Year in the Bible Week 44

The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci (c.1495-1498)

“The Last Supper” is still housed in its original location at the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, and takes up an entire wall (15×29 feet). This work is huge, and way ahead of its time technically and emotionally. It really is the ultimate masterwork. LEARN MORE

In the days before his trial, Jesus presented parable after parable to make heaven relatable, and to focus his disciples on following his teachings as they prepared for his coming. So many people today prepare for his coming by hardening their hearts against war, destruction, and desecration. Jesus warned of these things, but his instructions were clear. The end time is not for us to know, but we are to love and care for even the least of our brothers and sisters until we meet Jesus, and only hope for the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Faced with just how righteous the Creator of the Universe is, how can we possibly have fellowship with him forever? We all sin, and our hearts are stained by it. Praise God for His perfect plan! After thousands of years of history, Jesus will finally and forever clarify that faith in this divine sacrifice is the key that unlocks eternal love and life, and obedience without that loving faith is dead, just like the rest of the world.

This is a good time to reflect on the last 1500 pages of reading. Think about everything Isaiah said would happen, and the promises God made to David. These events have been foretold all the way back to the Garden of Eden, especially when God himself provided a sacrifice instead of forcing Abraham to give up his son. This is the moment we have been reading about all year. Jehova Jirah!

In the coming week we will read of Jesus at his most human, feeling the scorn and pain that we all deserve. He will atone for the past, present and future sins of all mankind, as promised throughout the law and the prophets.

Lord, as you are crushed for our iniquities, thank you for providing this way for us to gain eternity with you!

Year in the Bible Week 43

The Raising of Lazarus by Sebastiano del Piombo (c.1517-1519)

Much has been written in all the gospels about the last couple weeks of Jesus’ earthly ministry, so the timeline of our reading has slowed once again. This week we read about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in Bethany, just two miles from Jerusalem, so the religious leaders have become totally determined to eliminate him. This week’s reading also included his anointing with perfume in preparation for his burial, and he has even ridden into Jerusalem on a donkey to great fanfare, a clear and obvious fulfillment of the centuries-old Messiah prophesy.

As we come into Holy Week the timeline will slow even further, and it will be two more weeks before we finally read about the resurrection. Here are some highlights of the next two weeks of reading:

When Jesus called the twelve, he already knew they would be martyred for speaking the truth about him. When he was baptized by John the Baptist, who prepared the way for his arrival, Jesus already knew what would become of John. Even as Jesus entered Jerusalem on that donkey, he wept because he knew that in just a few short years (70 A.D.) the entire city would be wiped out by the Romans. Still, even as Jesus rode to his death, but the burden on the heart of the was always for us, to prevent our sin and destruction. As we fully consider this, the parable of the day laborers comes into clearer focus. Those he meets early get the same inheritance in the presence of God as those who met him later, and it has nothing to do with them at all. It is simply his desire that all will inherit eternal life, no matter how or when we came to trust and follow him. All we can hope to do in this life is to spread this wonderful news, and love all people in order to represent him well.

Next week’s accompanying art will be DaVinci’s Last Supper, in case you were wondering!

Year in the Bible Week 42

The Tribute Money by Masaccio, 1427

Before we. dive into the weekly reading, let’s look closely for a minute at the featured artwork, a breakout piece of genius in composition, perspective, texture, and narrative. This early renaissance fresco was way ahead of its time in 1490, three generations before the masterpieces in Rome were commissioned. In the center we see the temple tax being demanded, and Jesus telling Peter to go get a fish. To the left we see Peter retrieving the money from the fish’s mouth, and then to the right we see the tax being paid to the collector. A word I just learned today is Chiaroscuro, an artistic technique that uses strong, deliberate contrasts between light and dark to create three-dimensional volume, depth, and dramatic mood on a flat surface. This painting was years ahead of its time in that, too.

This week’s reading we see giant crowds following Jesus, soaking up his teaching and marveling in the miracles. We also see more people rejecting the message, refusing to host Jesus and the disciples, and arguing with him, although they do not deny his wisdom and mastery of scripture. His challenging prophesy and cultural criticism are hard to accept, but he really crosses the line when, in a heated debate with religious leaders, he makes the most inflammatory public claim to date. “Before Abraham was, I AM.” This was a flashback to the book of Exodus, when Moses asked for God's name and God answered, “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh,” which is translated as "I Am Who I Am." When Jesus says these words in the synagogue, everyone in the crowd knows that he is claiming to be deity. As they pick up stones in order to kill him, Jesus is suddenly hidden from them. His time hasn’t come, but he’s not mincing words about it with his disciples. He plainly tells those closest to him that he will be killed, and will ascend into heaven. “Where I am going you cannot come,” he says.

The word Jesus used that stirred their anger was Ehyey, from Exodus 3:14 “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh” ("I Am Who I Am"). It carried a deep meaning from the original language and tense, and over the centuries that meaning deepened further, until Jesus used it precisely according to plan. That plan, and the deepening meaning of it, calls to mind a certain Greek word: logos.

Logos, the word used at the beginning of John’s gospel to describe Jesus, was used heavily by Greek philosophers, including Plato and Aristotle, to mean word, reason, or plan. Around the time of Jesus, Jews throughout the Mediterranean were deeply influenced by Greek culture, even to the dismay of the fundamentalists in Jerusalem. One of those Hellenistic Jews, Philo of Alexandria, took the Greek concept of logos and fused it with Hebrew monotheism. He used it to describe God's active reason, the blueprint of creation, and an intermediary between a transcendent God and the material world. The Logos was made flesh to fulfill the plan, then the Gospel was written in the ubiquitous Koine Greek, perhaps as part of the plan. Then the gospel spread over modern Roman roads. God’s perfect plan was both eternal and perfectly timed, orchestrating the coming of Jesus at the precise confluence of Greek culture and Roman infrastructure, helping his ministry’s mustard seed quickly become a mighty, fruitful, worldwide church. Praise God for his mighty plan!

Just two more weeks of miraculous ministry and cultural drama, and then Jesus will be arrested. We cherish and savor the loving, awesome, living word in these pages. Thank you, Lord, for your word!

Year in the Bible Week 41

Christ Walking on the Sea of Galilee by Paul Bril (c. 1590’s)

The people are really responding as Jesus performs miracles and teaches truth all of Galilee. He has also begun to see mass rejection of his teaching, notably in Nazareth, then in the region of the Garasenes after he sent the demons into the pigs. Many of his own disciples turned away after the teaching got hard.

I’m so grateful for the compassion our savior has, to know in advance about rejection, opposition and betrayal, and continue to teach in love, so that all may be saved! He knew who was going to turn away, and who was going to betray him, and yet he stayed close, declaring the truth to all who would listen, feeding multitudes miraculously, and healing all who came to him in faith. If you’ve ever disappointed him, or worked against him, or sank into unbelief, the gospels prove that he will never leave you behind.

There is a lot of content out there to support our understanding of the gospels, and today I offer three videos for you to enjoy. First, check out this on about why Jesus keeps referring to himself as the “Son of man,” the video below might help lock it down.

As we go into the next week of Jesus’s revolutionary teachings, and the veiled revelations about his coming sacrifice, it also might be helpful to get an overview of his ministry as told in the first half of John’s gospel:

Lastly, sharing a remix video about Mark’s gospel that I really enjoyed. This different vibe tells the story well, I think.

This coming week brings us the transfiguration, and we will witness increased intensity in both the faithful followers as well as the opposition. Just four more weeks of the gospels, and then Jesus ascends, and we begin to build his church!

Year in the Bible Week 40

The Wedding Feast at Cana by Paolo Caliari (also called Paolo Veronese), 1563

Luke 3:23 says: “Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry.”

This is such an innocuous way to announce the most significant event in the history of the world.

Imagine what it must’ve been like to walk with him, to hear great wisdom and see life-transforming miracles!  How could there be any doubt that he was the Messiah? This week we read of his encounters with Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman, and he faces rejection in his hometown of Nazareth. The disciples are called, and he begins to teach throughout Galilee. You may have noticed that we have to skip around in the gospels to line everything up chronologically. This week in particular we read about a passage from chapter one of Mark that doesn’t happen until chapter eight of Matthew. They are presented together for our purposes, and then Matthew’s gospel resumes at chapter 4.

Jesus and the disciples moved around quite a lot, and on a travel day we could expect that they would have walked about twenty miles. It was easy for him to walk and teach his way down to Jerusalem, then go back north. The map below gives a great picture of the journeys involved, if you click on it you get to a rather comprehensive treatment of his early, middle, and late travels on the Jehova’s Witnesses website. Remember that all of Israel is about the size of New Jersey.

The companion artwork this week is the largest painting in the Louvre, and it hangs directly across from the Mona Lisa. The painting is massive, over 22 feet high and 32 feet long, and it was originally commissioned to hang in the dining hall at a monastery in Venice. The painting’s has an amazing history. Napoleon’s forces ripped it down when they conquered Italy, and they brought it to Paris. Many of the world’s masterpieces taken in conquest have been repatriated by now, but the French made a deal to keep the painting in its honored place.

Next week Jesus gets even more popular, the Pharisees get angrier, and the Lord continues to say revolutionary things. He feeds thousands, does even more miracles, and starts to teach in parables more and more. Those who have ears to hear will understand, while those whose hearts are hardened will be thwarted. Lord, give me ears to hear you!

Year in the Bible Week 39

Simeon’s Song of Praise by Rembrandt (1685)

The Messiah is born! Gory to God in the highest! Welcome to the greatest part of the greatest story ever told.

In this first week we have already read about dozens of prophesies fulfilled in the birth and early life of Jesus.

You’re going to see many passages repeated from the synoptic gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke. To get the most out of each passage, it is useful to remember the audiences for whom each book was written:

Matthew

• Audience: A Jewish Christian community.

• Focus: Matthew portrays Jesus as the promised Jewish Messiah who fulfills Old Testament prophecies. This gospel frequently references Jewish laws, customs, and Hebrew scriptures to show continuity between Judaism and the message of Jesus.

Mark

• Audience: A Gentile Christian audience, likely facing persecution in Rome.

• Focus: Mark presents a fast-paced account emphasizing the action, passion, and servant-hearted humanity of Jesus. It briefly explains Jewish traditions, making it easy for non-Jewish readers to understand.

Luke

• Audience: A broader Gentile audience.

• Focus: Luke highlights Jesus as a compassionate savior who cares deeply for outcasts, the poor, Samaritans, and Gentiles. It universalizes the gospel message to include all people regardless of background.

“The Priority of Mark” is the prevalent theory that the Gospel of Mark came first, and that Matthew and Luke borrowed some of his words. The theory olso posits that there was another text circulating at the time, influencing Matthew and Luke, but not Mark. That second source is called “Q” in the illustration below:

Of course we will also read from the gospel of John, which many people cite as their favorite gospel, perhaps due to its deeply personal narrative and poetic style (John 3:16, anybody?). We won’t be comparing gospels after this week unless their differences need to be addressed for timeline reasons, but if you’re interested, here is a fun video that compares them. Not an easy thing to do in twenty minutes!

This might also be a good time to binge-watch The Chosen on TV. The next two week of reading correspond to the first two seasons, through the Sermon on the Mount. Be blessed everyone!

Year in the Bible Week 38

Esther and Mordecai by Aert de Gelder (1685)

God uses Queen Esther to encourage his people, to remind them that he is utterly sovereign, and when he is with his people he will be glorified, even in the face of immense opposition. This week we also read about Nehemiah’s work on the wall. The task should not have been possible with the opposition and treachery they faced, but they were able to complete the task in 52 days!

Here at the conclusion of the Old Testament the Jews are again beset on all sides. Those who have returned to the promised land are in constant fear from the people in the area, and the evil Haman is plotting their genocide. These final themes of Old Testament history, prepare God’s people for constant struggle and oppression, but God will sustain those who rely on him. Meanwhile, we continue to uncover how badly the world needs Jesus, and we get a little foreshadowing that the Messiah is coming soon.

This week’s companion art is from the Dutch master Aert de Gelder, painted during the Dutch Golden Age. Queen Esther was a star subject in the Dutch art of this period, and worth some deeper digging. The Dutch people related to Esther’s story wholeheartedly in the early 1600’s, as they were finally independent from Spain after the grueling 80 Years War. Like Babylon, Spain was large and oppressive, and it was also very catholic. Amsterdam had become a safe haven for Jews escaping the Spanish Inquisition, and the Purim holiday was allowed to be celebrated openly, with lots of colorful depictions of Esther. Queen Esther, the mighty Jewish hero, is the very embodiment of intuition, diplomacy and courage, helping a scrappy underdog defeat a giant, oppressive foe. From the period we have famous Esther paintings by Rembrandt, Jan Steen, and others, commissioned at a fascinating time in Dutch history.

As we conclude the Old Testament this week, it will be useful to look back on the book apart from its chronological origins and get back to the structure that we hold and read. The video below should help put things back in order.

After Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, Jewish teaching holds that God no longer spoke through prophets, and so any writings in the time between Malachi and the birth of Jesus could not, by definition, be divinely inspired. There is still great wisdom in the books from the period that appeared in the Greek Septuagint and adopted by the Catholic church, mostly 1 and 2 Macabees and Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), but they do not appear in the Bible.

Take a deep breath, folks. Next week we read about the birth of Christ!

Year in the Bible Week 37

Daniel in the Lions’ Den by Peter Paul Rubens (c. 1614=1616), on display at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Contrary to the representation in Rubens’ masterwork, Daniel was likely more than 80 years old when he was thrown in with the lions. We can imagine a man of great poise and power, who was given great authority in the kingdom, but who had no physical way to protect himself from harm. When Darius saw what God did for Daniel, he proclaimed that every corner of his realm should respect and honor the God of Israel. Just like in the upcoming story of Esther, and in the New Testement. God has uses an earthly rulers to carry out his sovereign plan. .

For those who are interested in apocryphal writings, there is a fun, alternate lions den story in the extra bits of Daniel (Daniel 13 & 14) from the apocrypha. It’s a very different account, but the moral remains the same; if God is with you you simply cannot be destroyed. We hear more and more of this kind of protection and provision toward the end of the exile, and it’s really refreshing to get some blessing from God after two generations of discipline.

As we come to the chronological end of the Old Testament, there is a lot of hope to be had, but a lot to be concerned about as well. The prophets are once again speaking encouragement, so we know that God will provide, but the people still don’t have the transformed hearts we read about in Ezekiel snd Jeremiah. Those are promises from him, but only Jesus could fulfill those promises. The video below shows us some of the triumphs and tragedies we are reading about this week and next.

This coming week we get the story of Esther, which is better than anything Hollywood could write. We will also read about the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls, even though God’s people face great opposition as they build. The truth beats fiction every time.

One final note this week: Ezra, Nehemiah and Ester are the final historical books of the Old Testament. Remember that God’s story in the Old Testament is a cliff hanger, and that helps the historical books lead into the wisdom literature. Ezra, Nehemiah, and Ester provide a launchpad and context for the wisdom books that follow. If you read the bible cover to cover, the next book after Esther is Job!

Year in the Bible Week 36

Ezekiel’s Vision of the New Temple at the Doppelkirche in Schwarzrheindorf, Germany (c. 1150, artist unknown),

This week we pour over the genealogies all the way back in 1 Chronicles, and its chronological placement here suggests that this part may have been written in Babylon, but it is widely agreed that Chronicles was compiled post-exile, after God’s people were released. The people needed a legal record of heirs to the land, because God wanted them to reclaim it properly, without strife. The important part is that Chronicles facilitated the orderly repatriation of the people back to the Promised Land . God is specific about the distribution of the land, and the location of the temple, in a city named “The Lord is There.” The vision of the healing stream is one of my favorites in the Bible. God’s healing and cleansing power grows as it flows, and everything that it touches flourishes. What great hope this brings!

This week Ezekiel’s eschatological vision has accompanying art from a 12th century frescoed church in Germany, Like so many wondrous art works from that era, the artist is simply an uncredited artisan, doing his best for the Lord. The church where these amazing frescoes were done is a small one, but magnificent.

In the coming week Nebuchadnezzar will no longer be king, and just like God promised, his kingdom will be torn apart. First, however God gives Babylon’s armies victory over Egypt as a reward for destroying Tyre and its boastful people. as God continues to move mightily this week. In just three short weeks the Old Testament will be done, and the New Testament begins. Keep reading!

Year in the Bible Week 35

Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem by Rembrandt (1630), one of the most famous works from his Leiden period.

Today I encourage you to take a long look at the Rembrandt’s painting of Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem to see how well he captures the feeling of loss. Only the true masters of the craft can capture the human experience so well! You can feel the overwhelming sorrow of Jeremiah as he contemplates the desstruction of Jerusalem and the temple built by Saul. After God’s presence left, the temple that was regarded with fear and trembling for centuries was just another building. It was easy to strip tons of bronze and other precious metals from it and burn it to the ground.

The remnant left in Jerusalem continued to hear from God through Jeremiah, but people were not listening. Ignoring God’s warnings, they run down to Egypt, thinking that they were escaping a reprisal by Nebuchadnezzar. Once again, disobedience would only lead to destruction.

Back in Babylon, Ezekiel was also giving unwelcome advice. God’s word says Ezekiel was regarded as an entertaining street performer who would say and do scary things, but no one heard the lessons, and nobody applied the teaching. Remember that Ezekiel was the son of a chief priest, and his words would have carried a lot of weight if not for the hardened hearts of the people.

After Jerusalem is destroyed, God will move quickly to bring his chosen people back to the promised land. In the next two weeks of reading, God will smite Egypt, remove Nebuchadnezzar, and start sending his people home. He is faithful!

Year in the Bible Week 34

Scenes from the Life of King Nebuchadnezzar by Nicola di Maestro Antonio (c. 1490), the front of a painted chest.

Throughout history human kingdoms rise and fall, but Daniel’s vision regarding Nebuchadnezzar’s dream gave God’s perspective on all of it

Every human king will pass, but Jehovah will remain sovereign forever. Remembering all the way back to King Saul, God warned his chosen people not to elevate a man to be the king, for God himself would be their king forever by covenant. Giving them what they wanted, God annointed leaders for his people, and when the leaders were faithful, he blessed the nation of Israel with victory after victory, and enormous wealth and influence. There were other powerful kingdoms like Tyre, Assyria and Egypt when God’s people were at their height of wealth, power and influence, but they were no match for God’s miraculous protection and intervention. Sadly, after God decided to remove his protection and intervention, Samaria, then Jerusalem, went the way of all human kingdoms. By the time God’s presence finally left the temple, their destruction was assured. He would now protect his people in distant captivity. Jerusalem at the end was just a weak, wealthy, worldly city, ripe for conquest and looting. God used Nebuchadnezzar to humble them.

God himself was giving Nebuchadnezzar enough power to carry out the divine plan, so the pagan king naturally thought that he was god-like.. Nebuchadnezzar had his own Gods, and he erroneously thought he was the manifestation of them on earth, but nobody could show him otherwise. Babylon would consolidate all the aging empires, but like all human empires, his influence would not last long. First Medea-Persia, then the Greeks, and finally under the Romans, God would fully consolidate the jews and gentiles, and then bring the Messiah. God’s plan for bringing creation back to himself would unfold over hundreds of years, and many kings and kingdoms would be used as instruments of his divine will.

God allowed Nebuchadnezzar to rise quickly and eclipse many once-proud peoples. The video below is a bit cheesy, but it tells the story unflinchingly from a perspective where God’s chosen people only play a minor role, a role seems to match their diminished influence during this period.

This coming week we will see Jerusalem finally succumb, and things get really weird for Jeremiah. We will read the last of Jeremiah’s prophesies, and we will start the book of Lamentations, which he is credited with writing. Keep reading!

Year in the Bible Week 33

Ezekiel’s Vision by Raphael (c. 1518)

Jeremiah never went to Babylon, but he watched as thousands were taken there, just as God had said. What a tragedy. At the time of the siege of Jerusalem Jeremiah was over 70 years old, and he had to stay and speak God‘s truth to a city stripped of wealth and starving after squandering God‘s blessings. Baruch, acting as scribe, may have been Jeremiah’s only real companion during this time, even though King Zedekiah himself knew that Jeremiah was a man of God, speaking the horrible truth. Some other admirers still helped, but the persecution of God’s “weeping prophet” is painful to read about. As the bible prepares us for Jerusalem to get destroyed, Jeremiah’s experience will point allegorically to the struggles of the faithful when chaos and treachery unfold around us to this day. 

Among the refugees in Babylon, God raises a young man named Ezekiel with a wondrous, powerful vision and commissions him to be a prophet to the nation. God tells Ezekiel not to be afraid of the harsh words and rough treatment he will receive, and has him eat a scroll with words of “lamentation, mourning and woe” before sharing those words with the people. This symbolizes that this new prophet must internalize the words and will of God before preaching them, and confirms that God’s spirit was profoundly with Ezekiel. Check out this video for a preview of the visions to come:

Next comes the destruction of Jerusalem and seventy years of exile. We will stay in the Old Testament for a few more weeks before God’s love story to his people takes its wonderful turn to a new, everlasting covenant that covers the whole world. Keep reading!

Year in the Bible Week 32

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the Fiery Furnace by Jacob Willemsz. de Wet (c.1650)

God promised he would not destroy the nation in Josiah’s lifetime, but after he died thing got terrible quickly. After Josiah died in poorly-chosen battle with Egypt’s pharaoh Neco (2 Chron 35:20-27). Josiah’s son Jehoahaz never had the chance to rule, because after three months Neco took him to Egypt as a prisoner, and Jehoakim was installed as a puppet king. A couple years later Neco was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar, and now Babylon was the bully. During this important time God is speaking through Jeremiah, as well as Zephaniah, Nahum, and Habakkuk, clearly telling his people that their time is up. Because of the importance of this message, and because of its truth, the Bible timeline is very slowly here.

Throughout Idrael’s history God would destroy anyone who opposed them, sometimes without his people ever having to fight. Still, the nation forgot that all God ever has to do is move the pieces on the board just a little and great victory or great suffering will result. Now God allows the neighboring nations to be carrion birds, picking apart a Jerusalem that is not quite dead, but not strong enough to fight.

The exile of God‘s people from the promised land begins with just a few faithful men, and God is with them. God will be with his people in exile, and Daniel and his friends are the first to experience his protection firsthand. Most of us believe that it was Jesus Christ who was walking with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. Knowing that Jesus is with us in the fire has given comfort to millions throughout the ages who have gone through trials.

As tragic as the next few chapters will be, I am looking forward to next week’s reading because it contains the verse in the Bible that finally let me give God control over my life, Jeremiah 29:7. We also get Jeremiah 29:11, an anchor for every believer. All praise to God!

Year in the Bible Week 31

Jeremiah by Donatello (around 1427)

This week brought the end of Hezekiah’s benevolent reign, and now the Bible turns abruptly and speaks very poorly of his son Manasseh, who became king after Hezekiah died. We will hear Manasseh’s name mentioned a little more later, but despite his 55-year reign, God’s Word does not record any military campaigns, political alliances, or social interaction. We covered his entire 55 years in one day of reading!

When Manasseh’s grandson Josiah takes the throne he does his best to return the nation to worship the Lord, especially after the book of the law is discovered during temple renovations. We also get to start the amazing book of Jeremiah, which is eloquently described in the Bible Project video below. Jeremiah 1:4-10 have been a source of comfort and confidence for countless generations of believers!

One might guess that during Josiah’s reign, when the Lord was being lifted high and the idols and pagan altars were being destroyed, that God would smile on these good deeds and restore Israel to good fortune. No doubt many false prophets spoke during this time, reassuring the people and telling them that God wasn’t angry anymore, but Jeremiah was telling a much scarier story, and his visions would be the ones that came to pass.

Next week brings Nebuchadnezzar’s siege and victory over Jerusalem, and selected captives get taken back to Babylon.  The book of Daniel begins there, in Nebuchadnezzar’s court, so now the Greatest Story Ever Told will be told in two places; the waning Jerusalem and the ascending Babylon. Keep reading!

Year in the Bible Week 30

The Prophet Isaiah by Lorenzo Monaco, (tempera and gold, c.1405-1410)

Isaiah’s final prophesies were truly amazing. As Judah was descending to the point where God would “turn away for a while,” Isaiah gave truth after truth about things nobody could have imagined, let alone predicted! I encourage you to read this great synopsis from Dr. Ken Rathbun at Faith Baptist Seminary. He really gets the surrealness of the words God gave us through Isaiah to give insight into events that wouldn’t happen for more than a century:

Isaiah also told us that God would gather all nations, not just Israel, to be his, and gave us our anchoring prophesy about Christ’s sacrifice during this time. He also continued to double down on God’s judgment against the idolatry and wickedness of the ruling class in Jerusalem, and that wouldn’t end well for him.

Next week we will se the end of Hezekiah’s reign, and Menasseh will be the next king, and he proves to be one of the most wicked and idolatrous ever. This would mean the end of Isaiah, who consistently spoke truth to the powerful until the end.

Tradition holds that Isaiah was sawn in half by Menassah, and although that story is not in the Bible, it is present in both the Talmud and the extrabiblical Ascension of the Isaiah, so we presume it to be accurate. I believe that it is not included in Kings or Chronicles because God wanted us to focus on the amazing prophesies instead of the drama of Isaiah’s life with evil men.

Next week we read of the evilness of Menassah. God’s story, told in real time, shows Judah turning completely away from God after a brief period of success under a devout Hezekiah. This is the beginning of the end.

Year in the Bible Week 29

The Prophet Isaiah by Raphael, (1512) from the Basilica di Sant'Agostino in Rome. For a video of the fresco on site, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ySkoh4SZvU&t=10s

This week we’ve finished up Psalms, and are now back into Isaiah. The last few Psalms are a triumphant close to the book, and helps us be thankful for all of them. So what do we do with this collection to edify and encourage us in our walk with the Lord? It seems cliche to say that memorizing your favorite Psalms is “good for the soul,” but it really is! In my life, memorizing things has always been just a chore, and I never found joy in it, but memory exercises with God’s word fill me with joy. To memorize, I read words aloud into my phone, and then I listen passively as I walk or drive. After that, I start to say the words along with the recording. Before long I do it all on my own. Clearly I am an auditory learner, but whatever method works best for you, I encourage you to find joy in it!

Here’s a top ten list from the internet:

Psalm 23: “He makes me lie down in green pastures”

Psalm 121: “My help comes from the Lord”

Psalm 46: "Be still, and know that I am God"

Psalm 27: “Whom shall I fear?”

Psalm 51: “Create in me a pure heart”

Psalm 34: “I sought the Lord and he answered me”

Psalm 139: “Where can I go from your Spirit?”

Psalm 103: “Bless the Lord, O my soul”

Psalm 1: “like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season”

Psalm 100: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise”

Here is part 2 of the Isaiah video. A great help!

This week we will be in Isaiah and Micah, and we will read about Hezekiah leading with faith in a very troubled time. We are almost to the prophesy of the suffering servant, and a reminder that the old entire testament points the way to Christ. Thank you Lord!

Year in the Bible Week 28

A Portrait of Composer of Sicut cervis, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestina (1526-1594), whose treatment of Psalm 42 is legendary.

This week we read only from the Psalms, so let’s dig a little deeper into Psalm 42, which is a favorite of many.

There is much said in the bible about skilled musicians with their trumpets, lyres, harps, and other instruments, but it’s the human voice that makes the biggest musical impressions in God’s Word. The book of Psalms, essentially the nation of Israel’s songbook, is the largest book in the bible, and even though none of the original melodies have survived, now every modern generation gets an opportunity to bring new harmonic perspective to his unchanging word.

Lately in pop culture we have had a lot of modern worship artists offer treatments of Psalm 42, which offers rich words and images, deep emotion, and unshakable faith. Check out these:

“As the Deer” by Shane and Shane

Tori Kelly - Psalm 42

City Alight - Psalm 42 (I Will Praise Him Again)

Keith and Kristyn Getty - Lord From Sorrows Deep I Call (Psalm 42)

When God inspires such a diverse group of people to tackle a similar scripture, I believe that the Holy Spirit is guiding us to rely on these passages, and use them to help us in the world.

Psalm 42 really brings the faithful together in these difficult days, but now let’s go back 450 years to a very different situation, and listen to one of the benchmark tone poems of the high renaissance, a motet by the Italian composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina that has truly withstood the test of time. The composer wrote six books of motets and dozens of madrigals during his lifetime, and his genius version of Psalm 42:1-3 was published posthumously in 1604. Sicut Cervis (Latin for “as the deer”) is still often used in Catholic liturgy, either as an Easter vigil or to celebrate at baptisms. Below is a video of the Choir of the Basilica doing it at a rehearsal in the National Shrine. I am a big fan of this medium-large choir with its 24 superb voices,. This size group adds weight to the beautiful controlled tonal dissonances in the piece, while bringing both sensitivity and momentum to every independent line. Special kudos to the sopranos in this chorus, who control phrasing very well in their upper registers, and do not distract from the tone poetry.

If you’d rather hear a more intimate version of this piece, I would suggest one of the 8-12 voice versions listed below:

The Marian Consort

Voices8

Stile Antico

Thanks for following me down this rabbit hole (or should I say, “deer trail”).

In this coming week we will read more amazing Psalms filled with faith, victory, and praise that has been reflected in worship for over 2500 years, with written melodies going back 1000 years, and sund recordings during the last 100 years or so.. At the end of next week we return to the book of Isaiah, and hopefully the songs we’ve sung here in midyear have given us the spiritual fortitude to endure what happens next in God’s beautiful love story to his people. Keep reading!

Year in the Bible Week 27

The Ancestors of Christ: Hezekiah by Michelango, in the Sistine Chapel c. 1509

This week we saw northern Israel’s defeat by the brutal Assyrians catrasted against the cleansing of the temple in Jerusalem by Judah’s king, Hezekiah, who gets hope and strength from the Lord. Just last week we were reading about Hezekiah’s own father, Ahaz, dismantling the temple and appeasing foreign people and their gods, and now his son is rededicating the temple to the Lord. Hezekiah did what was pleasing in God’s sight, and there would be success under his leadership, even as things deteriorate in the north. The bible makes it clear that the success came because God was with this king.

Of course, after this comes 55 years of Manasseh, and then this part of the story gets hard to read.

Through it all, Isaiah speaks God’s truth as one of the bible’s greatest prophets. He was set apart by God early in his life, and he unapologetically delivered God’s truth to Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Manasseh, who were all very different kings. Before we go much further in the story of Hezekiah, let’s look closer at the book of Isaiah. Check out the video below.

Look for part two of the Isaiah video next week. After this wonderful week of Psalms collected under Hezekiah, we will spend the rest of July reading about Judah’s tragic sin and decline, with Isaiah delivering eternal truth from God through it all.

Year in the Bible Week 26

The Ancestors of Christ: Jotham, Ahaz by Michelango, in the Sistine Chapel c. 1512

This is week 26 of our Year in the Bible, so we are officially half done. Congratulations!

As we read about Ahaz dismantling the temple, he seems so far removed from God that we can forget how God is using him for divine purposes. As a descendant of David, he is an ancestor of Christ! We hope for more from him, but it doesn’t happen.

In Israel it is far worse, as they are turning further away from God, even denying him to other nations to gain favor. The prophets decry this abandonment and warn of coming disaster. In Hosea we read a terrific allegory, which is carefully and completely explained so that there is no question about meaning. Contrast this with Jesus and the woman at the well, where he, too, recounted the sins of Israel, but shrouded without full explanation. I wonder how many times God shows us allegorical imags today to guide us, and we miss them!

The book of Hosea has more to it than just the story and the warnings. There’s actually a lot of hope in it. The video below lays it out nicely, I think.

This coming week we get the contrast of Hezekiah leading in Jerusalem successfully, totally relying on God, while Samaria falls to Assyria with no help from above. Keep Reading!

Year in the Bible Week 25

Jereboam Sacrificing to the Idols by Jean-Honoré Fragonard c. 1752

Jereboam sacrificed to idols so that they would help him. Then he would credit himself with victory, and say thank you to the idols he made. Meanwhile, the real God was simply letting Jereboam be a puppet, setting up all the pieces. Disaster would soon come, and there would be no question that God held sovereign power the whole time. That’s how you turn a nation back to you, and discipline those whom you love.

Sharing a personal story this week, so I hope you’ll indulge me.

Last weekend I was in the hospital to do a medication change, and my favorite nurse was a young lady with tattoos and piercings, with indomitable spirit and energy. I’ll call her “Lauren,” because her name is actually Lauren… When my blood pressure came up as 111/68 on one of the six daily checks, she smiled broadly and said, “oooh, angel numbers!” Clearly, numerology was part of her lifetsyle. Instantly, she looked at me and she got shy. She had remembered everything I had been saying about God and miracles for the past day and a half, and she recognized that her numerology was not part of my belief system, and I couldn’t possibly share whatever it was she was experiencing. All of this happened in half of a second.

Lauren glanced over, embarrassed, and said, “I know you don’t believe in this stuff.” She looked to me for a response.

In those moments a choice happens. You can choose the relationship over your profession of faith, or you can choose your faith over the development of relationship. However, in these (post)modern times there is a third option that many of us are choosing. Basically you say “let’s have a truce, where neither of us presents their beliefs as a weapon.” That’s basically what I did.

“Well, whatever makes you happy.” was my response. I didn’t call out the lie in that moment. It just didn’t seem like the right thing to do. In my thinking, she already had acknowledged that I was a strong believer, and that she was doing things that denied my faith. Instead of “going in for the kill,” pushing the truth into the moment, I tried to show compassion, respect, and care. If you’ve known me a while, you know this is something I’m not used to doing. I have never been afraid to speak truth into tough situations, and I have suffered steep relational consequences over the years. Recently, God has given me the opportunity to share my faith with lot’s of people who do not believe, and in this case Lauren understood who I was, and what I believed, and it made her question her own idolatry. Mission accomplished.

My gratitude for my salvation has changed the way I talk to people. instead of pushing hard facts and debating people’s perceptions, I show them a changed life and let them start asking questions. They say that’s the best kind of evangelism, and I hope they’re right.

I’ll leave the video up for Kings for another week because things are getting really intense, and it’s good to have a program to keep track of the big picture. In this coming week we will hear a lot from prophets, especially Amos, and God’s harsh plans will be revealed.

Remember, the timeline is going very slowly now, so be patient, and settle into this moment. Israel is about to fall to the Assyrians, and it’s important to get the full picture. Above all, keep reading!