the house of your servant David will be established before
you.
2 Sam 24:14
David
said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the
LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of
men."
2 Sam 16:10
But the king said, "What do you and I have in common, you sons of
Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD said to him, 'Curse David,'
who can ask, 'Why do you do this?' "
2 Sam 19:22
David replied, "What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah?
This day you have become my adversaries! Should anyone be put to death
in Israel today? Do I not know that today I am king over Israel?"
2 Sam 20:9 - a betrayal with a kiss
Joab said to Amasa, "How are you, my brother?" Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
Finish date: 7/14/06
1 KINGS
The
Kings (leader), who did not walk in the way of the Lord sinned by
causing others to follow their bad example. A lesson for those who
would be leaders.
1 Kings 3:9-12 - In asking God
So
give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to
distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this
great people of yours?"
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had
asked for this. So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and
not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death
of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do
what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so
that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.
1 Kings 8:18 - What's in your heart?
But
the LORD said to my father David, 'Because it was in your heart to
build a temple for my Name, you did well to have this in your heart.
1 Kings 18:21 - Who do you follow?
Elijah
went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two
opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow
him."
But the people said nothing.
Dedication Verse: 1 Kings 19:11-13
The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered
the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the
wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And
after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled
his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
1 Kings 21:29 - Reaction to sinning
Have
you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has
humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will
bring it on his house in the days of his son."
Miracles of Elijah:
13:6 Restores a hand (like Jesus on the sabbath)
17:4 Fed by Ravens (survived in the wilderness?)
17:14 Small amount of food lasts a long time (like feeding of the 5000)
17:22 Raises a child from the dead (like Jesus raising Jairus' daughter)
Finish date: 7/17/06
2 KINGS
2 Kings 4 - Taking care of the poor
Miracles of Elisha
4:42 feeding of 100
5 healing leper
Daily Wisdom: 2 Kings 17:15
They
rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their fathers
and the warnings he had given them. They followed worthless idols and
themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them
although the LORD had ordered them, "Do not do as they do," and they
did the things the LORD had forbidden them to do.
2 Kings 17:33 - Do we also do this?
They
worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods in accordance
with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.
17:41
Even
while these people were worshiping the LORD, they were serving their
idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as
their fathers did.
The king finds the book of the Law in chapter 22 and 23, definitely a very good read.
Finish date: 7/20/06
1 CHRONICLES
A little note: usually people find this book boring because of the huge genealogy, but having read through all the books preceding this, it's really really cool to be like "oh yeah!! I remember that person!"
If the Bible had recap episodes, Chronicles would them.
1 Chronicles 4:10 - Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and
enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm
so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.
1 Chronicles 5:22 - and many others fell slain, because the battle was God's. And they occupied the land until the exile.
1 Chronicles15:22 - Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it.
1 Chronicles 22:8 - But this word of the LORD came to me: 'You have shed much blood and
have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name,
because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight.
1 Chronicles 23:30 - They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD. They were to do the same in the evening
1 Chronicles 25:1 - David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the
sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying,
accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals.
1 Chronicles 15:13
It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time
that the LORD our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire
of him about how to do it in the prescribed way."
1 Chronicles 17:10-14
and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies.
" 'I declare to you that the LORD will build a house for you: When your days are over and you go to be with your fathers, I will
raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I
will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.' "
A prophecy about Jesus?
Confusion Verse: 1 Chronicles 21:1
Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel
1 Chronicles 21:24
But King David replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying the full
price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt
offering that costs me nothing."
1 Chronicles 28:9
And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve
him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD
searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.
If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he
will reject you forever.
Finish date 7/21/06
2 CHRONICLES
2 chronicles 6:32-33
As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has
come from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty
hand and your outstretched arm—when he comes and prays toward this
temple, then hear from
heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you,
so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you,
as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built
bears your Name.
2 chronicles 6:36,39
"When they sin against
you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them
and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to a land far
away or near;
then from heaven, your
dwelling place, hear their prayer and their pleas, and uphold their
cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you.
2 chronichles 9:5-6
She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own
eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me;
you have far exceeded the report I heard.
2 Chronicles 12:8
They will, however, become subject to him, so that they may learn the
difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands."
2 chronicles 14:12
The LORD struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled,
2 Chronicles 16:7
At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him:
"Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God,
the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.
2 Chronicles 18:18-22
Micaiah continued, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD : I saw the
LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing on his
right and on his left. And the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?'
"One suggested this, and another that. Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.'
" 'By what means?' the LORD asked.
" 'I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said.
" 'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the LORD. 'Go and do it.'
"So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you."
2 Chronicles 20:21
After
consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD
and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at
the head of the army, saying:
"Give thanks to the LORD,
for his love endures forever."
2 Chronicles 24:22
King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah's father Jehoiada
had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, "May the
LORD see this and call you to account."
2 Chronicles 26:16
But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was
unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to
burn incense on the altar of incense.
2 chronicles 28:23
He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him;
for he thought, "Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them,
I will sacrifice to them so they will help me." But they were his
downfall and the downfall of all Israel.
2 chronicles 29:30
King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the LORD
with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises
with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped.
to be filled in
2 chronicles 30:18-20
Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh,
Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the
Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them,
saying, "May the LORD, who is good, pardon everyone 19
who sets his heart on seeking God—the LORD, the God of his fathers—even
if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary." 20 And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.
2 chronicles 32:8
With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to
help us and to fight our battles." And the people gained confidence
from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.
Finish date 7/24/06
EZRA
Ezra 1:5
Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and
Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build
the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.
Ezra 3:12
But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had
seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this
temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy.
Ezra 5:11
This is the answer they gave us:
"We are the servants of
the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was
built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and
finished.
Ezra 8:21
There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble
ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our
children, with all our possessions.
Ezra 10:3
Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women
and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of
those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the
Law.
Finish date 7/24/06
NEHEMIAH
Nehemiah 4:9
But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
Nehemiah 5 - Nehemiah helps the poor
Nehemiah 8:9-11
Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the
Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is
sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people
had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send
some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our
Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve."
Nehemiah 10:29
all these now join their brothers the nobles, and bind themselves with
a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the
servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and
decrees of the LORD our Lord.
Nehemiah 13:1-2
On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the
people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite
should ever be admitted into the assembly of God, because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had
hired Balaam to call a curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned
the curse into a blessing.)
chapter 13 deals a lot with how foreigners get the jews to sin
Finish date 7/29/06
ESTHER
Esther 4:12-14
When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the
Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family
will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for
such a time as this?"
Esther 8:17
In every province and in every city, wherever the edict of the king
went, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and
celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because
fear of the Jews had seized them.
Cause and effect things.
God wasn't mentioned once in this chapter...
Finish date 7/29/06
Halcyon Days
adj. - Calm and peaceful; tranquil.
- Prosperous; golden
JOB
Those who rebel against God shall perish?
Job gives God credit for destruction
Job's friends say that the wicked do not last, but Job points out that they do and are succeeding
What do we know that we can judge GOd?
Job 1:5
When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have
them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering
for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed
God in their hearts." This was Job's regular custom.
Job 1:12
The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger."
Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
Job 1:21
and said:
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."
Eternal Question: Job 3:20
"Why is light given to those in misery,
and life to the bitter of soul,
Job 9:14-15, 24
14 "How then can I dispute with him?
How can I find words to argue with him? Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;
I could only plead with my Judge for mercy. 24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,
he blindfolds its judges.
If it is not he, then who is it? Job 14:5
Man's days are determined;
you have decreed the number of his months
and have set limits he cannot exceed.
Job 15:15-16
If God places no trust in his holy ones,
if even the heavens are not pure in his eyesm
how much less man, who is vile and corrupt,
who drinks up evil like water!
Job 22:2
Can a man be of benefit to God?
Can even a wise man benefit him? Job 23:8-9
"But if I go to the east, he is not there;
if I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him;
when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. Job 28:23, 28
23 God understands the way to it
and he alone knows where it dwells, 28 And he said to man,
'The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil is understanding.' " Job 32:6-8
So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said:
"I am young in years,
and you are old;
that is why I was fearful,
not daring to tell you what I know. I thought, 'Age should speak;
advanced years should teach wisdom.' But it is the spirit in a man,
the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. Job 33:14
For God does speak—now one way, now another—
though man may not perceive it. Job 34:14-15
If it were his intention
and he withdrew his spirit and breath, all mankind would perish together
and man would return to the dust. Job 35:6-8
If you sin, how does that affect him?
If your sins are many, what does that do to him? If you are righteous, what do you give to him,
or what does he receive from your hand? Your wickedness affects only a man like yourself,
and your righteousness only the sons of men. Job's final answer: Job 42:3-6 You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?'
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
"You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.'
My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes." Finish date 8/01
PSALMS
Psalms 8:4-6
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
Psalms 9:10, 20
10 Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
20 Strike them with terror, O LORD;
let the nations know they are but men.
Selah
Psalms 15
Psalms 18:30
As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.
Psalms 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalms 22:10
From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God.
Psalms 27:4
One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
Psalms 66
Psalms 77
Psalms 80
Psalms 81:12
So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.
Psalms 82:6
I said, 'You are "gods";
you are all sons of the Most High.'
Psalms 115:8 (about idols)
Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.
Psalms 118
Finish date 8/09
PROVERBS
Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.
Proverbs 5:18-19
May your fountain be blessed,
and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer—
may her breasts satisfy you always,
may you ever be captivated by her love. Dedication Verse: Proverbs 11:24-25
One man gives freely, yet gains even more;
another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
A generous man will prosper;
he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
Proverbs 12:9
Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant
than pretend to be somebody and have no food.
Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 14:31
He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,
but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
Proverbs 15:17
Better a meal of vegetables where there is love
than a fattened calf with hatred.
Proverbs 16:3
Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed.
Proverbs 21:3
To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
Proverbs 26:18-19
Like a madman shooting
firebrands or deadly arrows 19 is a man who deceives his neighbor
and says, "I was only joking!"
Proverbs 27:7,14,19
7 He who is full loathes honey,
but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.
14 If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning,
it will be taken as a curse.
19 As water reflects a face,
so a man's heart reflects the man.
Finish date 8/10
ECCLESIASTES
Ecclesiastes 3:11
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity
in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from
beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work: 10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
Job Reference? Ecclesiastes 5:15
Naked a man comes from his mother's womb,
and as he comes, so he departs.
He takes nothing from his labor
that he can carry in his hand.
Ecclesiastes 5:18-20
Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink,
and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the
few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot. 19
Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables
him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a
gift of God. 20 He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.
Ecclesiastes 7:10,15-18
Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?"
For it is not wise to ask such questions.
Ecclesiastes 8:6, 14
6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,
though a man's misery weighs heavily upon him.
14 There is something else
meaningless that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked
deserve, and wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I
say, is meaningless.
The Grand Conclusion: Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil. Finish date 8/10
SONG OF SONGS
Song of songs 2:7
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.
Dedication Verse: Song of songs 4:4
Your neck is like the tower of David,
built with elegance;
on it hang a thousand shields,
all of them shields of warriors.
Song of songs 5:6
I opened for my lover,
but my lover had left; he was gone.
My heart sank at his departure.
I looked for him but did not find him.
I called him but he did not answer.
Song of songs 8:6-7
Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot wash it away.
If one were to give
all the wealth of his house for love,
it would be utterly scorned. Finish date 8/10
ISAIAH
Isaiah 29:13,16
13 The Lord says:
"These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
is made up only of rules taught by men.
16 You turn things upside down,
as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!
Shall what is formed say to him who formed it,
"He did not make me"?
Can the pot say of the potter,
"He knows nothing"?
Isaiah 44:19
No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,
"Half of it I used for fuel;
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?"
Isaiah 45:11-12
"This is what the LORD says—
the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker:
Concerning things to come,
do you question me about my children,
or give me orders about the work of my hands? 12 It is I who made the earth
and created mankind upon it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;
I marshaled their starry hosts.
Isaiah 49:24-25
Can plunder be taken from warriors,
or captives rescued from the fierce? 25 But this is what the LORD says:
"Yes, captives will be taken from warriors,
and plunder retrieved from the fierce;
I will contend with those who contend with you,
and your children I will save.
Isaiah 57:1
The righteous perish,
and no one ponders it in his heart;
devout men are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.
Isaiah 57:11
"Whom have you so dreaded and feared
that you have been false to me,
and have neither remembered me
nor pondered this in your hearts?
Is it not because I have long been silent
that you do not fear me?
Isaiah 61:9
Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the LORD has blessed."
Isaiah 65:1,5,17
17 "Behold, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.
Isaiah 66:1-6,19
19
"I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who
survive to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous
as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the
distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They
will proclaim my glory among the nations.
Finish date 8/17
JEREMIAH
Jeremiah 1:5
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
Jeremiah 2:5,23,27-28
5 This is what the LORD says:
"What fault did your fathers find in me,
that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols
and became worthless themselves.
Jeremiah 3:1
If a man divorces his wife
and she leaves him and marries another man,
should he return to her again?
Would not the land be completely defiled?
But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers—
would you now return to me?"
declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 9:5
Friend deceives friend,
and no one speaks the truth.
They have taught their tongues to lie;
they weary themselves with sinning.
Jeremiah 12:2
You have planted them, and they have taken root;
they grow and bear fruit.
You are always on their lips
but far from their hearts.
Jeremiah 15:7
I will winnow them with a winnowing fork
at the city gates of the land.
I will bring bereavement and destruction on my people,
for they have not changed their ways.
Jeremiah 16:10-15
"When you tell these people all this and they ask you, 'Why has the
LORD decreed such a great disaster against us? What wrong have we done?
What sin have we committed against the LORD our God?' 11
then say to them, 'It is because your fathers forsook me,' declares the
LORD, 'and followed other gods and served and worshiped them. They
forsook me and did not keep my law. 12
But you have behaved more wickedly than your fathers. See how each of
you is following the stubbornness of his evil heart instead of obeying
me. 13 So I will throw you
out of this land into a land neither you nor your fathers have known,
and there you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you
no favor.' 14
"However, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when men will no
longer say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up
out of Egypt,' 15 but they
will say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up
out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had
banished them.' For I will restore them to the land I gave their
forefathers.
Jeremiah 17:10
"I the LORD search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward a man according to his conduct,
according to what his deeds deserve."
Jeremiah 20:9
But if I say, "I will not mention him
or speak any more in his name,"
his word is in my heart like a fire,
a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in;
indeed, I cannot.
Jeremiah 22:16
He defended the cause of the poor and needy,
and so all went well.
Is that not what it means to know me?"
declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 23:8
but they will say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the
descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all
the countries where he had banished them.' Then they will live in their
own land."
Jeremiah 31:22
How long will you wander,
O unfaithful daughter?
The LORD will create a new thing on earth—
a woman will surround a man."
Patience Verse: Jeremiah 42:7
Ten days later the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 46:28
Finish date 8/21
LAMENTATIONS
Lam 2:14
The visions of your prophets
were false and worthless;
they did not expose your sin
to ward off your captivity.
The oracles they gave you
were false and misleading.
Lam 3:32,38,55-57
32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that both calamities and good things come?
Lam 5:20-22
Why do you always forget us?
Why do you forsake us so long?
Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may return;
renew our days as of old
unless you have utterly rejected us
and are angry with us beyond measure.
Finish date 8/21
EZEKIEL
Ezekiel 3:5,8,11,18-19
5 You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and difficult language, but to the house of Israel- 11 Go now to your countrymen
in exile and speak to them. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign
LORD says,' whether they listen or fail to listen." 18 When I say to a wicked
man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to
dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked
man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.
But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his
wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will
have saved yourself.
Ezekiel 4:4
"Then
lie on your left side and put the sin of the house of Israel upon
yourself. You are to bear their sin for the number of days you lie on
your side.
Ezekiel 7:27
The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with despair, and the
hands of the people of the land will tremble. I will deal with them
according to their conduct, and by their own standards I will judge
them. Then they will know that I am the LORD."
Ezekiel 12:2
"Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes
to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a
rebellious people.
Ezekiel 14:3,7-8
3 "Son of man, these men
have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks
before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?
Ezekiel 16:8
" 'Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were
old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and
covered your nakedness. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a
covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine.
Ezekiel 18:21-24,32
21 "But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and
keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely
live; he will not die. 22
None of the offenses he has committed will be remembered against him.
Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live.
23 Do I take any pleasure in
the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not
pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
24 "But if a righteous man
turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same
detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the
righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the
unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has
committed, he will die.
32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!
Ezekiel 20:26,32,42
26
I let them become defiled through their gifts—the sacrifice of every
firstborn —that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I
am the LORD.'
Ezekiel 21:6,30-32
Return the sword to its scabbard.
In the place where you were created,
in the land of your ancestry,
I will judge you. I will pour out my wrath upon you
and breathe out my fiery anger against you;
I will hand you over to brutal men,
men skilled in destruction. You will be fuel for the fire,
your blood will be shed in your land,
you will be remembered no more;
for I the LORD have spoken.' "
Ezekiel 24:24
Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.'
Ezekiel 33:11,17-20,31
17 "Yet your countrymen say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But it is their way that is not just. If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it. And if a wicked man turns away from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live by doing so. Yet, O house of Israel, you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But I will judge each of you according to his own ways."
31 My people come to you, as
they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they
do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion,
but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.
Ezekiel 35:6
therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will give
you over to bloodshed and it will pursue you. Since you did not hate
bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you.
Finish date 8/23
Minor Prophets and the 400 year silence
DANIEL
Daniel 2:27-28
Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King
Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the
visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these:
Daniel 3:15-18
Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp,
pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship
the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be
thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able
to rescue you from my hand?" 16
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar,
we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to
save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18
But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not
serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
Daniel 4:26-27
The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that
your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven
rules. Therefore, O
king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what
is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be
that then your prosperity will continue."
Daniel 9:18
Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the
city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we
are righteous, but because of your great mercy.
Daniel 11:35
Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified
and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at
the appointed time.
Finish date 8/24
HOSEA
Finish date 8/24
JOEL
Joel 3:10
Finish date 8/24
AMOS
Amos 4:6-11
"I gave you empty stomachs in every city
and lack of bread in every town,
yet you have not returned to me,"
declares the LORD. 7 "I also withheld rain from you
when the harvest was still three months away.
I sent rain on one town,
but withheld it from another.
One field had rain;
another had none and dried up. 8 People staggered from town to town for water
but did not get enough to drink,
yet you have not returned to me,"
declares the LORD. 9 "Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards,
I struck them with blight and mildew.
Locusts devoured your fig and olive trees,
yet you have not returned to me,"
declares the LORD. 10 "I sent plagues among you
as I did to Egypt.
I killed your young men with the sword,
along with your captured horses.
I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps,
yet you have not returned to me,"
declares the LORD. 11 "I overthrew some of you
as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire,
yet you have not returned to me,"
declares the LORD.
Amos 5:4-6, 21-24
21 "I hate, I despise your religious feasts;
I cannot stand your assemblies. 22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, [a]
I will have no regard for them. 23 Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps. 24 But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream! Amos 6:6-7
You drink wine by the bowlful
and use the finest lotions,
but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile;
your feasting and lounging will end.
Amos 7:15
But the LORD took me from tending the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'
Finish date 8/24
OBADIAH
conflict between esau and jacob (edom and israel)
Finish date 8/24
JONAH
Jonah 1:5,16
16 At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.
Jonah 3:10
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he
had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had
threatened.
Jonah 4
Finish date 8/24
MICAH
Micah 2:1
Woe to those who plan iniquity,
to those who plot evil on their beds!
At morning's light they carry it out
because it is in their power to do it.
Micah 3:11
Her leaders judge for a bribe,
her priests teach for a price,
and her prophets tell fortunes for money.
Yet they lean upon the LORD and say,
"Is not the LORD among us?
No disaster will come upon us."
Micah 4:3
He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
Micah 5:2-5
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times. " 3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned
until the time when she who is in labor gives birth
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites. 4 He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth. 5 And he will be their peace.
Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Finish date 8/25
NAHUM
Finish date 8/25
HABAKKUK
Habakkuk 3:17-18
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Finish date 8/25
ZEPHENIAH
Finish date 8/25
HAGGAI
Haggai 1:8,14
8 Go up into the mountains
and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure
in it and be honored," says the LORD.
14 So the LORD stirred up
the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the
spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of
the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the
house of the LORD Almighty, their God,
Haggai 2:6,18
6 "This is what the LORD
Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens
and the earth, the sea and the dry land.
18 'From this day on, from
this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the
day when the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid. Give careful
thought:
Finish date 8/25
ZECHARIAH
Zechariah 3:2
The LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has
chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched
from the fire?"
Zechariah 7:6,13
6 And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?
13 " 'When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,' says the LORD Almighty.
Zechariah 8:6
This is what the LORD Almighty says: "It may seem marvelous to the
remnant of this people at that time, but will it seem marvelous to me?"
declares the LORD Almighty.
Zechariah 11:4-5
This is what the LORD my God says: "Pasture the flock marked for slaughter. Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say,
'Praise the LORD, I am rich!' Their own shepherds do not spare them.
Zechariah 12:10
"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on
me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one
mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves
for a firstborn son.
Zechariah 13:2
"On that day, I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and
they will be remembered no more," declares the LORD Almighty. "I will
remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land.
Finish date 8/25
MALACHI
Malachi 1:8
When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you
sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering
them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept
you?" says the LORD Almighty.
Malachi 3:8-10,14-15
The last words of Prophets Malachi 4:4-6
"Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.
"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes.
He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the
hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike
the land with a curse."
Finish date 8/25
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