Daily Bible Reading Podcast

MICAH 7: The complete quote about the Messiah's birthplace (Micah 5:2-5) quoted to Herod in Matthew 2:6 mentions Bethlehem, a woman in labor giving birth, and the Lord is pictured as our shepherd who will be 'highly honored around the world'. Note that Herod would have had cause for concern about his reign if such a leader appeared.

If Micah 6:8 sounded familiar, it is because Micah quoted from Deut. 10:12.

ISAIAH 52:13—53: In our reading yesterday, Isaiah 52, we heard the passage that Paul quoted in Romans 10.

Is. 52:7 NLT How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! All the ends of the earth will see the victory of our God.

Note that God gave a special message (in 52:11-12) to those who would carry the temple treasures back to Jerusalem led by Ezra (Ezra 8). Those who carried those 'sacred objects' and who prayed and fasted with Ezra beside the river near Babylon had their prayer answered around 200 years before they prayed it!

REVELATION 5: After acting as Jesus' secretary to write down the seven letters to the seven churches, John was taken up to God's throne in heaven. We can note a feature of Jewish custom in the writing of John in Revelation 4: In reverence he avoided saying, "I saw God sitting on his throne." He went beyond custom and didn't even say 'the Lord/Kyrios'. Instead he said, 'Someone' or 'the One sitting on the throne'. God was mentioned directly only in the quotes of the four living creatures and the 24 elders. Note that we have seen the living creatures with four faces before in Ezekiel.

And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. And we are told, "This is the seven-fold Spirit of God." The number seven has a symbolic meaning— indicating perfection, completeness, or attributes of God. (Compare Rev. 1:5, 3:1, 4:5 and 5:6.) Commentators also say that John could have thought about Isaiah 11:2-5— where Isaiah prophesied about the seven-fold spiritual characteristics of the Branch growing from David's stump (Jesus).

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

MICAH 5-6: Remember that Isaiah and Micah were contemporaries. Yesterday we read very familiar sounding verses at the beginning of Micah 4 which start like this:

Mic. 4:1 NLT In the last days, the mountain of the LORD's house will be the highest of all— the most important place on earth. …

That was so familiar sounding that I thought the passage must be quoted in the New Testament— but no! There are three verses there in Micah 4 that are almost exactly the same as verses found in Isaiah chapter 2. No wonder they sounded familiar!

Note that God, as he speaks in Micah, frequently jumps from one time to another without warning. He can tell the people, "You will be exiled to Babylon" in one verse, but then very quickly, God says, "Rise and crush the nations, Jerusalem." We just have to accept that this kind of unannounced time-switching is a feature of prophetic writings.

ISAIAH 52: The chapter break between Isaiah 50 and 51 breaks up an important connection. For any of us who are "walking in the dark without a ray of light," (like it says at chapter 50:10), there are encouraging words for you at the beginning of chapter 51.

And our family will remember this verse from a song we used to sing:

Is. 51:11 NLT Those who have been ransomed by the LORD will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness.

REVELATION 4: Yesterday we heard the last of the seven letters, the one to Laodicea, the spiritually indifferent church. If we were seeking to interpret the seven letters as seven church ages, we would have no difficulty in saying that that last letter fits us to a tee. Laodicea was a medical center and was known for making an eye salve. So this letter is full of irony that Christ finds them poor, wretched, blind and naked. And note that the Savior doesn't tell them to fix the problems by their own effort. He tells them to buy the eye salve, white garments, and the gold FROM HIM. What an awesome word is this statement:

Rev. 3:19 NLT "I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference."

Then the famous verse about Christ knocking is not spoken to unbelievers. In its first application, the famous promise is made to the members of the church who are willing to turn from spiritual indifference.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

MICAH 3-4: In Micah 1 yesterday we heard one of the sections of Hebrew poetry which is virtually impossible to translate and capture the same impact as the original. Micah— expressing his deep sorrow at God's coming judgment, concatenated many place names— using them in a compound figure of speech based on the meanings of the names. For instance,

Mic. 1:10b NLT You people in Beth-leaphrah, roll in the dust to show your despair.

The name Beth-leaphrah means 'house of dust'.

For those following this plan in the GNT, Micah 1 would be a good place to open the NLT. The NLT footnotes do a good job helping us with the meanings of the names. That holds true until the reader gets to Adullam. No footnote for that one! Say, we've heard that name before, haven't we? Who else hid there?

ISAIAH 51: If you have time, go back to review Isaiah 50. God showed the thoughts of our Savior in advance of his coming in verses 4-6. Jesus' resolve (alluded to in Luke 9:51) is shown in verse 7. And verse 9 might have been Paul's inspiration for the last part of Romans 8! Verse 10 has been an amazing comfort to many with incurable disease or in hopeless situations.

REVELATION 3b: One of the rewards given to the victorious from Philadelphia is this as NIV translates it:

Rev. 3:12a NIV The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it.

That gives the wrong impression to me. "Oh, no, I don't want to be made into a pillar and not be able to move!" NLT gives the right idea with neat economy of words like this:

Rev. 3:12a NLT All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never _have to_ leave it.

Another part of their reward is this:

12b And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.

People get very concerned about the mark of the beast in Revelation 13. Observe here something that you will see throughout this book: EVERYONE gets a mark of ownership upon them— including all the saints, and even Jesus has a mark on his forehead.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

MICAH 1-2:The name "Micah" is a shortened form of "Micaiah," which means, "Who is like Yahweh?" A different Micaiah, the son of Imlah, served as a prophet in the Northern Kingdom during the reign of King Ahab of Israel (874-853 B.C., 1Kings 22:8-28; 2Chron. 18:3-27).

Micah prophesied during the reigns of the Judean kings Jotham (750-732 B.C.), Ahaz (732-715 B.C.), and Hezekiah (715-686 B.C.). This makes him a late eighth-century contemporary of Isaiah. While Isaiah was ministering in Jerusalem, perhaps Micah was more of a country prophet. Amos and Hosea were preaching at the same time in the Northern Kingdom. Micah's message is similar to that of Amos, and Micah spoke at a time when conditions in Judah were much like those in the Northern Kingdom while Amos was preaching. Both prophets denounced social sins and the unfair treatment of the poor by the rich. The Northern Kingdom was taken into captivity during Micah's lifetime— fulfilling Amos' prophecies.

Micah contains three notable passages about Christ:

• Bethlehem will produce the ultimate Ruler 5:2— the information quoted to Herod in Mat. 2.
• Christ will be the King 2:12-13
• Christ will reign in righteousness over the whole earth 4:1,7-8

ISAIAH 50: As we heard yesterday, Isaiah 49 includes these words that are quoted in 2Cor 6:2:

Is. 49:8 NLT "At just the right time, I will respond to you. On the day of salvation I will help you.

And these next words are frequently repeated by the Lord elsewhere, therefore, IMPORTANT:

Is. 49:23b NLT Then you will know that I am the LORD. Those who trust in me will never be put to shame."

REVELATION 3a: The churches of Pergamum and Thyatira (chapter 2) were enduring and remaining loyal to Jesus. But both were allowing the corruption of false teaching that promoted adultery and idolatry. Jesus warned of severe punishments including death for those who failed to repent, and also wonderful promises to those who are victorious. I especially love the last promise to the church in Pergamum because it shows how intimately Jesus knows us and how his rewards will be appropriate for each of us:

Rev. 2:17b NLT And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

OBADIAH:At the end of Amos, the clouds of judgment broke and there were wonderful promises about the restoration of Israel. God would shake the nations like a sieve and not a single kernel (child of Israel) would drop through the cracks and be lost. And Israel's crops would be so rich and fruitful. Then, did you notice?— Isaiah said the same thing in chapter 49.

Obadiah's name means "servant of Yahweh" or "worshipper of Yahweh." There are 13 men who have this name in the Old Testament, and it is very possible that the writer of this book is not one of those mentioned. Only two Old Testament prophetic books lack any information about the author: Obadiah and Malachi.

Obadiah refers to a time when the Edomites had gloated over a successful invasion of Jerusalem (vv. 10-14, 16), but this does not help much in dating the book, since invasions of the city happened at least seven times in Old Testament history. The Edomites lived in the inaccessible rock fortress of Petra— which is famously seen in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. From our vantage point, we may see the Edomites as being symbolic of all the proud enemies of God's people.

ISAIAH 49b: In our first reading in Isaiah 49, I hope you noticed many poetic prophecies that remind us of Jesus. It is fascinating that most of these can be understood to refer to Cyrus as well! After all, Cyrus did release the captives of Israel to return again to their land. Alternatively, some of the prophecies may refer to the nation of Israel or even Isaiah, as the Lord's servant.

REVELATION 2b: Yesterday we heard the letter to the church at Ephesus— the church that lost their 'love' (in a literal translation). So the question is, they lost their love of who? The GNT specifies the implicit object 'Me' (meaning Jesus). NLT chooses another good option: It makes good sense to say that the love was for Jesus and for one another, since the two go hand in hand!

Secondly we heard about the poor and persecuted church in Smyrna. Their church is exceptional because there was no word of rebuke for them. Jesus just urged them to keep on being faithful.

Jesus ends each letter just like he ended his parables— which I paraphrase: "Ya' got ears, don't ya?! Well then pay attention …"

Remember what Isaiah said about people who have grown deaf!

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.