Day 61 ~ International consequences

• Ezekiel 22:30 - men to "stand in the gap"
• 23:20 - what does this mean? kinda gross
• 24:2 - Babylonian seige against Jerusalem begins
• Chapter 25 - international destruction to come for vengeance against Judah and Israel - Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia
• 26-28 - Tyre - because the mocked the fallen Jerusalem, destroyed. Wonder where this falls in historical records - about 1 or 2 years after Jerusalem is seiged. What is modern Tyre? Haifa?
• 28:12ff - Tyre was perfection , in Eden, covered by Cherubs, however their wealth led them to violence and sin and they are cast off the mountain of God. Huh? who started Tyre? Abel?
• 29-32 - Egypt - because they claimed they created, they will be scattered for 40 years and returned lowly. 17 years later, Babylon struggles against Tyre (29:18). Egypt will be given to them as reward for working for God.
• 33:11 - God gets no pleasure in the death of the wicked
• 33:21 - Jerusalem captured by Babylon (third and final time)
• 33:22 - Ezekiel no longer mute. When did he become mute?
• 34 - the Lord is the Shepherd - without Him, the flock spread.
• 34:26 - showers of blessing.

Day 60 ~ DC trip highlights, God leaves the temple

You know how it is when you get home from vacation and you need a vacation to recover from vacation? Yeah, that was yesterday. Laundry, bills to pay, homework, cat puke on the carpet to get out, cleaning up around the house, lunches to pack...back to the routine.

In case you're wondering, we walked our legs off in Washington DC. We arrived Thursday afternoon and left Monday afternoon. We stayed south of the mall about 4 blocks south of the new Indian museum, a block from the Federal SW metro stop. Great hotel, decent prices, awesome breakfast included. The first two days were steady rain, but we donned our rain gear and ventured out as soon as we hit the ground. Mom had done an awesome job getting all the information gathered up, and we made a grid of what we would do to fit as much stuff in as possible, and I believe we were very successful. We'd all been to the Virginia side (Arlington, Mount Vernon) and never ventured west of the Potomac River except the airport.

• Thursday: Smithsonian Air & Space Museum (including a small exibit from the closed for renovation Museum of American History), Corcoran Museum of Art, strolled by the White House and were ushered out of "the park" about 9pm when the presidential helicopter was expected to fly in from his trip to the fires in CA.
• Friday: tour of the Supreme Court (featuring Moses and Solomon in the highest chamber of the land), National Archives, Navy Memorial, Old Post Office (first time, couldn't get up into the tower), White House Visitors Center (this is where we were going when we saw Mike & Deb Alley - skip it if you go, they don't even have a model!), Fords Theater and the house where Lincoln died (theater closed for renovation - we saw it last time), Madam Toussaud's Wax Museum (expensive, but really cool - Grace's favorite place "where they make the plastic people"), International Spy Museum (really good - I would like to go back and do the spy activity sometime).
• Saturday: Library of Congress. This was an awesome building, my favorite of all we saw. Reagan building (nice food court, good way to cut through a few blocks out of the rain), Old Post office (again, line too long to go up to the tower), Octagon house (been closed for two years, you think they could post that on their web info somewhere?), Daughters of the American Revolution building (we walked all the way around it to get inside - a sign would have been helpful to show where the construction entrance was), World War II Memorial, Washington Monument (we decided we would touch it instead of climb it), Museum of Natural History (I disliked this one last time we went, but the stuffed animals were cool. It is saturated with evolution, at one point I nearly cried. The photo shows the rat like creature that "a close relative of this tiny creature was the first mammal on earth. Its DNA was passed on to billions of descendants - including you." Followed up by a night tour of the monuments (save your money and do it during the day - too many light bulbs out on a few of the monuments to get a good taste) - Korean, Vietnam, FDR, Lincoln, and some drivebys of other stuff we'd already walked past.
• Sunday. We started off reading a chapter from Jeremiah 1, because that is where Dad is in his 90 day Bible Reading. I was pushing for the end of Ezekiel. We walked up to the east end of the mall and watched about 15 minutes of the 32nd annual Marine's marathon. Then on to the Smithsonian Indian museum (dissappointing exhibits - not much historical info, mostly current, cool architecture). The cafeteria had interesting food: octupus, frog legs. Back to the old post office and we finally got up to the top. We then went to the Washington Cathedral (off the beaten path) and sat through a Lutheran service. Grace wanted to go back to the children's chapel, where she "read" scripture (and from several other chapels on site). Well worth seeing - it took 80 years to construct and was only completed in 1990. By the way, get a transfer from the metro station for the bus and save .85 cents. We ended up back in China town for supper, then to the pool.
• Monday. Tour of the Capitol arranged by Senator Lugar's office. We ate an $11 salad at the Smithsonian Art Museum. Then the fun began. Back to the hotel to get our stowed bags and to the airport. On the platform of the Metro exit at the airport, we discovered baby Sarah and Baby Susie, Grace's dolls, had been left at the hotel. Everyone else went to the terminal, mommy went back to the hotel to get the dolls. Doing her own little Marines marathon. Success. On the way back on the platform of the metro train, Jeff called to say they had bumped us from our flight because our bags had not been checked 1-1/2 hours before the flight must be a Reagan National thing. Oh well, I wouldn't have made it back for the flight anyway. So now rather than a non stop, we get to go to Detroit! We had been unable to check ourselves in at the hotel online earlier in the day or week (I think they had overbooked the flight). The Lord was saving us from ourselves! They told the Northwest counter gal the doll sob story and they didn't charge us any fees! We got all five of us on a totally full flight to Detroit and another full flight to Indy. And, if your van is completely dead in long term parking because it is possessed and the lights come on by themselves and drain the battery, if you flag down a shuttle bus, they'll call you a jump that comes in less than 10 minutes and only costs $12. Only God can make that happen. Nobody lost their cool, everyone home safe.
• What we didn't get to see that we wanted to see: Kennedy Center, White House (try to book more than 6 weeks in advance through representative), Jefferson Memorial close up.

Now, the real stuff - Ezekiel

• Chapter 10 - in Ezekiel's vision, God leaves the temple in Jerusalem - he vacates the location where the Israelites could worship and see his glory
• Chapter 11 - the vision makes me wonder if he was actually taken physically to Jerusalem
• 11:19 - "Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh that they may walk in My statues and keep My judgments and do them, and they shall be My people, and I will be their God."
• Chapter 14 - you cannot save anyone else with your righteousness; 18:20 the son shall not bear the guilt of the father (consequences, yes, but guilt, no)
• 14:14 - Daniel (next book to be read) is known to Ezekiel, who started prophesying after Daniel was taken to Babylon and would now likely have been in a position of power under Nebuchadnezzar.
• 16:44 - ‘Like mother, like daughter!’ - I didn't know that was in the Bible.
• 20:25 - “Therefore I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live" - God, talking about the Israelites - he has another plan in mind
• 21:21 - divination rituals described, including shaking arrows, consulting images, looking at the liver

Day 59 - Ezekiel saw the wheel

Lamentations -
I took no notes on Lamentations - a poetic expression of the afflicted people and city of Jerusalem

Ezekiel - timeline time!

• Ezekiel is a young (20s? 30s) man chosen to prophesy to captive Jews in Babylon. He uses references to the rule of king Jehoiachin to reference his receipt of the prophecies from God. Jehoiachin ruled only 3 months in Jerusalem, but "ruled" in Babylon under confinement for 36 more years until Nebuchadnezzar's successor freed him.
• Meanwhile, back in Jerusalem, Zedekiah was the puppet king of Nebuchadnezzar, so the Jews had two kings simultaneously.
• Ezekiel was a contemporary of Jeremiah, but on the back end of the kings rule. It looks like he was part of the second of three waves of captives taken to Babylon. Daniel would have been in the first wave (Ezekiel refers to him a couple of times). The third wave is when the temple is burned, and Ezekiel warns the Jews of this. Those Ezekiel prophesied to (captives in Babylon) were probably thinking "we've been carted away, what more could happen?" and Ezekiel filled them in that much more could and would happen.
• Did you try to visualize the four 4-winged, 4-headed creatures with the wheels from the vision Ezekiel had in chapter 1. I tried, but I don't get the wheel part.
• Why does God repeatedly use the phrase "son of man," which is also used for Jesus, to address Ezekiel?
• Ezekiel was a one man freak show given some really weird object lessons to carry out to further explain God's prophecies. Lie on your left side for 390 days (for Israel's iniquity), on your right side 40 days for Judah's iniquity (right side again! is this because Judah is the kingdom through which the messiah would come? - chosen, choice, preferred = right side?)
• God controlled Ezekiel's body (4:8) and his tongue (3:26, 27). This reminds me of the Steve Martin movie "All of Me" with Lily Tomlin. That's a funny movie.
• While lying on one of the two sides, Ezekiel is given some specific eating and cooking instructions. He's supposed to cook his food with his own body waste as fuel. Jeremiah says he can't do that (against some type of Levitical rules I'm assuming) and God lets him substitute cow dung.
• The final siege against Jerusalem is portrayed in chapter 4 through another object lesson with a clay tablet. Ezekiel shaves his head and scatters or burns the hair to signify what will happen to those who remain in the city of Jerusalem.
• Chapter 8 - 14 months later, his hair has grown back (8:3) and the detailed description of the abominations of idolatry that has and is (and will? who knows with these visions if they are past, present, future or a combination) going on in Jerusalem.

Day 58 ~ governments will topple

• Chapter 40 - Jeremiah is released by the captain of Nebuchadnezzar's guard releases Jeremiah. Jeremiah chooses to go with the Babylonian-appointed governer, Gedaliah, to what was the new headquarters in Judah - Mizpah. A swarm of displaced Jews came back to Mizpah and the produce of the fields.
• Chapter 41 - Ishmael the son of Nethaniah (I'd guess he is Babylonian, or possibly from another neighboring nation) kills the governor (as warned at the end of chapter 40 by Johanan but ignored by the gov), some of the 80 visitors from around the area who had come to see the governor, and tosses their bodies in a hole that had been used before by king Asa as a mass burial. Ishmael drags a bunch of Hebrews to Gibeon, and Johanan comes after him - the Hebrews go back to Johanan and Ishmael escapes. This whole scenerio scared the Hebrews, and they decide they're going to take off for Egypt. Because that worked out for them so well last time.
• The remnant left in Judah asks Jeremiah to seek what God's would have them to do and they will obey it (ha!). God says "Do not go to Egypt!" - seems clear enough. Also has some consequences attached if they do go.
• Chapter 42 - of course they call Jeremiah a liar and set off for Egypt. Why is Jeremiah still with them? He prophesies that Babylon will follow them into Egypt and take Egypt as well, and except a few who will escape and return to Judah, the rest will die in Egypt
• 42:30 - can check against egyptian and babylonian records for proof - see this reference site for some further info - http://formerthings.com/hophra.htm
• Chapter 45 - back in time again to Pharaoh Necho. This is the Egyptian who was on his way with his army to back up Assyria against the Babylonians, but they were delayed by good king Josiah of Judah and engaged and Babylon was able to defeat Assyria, then Josiah dies by arrow.
• Hey, I found a third typo in the New King James version of the Bible at BibleGateway.com. you can turn those in to them and they fix them. 47:4 - @ symbol in a word
• More kingdoms to fall to Babylon - Philistine, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, Elam. I guess since Judah won't listen to him, God has given Jeremiah messages for the surrounding communities.
• and another typo at 49:14 - !RM at end of second line - did they correct them yet?
• Chapter 50 - Babylon's rule will not be long - they too will be attacked and overtaken from the North. Babylon will gather all this territory to empty it directly into the basket of Persia within 70 years of the first group that left Jerusalem. They are named the Medes in 51:28
• 50:20 - in the days of Babylon's defeat "The iniquity of Israel shall be sought, but there shall be none; And the sins of Judah, but they shall not be found; For I will pardon those whom I preserve. "
• 51:11 - "For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it, Because it is the vengeance of the LORD, The vengeance for His temple. "
• 51:14 - another typo - !RM
• 51:37 - another typo - !RM - geez, do a spell check.
• Okay, I get it, Babylon is going to fall. It's not as interesting when we aren't talking about the Jews
• Chapter 52 - review of the fall of Jerusalem. Perhaps Jeremiah didn't have a scroll of 2 Kings or 2 Chronicles around to read. Could I have skipped chapters 1-51 and read only chapter 52? Cliffnotes version. So, why tell us the little details about the bronze capitols?
• 52:33 - only 4,600 total people carried out of Jerusalem into captivity. I would have thought it would have been tens of thousands.
• Why would the new king (replacing Nebuchadnezzar I presume), "Evil-Merodach" give favor to the puppet king of the jews, Jehoiachin?

Turn the electronic page, and I'm done with Jeremiah! 24 books down. Not really looking forward to Lamentations, especially since I'll be cramming it in late tomorrow night after Financial Peace University class and packing for vacation to Washington DC. i guess I'm a chapter ahead, as the reading only goes to chapter 52.

Keep us in your prayers as we (Mom & Dad, Jeff, Grace) travel. And that I'll be diligent in maintaining the habit I've established over the last 58 days. Hopefully I'll have completed Ezekiel by Monday!

Day 57 ~ The Northern Tribe is part of the Remnant

We hop around in the timeline of the last few kings of Judah in the reading today. This would be a good section to read in a chronological bible. This section also has quite a bit of message of hope to the southern and the northern kingdoms. Someone finally talks about the northern tribes (Israel / also referred to as Ephraim) and provides some hope for them as well as the southern kingdom.

• Jeremiah 26 - threats against Jeremiah's life were real. Another Godly prophet, Urijah was hunted down and killed for word from God.
• Don't resist Babylon's rule. Babylon has already carted some Hebrews off from Jerusalem, as well as some of the temple articles, eventually they will all be taken off. But, they will eventually be restored.
• Chapter 28 - Hananiah was making predictions in God's name, but he was a false prophet (in fourth year of Zedekiah's rule he predicts that within 2 years Babylon would bring back all that they had taken from Jerusalem.) This goes against what Jeremiah has been speaking. The Lord strikes down this false prophet. (obviously wrong, see 32:1)
• 29 - captivity will be 70 years from the original group taken captive, then a remnant will return to Jerusalem
• 29:10-13 explains this promise, encapsulating an oft-quoted passage of hope - "For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." 29:11 is the passage that I quoted in my college yearbook.
• 29:22 - Nebuchadnezzar's chosen method of torture is exposed - roasting in the fire. Were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo in captivity under Nebuchadnezzar? We'll find out later, I'm sure.
• 30:3 - hey, some news about the northern kingdoms - Israel and Judah will be returned.
• 31:9 - was Ephraim the firstborn of the 12 sons who became the tribes of Judah? No, Reuben was the first born, but he lost his inheritance to Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh (1 Chronicles 5:1), thus the phrase "Ephraim is my firstborn". Chapter 31 spends many of the verses on the return of the northern kingdom as well as the southern kingdom.
• 31:31 - New covenant coming - a personal intimacy - :34 - knowing God, not just knowing about Him
• 32:7 - do you remember the rights of redemption of property - see Leviticus 25:25, or revisit Boaz and Ruth. Jeremiah redeems a piece of property with the aid of his right-hand man and scribe (Baruch). All this while in jail, and apparently the paperwork on closing a property took alot of time and witnesses 2500 years ago, too.
• 32:17 - song - Ah, Lord God, Thou has made the heavens...
• 34:12ff - slavery rules - limited to 6 years (slavery invoked to repay debt)
• 35 - going back in time here, Jeremiah's been in jail under Zedekiah, but chapter 35 goes back 3 or 4 kings to Jehoiakim.
• Rechabites? This is all a bit confusing. But I think the idea is that they heeded Jeremiah's word.
• 35:3 - did Jeremiah have a son? was this before God told him not to get married or have children?
• 36:5 - Baruch acts on behalf of Jeremiah - he goes and reads the scroll that he had transcribed for Jeremiah in front of the princes - because Jeremiah is confined. Confined where? In jail? But not in jail like he was in chapter 35 under Zedekiah, because Baruch reads the scroll in the presence of the prince Zedekiah (36:12). Jeremiah and Baruch made a good team.
• 37:1-2 - Zedekiah becomes king to fulfill the prophecy from 36:30 that Jehoiakim's line would end.
• 37 - Jeremiah is accused of being a spy for Babylon and imprisoned, but transferred to Zedekiah's jail. Are we caught back up to chapter 32 now? Anyway, Zedekiah has his doubts that Jeremiah is a spy and asks him to speak frankly to him about God's plans. But he doesn't believe it.
• What is worse than being a hated prophet in a city under seige? Being imprisoned in a cistern with no food in a city under seige.

Day 56 ~ 23 years of warnings

• Jeremiah 10:12 - another support of Genesis creation by God
• 12:2 - hypocrites - "You are near in their mouth But far from their mind"
• 12:21 - Anathoth - Jeremiah's town at the time of his calling (1:1), a Levitical city (Joshua 21:1-3), home of Abithar the priest (1 Kings 2:26). This should have been a city that was a model of righteousness, but instead threatened Jeremiah's life rather than heed his warnings.
• 12:15, 16:15, 23:3, 24:7 - promise that after the captivity, the remnant will return to Jerusalem.
• 11:14, 14:12, 15:1 - don't waste your breath or your prayers - God will not hear them, not even if Moses or Samuel appeal
• 15:4 - Manasseh's deeds were the last straw -(he built idols to Baal and sacrificed his child to them)
• Jeremiah appeals to God to strike down those who persecute him (15:15, 18:18). God tells him he will be redeemed from the wicked (15:21). In chapter 18 he reminds me of David calling down God's wrath on his enemies.
• Jeremiah is told not to marry or have children - he will be sparred mourning them. chapter 16
• 17:9-10 - our hearts are deceitful, but God tests it, our fruit matters to Him.
• 17:19ff - Jeremiah is instructed to appeal to Jerusalem to honor the sabbath day
• 19:10 - seige against the city will be so great that people will resort to cannibalism
• chapter 20 - Jeremiah is imprisoned by Pashur, a priest/chief governor.
• 20:9 - In the face of so much persecution for his message from God, Jeremiah tries to hold in the message and not speak of it, but he was compelled to do so.
• chapter 21 - now the King (Zedekiah), who is at war with the king of Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar) wants to know what God says? He wants Jeremiah to butter up God who will use his "wonderful works" to save his people. The Lord's response is that He is warring against Judah, not Babylon - Babylon is just a weapon of choice. Your choice city will burn.
• 22:14 - clueless king Jehoiakim, during this time of oppression and high taxes, choses to build himself nice new house.
• Chapter 23 - false prophet tell the message that "it's going to be okay" but that goes against the scripture. Check those who say they are messengers of God against scripture - God will not contradict His word.
• 24:33 - what is an oracle? a prophet? a "crystal ball", urim and thummin? something through which God speaks?
• chapter 24 - God will sort out and encourage/equip those in captivity for a strong remnant to return (I think of Daniel)
• chapter 25 - in the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign in Judah, the first year of the new king of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Jeremiah's 23rd year of preaching God's message of the impending destruction, Jeremiah days Babylon will carry off Judah for 70 years, then they will be punished.
• 25:17-26 - international wrath to come.

Day 55 - Destruction is coming from the North

• Isaiah 63:15-19 - a prayer of penitence - but from whom? Appropriate for a non-Jew? "Though Abraham was ignorant of us, And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name."
• 65:17ff - the glorious new creation. Is this a description of heaven, or a world as God intended it to be from the beginning? Will there be a type of "heaven on earth" at some point in the future? I ask, because it talks about death, and it would seem that heaven would not have death. (vs20). The former earth won't come to mind.

Isaiah is completed. Let's jump right into Jeremiah and tackle the first nine chapters.

Now, where are we - the author of Jeremiah tells us that this occurs from the 13th year of king Josiah's reign in Jerusalem through king Jehoahaz (3 months) king Jehoiakim (who is ruler in Daniel 1:1, when Babylon begins carting off Judah into captivity a bit at a time), Jeconiah (3 months) then until the 11th year of king Zedekiah, when Babylon burns Jerusalem. Israel has been captive under the Assyrians for more than 100 years, and then presumably under Babylon as they conquer Assyria. Josiah was the last king to rule independently on the throne of Judah. His offspring were puppet kings under foreign control. Revisit II Kings starting about chapter 22, and II Chronicles 34.

Jeremiah is called by God and God puts His words into Jeremiah's mouth just after Josiah's first reform where he removes all the idols from the kingdom.

• Chapter 2 - apparently Judah has a pretty tight allied relationship with Egypt.
• Chapter 3 - some info on divorce. Israel was an example for Judah to see, but Judah didn't get it and will suffer the same consequence.
• 3:10 - "And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” - the attempt by Josiah to clear the land of idols was only surface deep.
• 3:18 - "In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given as an inheritance to your fathers. " - what does this mean? Does it mean that some of all the tribes will be reunited at some point? Is this when they return to Zion after 70 years in Babylon? It seems that I recall some of the tribes of Zebulun and Ephraim being talked about when we had some info about the return in Ezra and Nehemiah.
• 5:18,19 - “Nevertheless in those days,” says the LORD, “I will not make a complete end of you. And it will be when you say, ‘Why does the LORD our God do all these things to us?’ then you shall answer them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve aliens in a land that is not yours.'"
• 7:11 - temple referred to as "den of thieves"
• I remember that Shiloh is the first place where they set up the "permanent" tent tabernacle. But what did God do to it? 7:14
• God's patience has run out.

Day 54 ~ Suffering Servant

• Isaiah 43:3 - Egypt was given as a ransom for Israel. When Assyria had ruling power, they controlled a small part of northern Egypt. Later on, when Babylon overtakes Assyria, the size of the kingdom is actually smaller, and Egypt is not controlled by Babylon. However, when Persia comes into the picture, the kingdom is gigantic, and Egypt is included.
• 43:10b - only one God - "Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. "
• 44:28 - Cyrus - he would be used to shepherd God's people even though he did not know God.
• The signifance of the right hand still escapes me - used again in 45:1, 48:13. I think it is the favored hand.
• 45:14 - when does Egypt serve Israel? Is that yet to come?
• Companion verses to Genesis 1 underlining that God created the heavens and the earth - 44:24, 45:7, 18; 48:13, 51:13
• 46:3 - the "remnant" here directly points to Israel (northern kingdom) in captivity.
• 46:4 reminds me of the poem "footprints in the sand"
• 48:16 - does this describe the trinity? assuming this is about or spoken by Jesus - "“ Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord GOD and His Spirit Have sent Me.”
• 49:6 - salvation will be opened up to Gentiles - light of the world is Jesus
• 51:9 - Rahab mentioned again. Is this the same woman who let down the scarlet cord from the wall to save the spies. According to the topical index on BibleGateway.com, this is also a name used to refer to Egypt.
• 52:7 - song - "our God reigns" - sung when they returned to Jerusalem to rebuild.
• 53 - Christ - wounded for our transgressions, suffering servant for us
• 55:2 - money spent foolishly
• 55:3 - God's covenant is everlasting
• 55:11 - "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void "
• chapter 56 is a promise of something everlasting
• chapter 55 - descriptions of improper and proper motives for fasting
• 61:1 - Jesus launches his ministry with this quote in Luke - "“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound"
• another theme in Isaiah - God as a groom

Day 53 ~ Don't show all your treasures to the enemy!

• Isaiah 28:10 - this is how I feel the reading challenge is - "precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.”
• 29:1 - Jerusalem is referred to as Ariel. I don't recall that name for the city.
• Chapter 36 - what Isaiah has been going on about for at least 8 chapters has finally begun. Sennacherib of Assyria besieges Jerusalem during the 14th year of Hezekiah's reign. We know from 2 Kings that 7 years earlier Hezekiah had begun to pay money to Assyria to keep them away - and we see that didn't last long. But we know that this will not be the end of Judah, for they are taken away captives by the Babylonians.
• Chapter 37 makes a big switch over from poetry to history.
• 37:4 - remnant. Which remnant? The southern kingdom that is left now that the northern kingdom has been taken captive by Assyria before the reign of Hezekiah in Judah? Those that are left behind as the Babylonians move the captives out of Jerusalem in stages? Those who return to Jerusalem with the king of Persia's blessing?
• 37:36-37 into chapter 38 - see what some serious, fervent prayer can do? It gets 185,000 Assyrians killed, seemingly without Judah raising a finger. It adds 15 years to Hezekiah's life.
• Sennacherib returns home to Ninevah in defeat and is welcomed home to be killed by his own sons.
• The Assyrians and this whole scenerio have to play a role in the story of Jonah. Guess we'll find out in about 12 days.
• Wonder if figs are part of modern medicine's treatment of boils? 38:21
• We get the third telling of Hezekiah's stupid move of showing off all the treasures of the kingdom to the nice new king of Babylon; soon to be the future ruler of Judah. Hezekiah's response to Isaiah's prophesy of Babylon's conquering of Judah? "At least I won't have to deal with it"

Chapter 40 is to be the break where we begin to tell of the coming messiah. Right off the bat I see a reference to Luke chapter 3.

• 40:22 - the earth is described as a circle.
• 40:31 - "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."
• 41:2, 25 - ruler from the East, North - Persia? A future ruler even past our time?
• 42 - a passage for us - the Servant of God, His elect one, with the Spirit upon him (Jesus) will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. The days of the closed club only for the Jewish chosen by God is going to have it's doors opened.

Day 51b & 52 - I would bet on Isaiah's predictions

Isaiah is considered a "major prophet." His primary audience is the nation of Judah. He received his call to prophesy in the last year of the reign of Uzziah (2 Kings 14:21-22; 15:1-7; 2 Chronicles 26) who was the mostly good king who ruled for 52 years, but most of it with leprosy from his bedroom through his son because he had intruded into the priestly duties. Both the northern and southern kingdoms were still intact when Isaiah started his calling, but the capital of Israel (Samaria) fell to the Assyrians and the Northern kingdom was taken into captivity during the time that Isaiah preached to Judah. He prophesied through kings Jotham (mostly good son of Uzziah), Ahaz (wicked), Hezekiah (really good) and possibly onto Manasseh.

Isaiah has 66 chapters, as the Bible has 66 books. It can be divided into two major sections, 1-39 dwelling on failure (corresponding to the old testament) and 40-66 emphasizes the hope of the coming messiah (corresponding to the new testament).

• Chapter 1:7-9 pretty much tells what is going to happen - cities burned, overthrown by strangers, deserted capital after besieged, small remnant. God is not happy, He gets no pleasure out of their sacrifices.
• How can Judah avoid this downfall? 1:16-20 tells us. Wash away your evilness, learn to do good, seek justice, rebuke the oppressor, defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. "though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." (1:18)
• Judah is compared to a harlot.
• Jerusalem's haughtiness is described in 3:16-23 - jewels, pendants, headdresses, perfume, nose rings, festive apparel, mirrors...
• God's beloved children are compared to a disappointing vineyard in chapter 5.
• 5:4 - makes me think of a rebellious teen or young adult raised by parents who did what they were supposed to do with parenting yet the child still takes the wrong path - "What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes? "
• 6:1 - Isaiah called to be a prophet in the year King Uzziah died (about 735bc). His vision of God includes the refrain of a song - “ Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”
• Does anyone else remember Rod Cameron's ventriliquist puppet Gabby (Rainbow Christian Camp) singing the "Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord...Here am I! Send Me!" - see 6:8
• terebinth tree alert - 6:13
• Isaiah predicts for evil king Ahaz that parts of Judah will be seized, and they will be attacked by the northern kingdom (2 Kings 16, 2 Chronicles 28)

Wait a minute, where did that come from - major messianic prophesy alert! Isaiah's trying to convince Ahaz to test God and reveals "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." 7:14.

• Why did they not listen to Isaiah? He even told them where the attacks would come from - very distinctly, and including Egypt, Assyria, and the other kings by name. Instead, stupid Ahaz will appeal for help from the Assyrians. It gets Israel off his back, but will bring Judah under greater foreign control. Don't touch that, it's hot. I'm telling you, it's hot - don't touch it. OUCH! I told you not to touch it.

I'm tired tonight and I'm dissappointed that I'm sure I'm reading too quickly and not absorbing much. I know that Isaiah is full of prophecy that will be fulfilled in Jesus, and that the promise of eternal life that I looked for in the Old Testament that seems to be missing so far will be pointed to in this book. This will be one I'll want to come back and read more slowly. However, tonight, I must push forward and I'm going to limit my comments as much as I can or I'll quickly lose ground on keeping on track. I am giving myself permission to read quickly.

But...only three verses into my speed reading...another wonderful passage - 9:66 "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. "

• Assyria may be given "permission" by God to rule over the promised land, but their day is coming (Babylon will defeat them). Chapter 9.
• Return of the remnant to Jerusalem predicted starting in 9:20
• apparently Egypt's power is in decline (9:24-26)
• Chapter 11 - all about Jesus - "for the Gentiles shall seek Him" - that's us! 11:10
• Is 11:6-9 a description of heaven?
• 13:17 - Medes will be stirred up against Babylon.

Do you remember several entries ago how I questioned how the captured southern tribe was taunted by the Assyrians, but ends up being captured by the Babylonians, then ruled by the Persians? Isaiah seems to already know all this. He knows about the Assyrians. He tells about the Babylonians conquering the proud Assyrians. He knows the Medes (Persians) will overtake the Babylonians. What cool cross references for non-Biblical historical records is this? Talk about confirming the validity of the Bible - this kind of stuff does it for me. Now, I don't know if I would have absorbed this if I hadn't gotten off track and put two and two together several days ago.

• Some history about the fall of Satan (Lucifer) in chapter 14. Isaiah is all over the place in the time line - past, future, present
• Ahaz is dead in 14:28. Philistia will fall
• Negative prophesy given against Moab (ch 15), Syria (17), Ethopia (18), Egypt (19, civil war).
• Someday Egypt will worship God, as will Assyria, and a highway will connect them. I don't think this has happened yet. See 19, starting with vs. 18.
• Did Isaiah walk around naked for three years? (ch 20)
• What is the Valley of Vision? (ch 22)
• Shebna was an official under king Hezekiah. Apparently he had a tomb that was a bit too fancy for God's taste.
• It seems that Tyre will fall, and will in some way supply treasures to the Israelites. (ch 23)

It is hard to tell if Isaiah is making prophecies that came true long ago, or if he is describing things that are yet to come. Chapter 24 describes a pretty desolate landscape, a vast wasteland - is this still to come? How about the praise described in 25? Is the trampling of Moab to come again in the future, or is he back to the fall of Moab in chapter 15 (vs. 10)?

Chapter 26:1 - in what day? When the Lord returns to reign? Our past or our future?

Day 51 ~ dove-eyed girl loves gazelle boy

The conclusion of Ecclesiastes really didn't strike up any more significant questions, other than after all that depressing talk about living for today because you die and that's it, he concludes that you should live for God. Not one of my favorites of what we've read so far.

So, we're off to read through Song of Solomon, again attributed as written by King Solomon, or possibly for him. In our readings about Solomon we know he seemed to favor one wife referred to as the Daughter of Pharaoh. But this woman who becomes his bride (one of his 700) is a dark skinned Shulamite. One of the comments in my Bible reminds us that the young girl that slept with the old King David to "keep him warm" in his old age was a Abishag, the Shunamite maiden (1 Kings 1:1-4, 15). David's son Adonijah requested that he be given Abishag when David died. But this was improper in that Solomon, David's named successor, was entitled to her along with David's other wives and concubines (maybe Solomon inherited a starter set of wives.) Anyway, Solomon had Adonijah put to death for his request, so that particular Shunamite maiden was available.

Song of Solomon is a love story between a married couple. Read between the lines and it's kinda juicy, on the surface, it's just a little strange.

• chapter 3 - she gets up at night and goes looking for him because he is not in the bed. She asks people on the street if they have seen her love. If this is truly about Solomon, I have a guess (or about 1000 guesses) where he might be.
• chapter 4:1-2 - is he complementing her because none of her teeth are missing?
• 4:9 - it would kind of gross me out if my husband called me "sister"
• 6:8 - okay, maybe Solomon doesn't have 700 wives and 300 concubines - yet. It appears that he only has 60 queens (wives) and 80 concubines.
• 7:2 - hey, my waist looks like a heap of wheat! When will we return to the time when that is considered beautiful?!
• 7:8 - okay, that's a bad pickup line - "can I climb your palm tree and grab your branches?".
• 7:9 - you don't often hear of people complimenting someone for the roof of their mouth.

I asked my husband to write me a love poem one time. It had something about eggs and bacon in it. I like my husband's poem better than Solomon's.

Twenty-two books completed. I'm going to wait to start Isaiah until tomorrow. I'm really tired and have a headache, and I've been looking forward to Isaiah, and I'll miss too much if I read it now.

Day 50 ~ Is there a promise of Heaven in the Old Testament?

Are all the proverbs written by Solomon? Or only the ones that say they are written by Solomon (1, 10, 25). I get that question answered in Proverbs 30 & 31, when the author of those chapters are listed as Agur, and King Lemuel. But Agur and King Lemuel is only listed in Proverbs 31, and no where else, so we don't know who they are. According to I Kings 4:32, Solomon wrote 3000 proverbs and 1000 songs.

• 25:16 - gluttony - "Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, Lest you be filled with it and vomit."
• 25:17 - "Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house, Lest he become weary of you and hate you"
• 25:24 - repeated nearly verbatim from 21:9. Why?
• What is the deal with lions? Are their lots of lions around the promised land? Psalms and Proverbs uses the lion many times.
• 25:18 -19 - hey, I was only kidding!
• 27:1 - don't boast about tomorrow
• recurring theme - self praise - as in don't do it - 27:2
• 27:13 - repeated again from 20:16 - garment as surety (guarantee)
• 28:20 - get rich quick schemes will not go unpunished
• 29:18 - no vision = no restraint
• 30:4 - "Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, If you know?" - I'm assuming this is about Jesus.
• 30:6 - why some people don't write in their Bibles.
• 30:26 - rock badger - don't eat it!
• The whole chapter 30 of Proverbs was odd. I'm glad Agur only wrote one chapter.
• 31:10-31 - a virtuous woman described. Depressing for us working moms - I can't even keep my own house clean! Fortunately, my husband got me housecleaning as a christmas present (hint, hint, excellent gift!). Now I have the time to make the fine linen garments for him.
• 31:23, 31 - the gates of the city - it must have been like the business district - it would be interesting to see the activity around the gates of a city like Jerusalem.

Twenty books are completed, 46 remain. It doesn't seem like we've covered much territory when you look at it this way, but we're more than 1/2 the way through the entire content. Only forty days remaining in the challenge. Wow.

Ecclesiastes - it's all about the context of the writer in my mind. If this was written by Solomon, which it appears it likely was, then this fellow was unhappy. Remember that Solomon ended his rule in a terrible manner, led astray to worship many idols by his 700 wives and 300 concubines. (See 1 Kings 11:1-13). (You won't read about this in the Chronicles, written with "rose colored glasses" highlighting more of the good than the bad). He also wrote some of the Proverbs and Psalms, and the Song of Solomon which we'll read tomorrow. If I had to guess, I'd say he wrote Ecclesiastes near the end of his life when it was all going downhill. Of course, I haven't read the whole book, maybe the end provides something more than "vanity, vanity, all is vanity."

Now, after starting the depressing book of Ecclesiastes, I wonder why the author (king Solomon, most likely) is so short-sighted. Why does he consider that when he is dead and everything is lost or passed on, that he has wasted his life, that is is a waste. Has he no promise of something after he's dead? No eternal rewards? And this brought to mind heaven. Or the lack of reading about heaven.

Did the people of the old testament have a promise of life after death before the new covenant? Was there a promise of Heaven?

King David seemed to have some kind of understanding that he would have an opportunity to dwell with God:

• Psalm 16:11 "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
  Psalm 17:15 "As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness."

In Matthew and Luke, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are described as being in heaven, or the kingdom of God, or Paradise. But the phrase "Kingdom of God" is only found in the New Testament in the New King James Version, same thing with "Paradise."

So what permanent, everlasting promise is there to the people of the Old Testament that would be enticing enough to follow all these commandments? Is it to avoid eternity in hell? Proverbs has many instances where as soul can be delivered from hell, or behavior that will lead to hell. To me it would have all seemed futile? Am I right to think that if you're an OT Hebrew, you're trying to follow the rules just to keep from being punished, not because you will get an eternal reward. Doesn't seem too enticing to me. But every once in awhile we get a glimpse of the savior to come in some prophetic passages.

What was "heaven" to the people of the Old Testament? Did they have an understanding of the promise of eternal life in a perfect creation with God? A future dwelling place, as promised to the righteous in the New Testament? Did they understand that they were striving to please God so that they could be with Him? The word "heaven" is almost always used to refer to the physical sky/planets/atmosphere.

This makes the New Covenant even more important. If I were a Hebrew, or a modern-day Jew, what do I have to look forward to? Sacrifices that don't fully or permanently atone for my sin in a new temple? As a Christian, I have a promise of something more than my dreams can imagine, rewards for my faithfulness and devotion, and eternity with my Savior and Lord in heaven, an opportunity to be in the His glorious perfection. No wonder Solomon found it all futile...it was! He seems to have no promise, so it didn't matter. The Law is not enough. But even if the Law was followed perfectly, there would be no promise without Christ's sacrifice. As soon as you enter into the New Testament, it is full of "Kingdom of God," eternal life, and visions of heaven. It's all about the covenant...it's all about Jesus.

I think Hebrews will unlock some of this for us. In 37 days.

I had a song in my head, and coming out of my mouth (just ask my co-workers) all day today - I could not get it out of my head until now when I can't remember a lick of it except the really high squealign part (some 70s pop one-hit wonder with the really high "aaah ahh ahhh ah ah ah" sung with a black woman with an afro full of babies breath per the youtube video). It has been replaced with the Byrds 1965 hit "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everthing There is a Season). Hum it in your head. Now read Ecclesiastes chapter 3.

Okay, more about heaven. Will there be pets in heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:21 makes me think about it: "Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?" Don't worry little Timmy, you'll see Lassie in heaven." Is that true? Do animals have souls? Why would Jesus die to redeem Lassie? No. Here is how Billy Graham answers the question on his website.

Q: Will there be animals in heaven?
A: God has a special reason and place for each of His created beings. Animals, too, are a part of an orderly creation by God. Man, as the highest order of creation, has been given dominion over the animal kingdom (Genesis 1:26-28). We believe that animals were intended for man's enjoyment and use. The Bible itself does not indicate that there is life after death for animals. It may be that God's purpose for animals is fulfilled on this earth. However, if animals would make us happier in heaven, surely there will be a place for them there. Some Bible interpreters have called attention to Isaiah's description of the peace of God's future kingdom where he says that "the wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox" (Isaiah 65:25). Heaven will lack nothing that is good and that will bring glory to God.

7:26 - perhaps this is the root of Solomon's problem - we know it is what led him astray. - "And I find more bitter than death The woman whose heart is snares and nets, Whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God shall escape from her, But the sinner shall be trapped by her."

After a week or so of some "light reading," there was much to chew on in today's passage. But, I've got to move on!

Day 49 ~ Train up a child in the way he should go...

After having read through the majority of the proverbs, I wish I would have kept a list of themes that I noticed from the beginning. Maybe I will next time I read through the proverbs. There are many familiar proverbs in today's passage.

• Proverbs 13 - honesty and hard work vs. laziness - guess which is better for you?
• 13:24 - Spare the rod, spoil the child. Theme alert: also see 20:30, 19:18, 22:15, 23:13-14.
• 14:15 - "The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps." Have you seen the commercials on tv for the weight loss drug "akavar" where they say "eat all you want and still lose weight...and we couldn't say that on tv if it weren't true" - yeah, right.
• Proverbs 15 - wisdom in speech. 15:1 - soft answer turns away wrath
• Another theme - seeking wise counsel, avoiding listening to fools
• 16:18 - "Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. "
• 14:12 & 16:25 are the same - "There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death."

I noticed repeated proverbs again on several other verses -they are repeated again exactly or in a very similar manner. Why? When chapter 1, 10 and 25 list Solomon as the author, are they the only ones written by Solomon? I was assuming that the entire book of proverbs was written by Solomon. Maybe not. Why the repeating?

• 16:33 - casting lots - the decision is from the Lord. Is this in reference to Urim and Thummin? Are they special dice of some sort that can be used to determine God's will? Also in 18:18 - " Casting lots causes contentions to cease, And keeps the mighty apart." I don't think that this means if you want to avoid fighting, go to Atlantic City or Vegas.
• 18:10 - song - "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe."
• 18:21 - another recurring theme is controlling your speech - "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit."
• 17:9, 18:24 - friend closer than a brother.
• 19:9 - another theme - bearing false witness - don't do it!
• 19:11 - I need to keep this in my mind! - "The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression." See also 20:3

Okay, what's with picking on nagging women? Maybe these poor women have to live with the unfaithful or lazy men that are described in the proverbs as bad news. 19:13b - "And the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping" is repeated again in 21:9 as "Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman" and 21:19 as "Better to dwell in the wilderness, Than with a contentious and angry woman." and 27:15 - "A continual dripping on a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike"

• Another recurring theme - having mercy on the poor. 19:17. There are many proverbs to encourage one who is poor (but not if they are poor because they are lazy!)
• Warnings about abusing wine and strong drink are in 20:1 and 23:29-35
• 20:21 - avoid get rich quick schemes - "An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning Will not be blessed at the end"
• 20:22 - revenge is God's to take care of, not ours.
• 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it."
• 22:7 - Dave Ramsey's key verse in Financial Peace University (take it - it can change your life!) - "The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender."
• Another money theme, in regards to borrowing/charging interest - See 22:26-27, 23:4-5
• 22:28 - "Do not remove the ancient landmark Which your fathers have set." (also 23:10). Is this because in the year of jubilee all the territory is to be returned to the rightful/original owner?
• Another recurring theme - proper use of weights and measures
• 24:17 - "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;" - This would seem to apply to David.
• 24:27 - Pioneers (at least the ones portrayed on tv) use this tactic - barn and fields first before the family gets a good house - "Prepare your outside work, Make it fit for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house."

Day 48 ~ Righteous is Good, Wickedness is Bad

How am I suppose to read the Proverbs in 2-1/2 days and not basically mention every one as I go? My husband is reading through a proverb a day right now in his devotional time. Perhaps when this challenge is completed in about 42 days, I'll do the same. Today he is reading Proverbs 13, which is one chapter past my goal. Tomorrow, I'll think of him when I read chapter 14, and we'll have something to discuss as we lay down to go to sleep.

The intro to the proverbs in chapter one lists Solomon, the wise king and son of David, as the author. I'll be looking for proverbs that highlight money, as I'm involved with the Financial Peace University class right now and the materials often quote proverbs.

Here we go...

• Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
• 3:9-10 - "Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.
• 3:11-12 "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction; For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights."
• Why is wisdom described in the feminine tense?
• I think Solomon wants his son to pay attention to his words. How many times is this repeated in just the first four chapters? Reminds me of the young guy at the end of Job who keeps saying "listen to me"
• How does someone who has 700 wives give advise like 5:18 - rejoice in the wife of your youth?
• Dave Ramsey's "gazelle intensity" comes from this passage in Proverbs 6:1-5 - where the advise is to get out of a situation where you owe someone money as quickly as possible.
• Seven things God hates: a proud look, lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, fee that run toward evil, false witness/liar, and one who sows discord. 6:15-19.
• Do you notice how many times already we're advised to stay away from immoral women? Is this because it is such a challenge to Solomon, or men in general.
• "playing with fire" - 6:27.
• Wisdom is better than rubies. I always preferred diamonds, sapphires or emeralds. 8:11
• 8:27 - in the context of talking about God and creation" when He drew a circle on the face of the deep" - does that mean that the earth was round?
• 10: 4 - "He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich"
• 10:19b - "But he who restrains his lips is wise."
• 11:15 - "He who is surety for a stranger will suffer, But one who hates being surety is secure."
• 11:22 "As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion."
• 12:10 - tender mercies - but used in an odd way in reference to and unrighteous response
• 12:15 - "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise. "

Day 47 ~ Praise the Lord

Several of the psalms in this section are called "song[s] of ascent" and are very uplifting, glorifying and thankful.

• Psalm 121 - I know two different versions of this psalm set to music, and both of them are very moving.
• 122:1 - song - I was glad when they said unto me...
• 127:1 - "Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it"
• 127:3 - "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward"
• Psalm 130 - wait and hope - redemption will come
• I've noticed the phrase "this time forth and forever more" multiple times - 113, 115, 121, 125, 131, 133
• 132:6 - Ephrathah - I remember this word from the play a couple of years ago when the Christians in the dark edges were interrupted in their worship by soldiers. The minister was preaching and reading from the Bible and had to say that word, which is a tongue twister. He was reading from Micah 5:2.
• Psalm 133 - unity. Vs. 2 - why is it pleasant to have oil run down your head and beard?
• 135:7 - God causes the "vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth" - what does that mean?
• 135:15-18 - comparing the living God to inanimate objects, very similar to Psalm 115.
• 136 - repeating "His mercy endures forever" following truths of God
• 139 - very personal psalm, very open to God, very intimate. This psalm and 121 are two of my favorites. However, David, the author, spoils it a bit for me when he calls the wrath of God down on the wicked. But this time he at least is wanting them slain because they hate God, as opposed to having David complain that he is under pressure. But God knows David's thoughts (and mine), and David is transparent enough to voice them.
• 142:4; 144:11 - the right hand again
• 143:7 - what is the pit? hell? I always wonder what "the pit" is in Grey's Anatomy, too.
• 144:3-4 - "Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him? Man is like a breath; His days are like a passing shadow."
• 145:9 - tender mercies

We've completed 19 books with the end of Psalm 150.

Day 46 ~ The entirety of Your word is truth

As freqently as David glorifies God, he invokes God's wrath. Why not pray for his enemies to be converted to followers of God? In Psalm 109, as in many others written by David, when David gets offended, he wants God to strike them down. No tender mercies from David.

• 109:31 - right hand - and again in 110:1
• 111:10 - "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom"
• Psalm 115 contrasts the real living God with the inanimate idols
• Psalm 117 - only one verse long - shortest psalm, perhaps even the shortest chapter in the Bible?
• 118:8-9 - misplaced trust
• 118:22 - Messianic - "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone."
• 118:24; 26 - songs - This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it; Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!

Have you ever received the email about Psalm 118 being the middle of the Bible? This is an interesting link that proves/disproves this idea. http://www.snopes.com/religion/center.asp

The 176 verses of Psalm 119 are divided into 22 stanzas of eight lines each: one stanza for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In the first stanza, each of the 8 lines begin with the first letter of the alphabet; in the next stanza, each of the lines begin with the second letter, and so on through the entire alphabet. Poems that use patterns involving the initial letter of a line are called acrostics Psalm 119 is one of about a dozen alphabetic acrostic poems in the Bible (including Psalm 9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, and 145). Of course the beauty of this structure is lost on us when it is translated into english.

The second stanza is for the Hebrew letter "Beth," or "Bet" or "Beit" or "vet" (why can't we have only one translation of this one letter)? How fitting, especially verse 15: I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways." I've been meditating and contemplating for 46 days now!

Psalm 118 is basically saying teach me your commands and help me to know and follow them. No less than eight words are used to describe these important writings: word, law, testimonies, precepts, statues, commands, ordinances, judgements.

• 119:105 - song - Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
• 119:145 starts a new stanza with the letter "Qoph" - great scrabble word.
• 119:156 - tender mercies
• 119:160 - "The entirety of Your word is truth"

I may just start signing my correspondence ב (beth)

Day 45 ~ Let the Redeemed Give Thanks

DAY 45! I made it half way through and have actually gained a day so far! Praise God!

• Psalm 90:10 - there are 70 years in our lives, 80 if we're fortunate.
• Psalm 91 - written as if first person God again.
• 92 - sing on the sabbath day

In addition to "tender mercies," I've also noted three other phrases of interest - "in the courts"; God described as a "rock"; the "right hand" of God. I'm assuming that the first is in reference to the temple, being in God's presence (although you aren't in the holy of holies with the ark and God's glory between the cheribum's wings. Rock, I'm assuming is the stability, the solid foundation. Right hand - I'm thinking maybe that is the "clean" hand, the one to bestow good things? I'm guessing.

Grace and I read a book tonight before bed with a princess and a dragon. It was great to be able to share with her that there was a dragon-like creature in the Bible that breathed fire and lived in the sea (Job, Psalms, and later in Isaiah - Leviathan).

• Psalm 100 - be an active, vocal participant in worship - that is what God desires.
• 102 - describes a person in deep depression
• 103:1 - song - Bless the Lord, Oh my soul. Why does it seem that verse one contains instantly recognizable songs in so many Psalms?
• 103:4 - tender mercies
• 104 - describing creation
• 104:18 - rock badger - don't eat it, it's unclean!
• 104:26 - Leviathan
• 104:30 - God created by sending forth His spirit
• 105:1 - song - "Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!"
• 105:8 - God remembers His covenant forever
• 105:23 - Egypt from Ham, son of Noah - and again in 106:21-23
• 105:27 - a description of the plagues given, with a few more details each time. We've already read another plague description in the Psalms, just don't remember which.
• 106:45 - why does God continually save His chosen people? Because of His covenant.
• 107:1 - Let the redeemed give thanks -that's us!

Day 44 ~ Tender Mercies

Book Three of the Psalms contains Psalm 73-89. Asaph, the author of several Psalms in this grouping (and also Heman - see Ps 88, 89) were selected by David in I Chronicles 15:16-17 to be singers accompanied by musicians in the temple.

• Psalm 73 - the writer is tempted to be jealous of the wicked and their stuff, until verse 17, when he is in the sanctuary of God, then he understands their true wickedness. If we are in God's presence, the evil will become obvious to us.
• 73:25-26 - song "God is the Strength of My Heart"
• Psalm 74 - describes the destruction and burning of the temple
• 77:9 - "tender mercies" - this description has leaped off the page at me a couple of times. Psalm 25:6, 40:11, 51:1, 69:16, here and again in 79:8, (then also in 103:4, 119:77, 156, 145:9 - which I haven't read yet). Mercy seems tender to me anyway, this seems very loving.
• Psalm 77 - for the insomniac
• 78:25 - Mannah is angel food. I thought we wouldn't eat in heaven. Who knows what that thought is based on.
• 78:47 - tree alert! Sycamore!
• 78:51 - Egyptians descend from Ham (son of Noah). I'm going to guess that's right - I'm too tired to go look it up!
• Psalm 81 - written in first person from God's perspective. I think that's something new.
• 84:1-2 - song "How Lovely Are Thy Dwelling Places"
• Psalm 86 - written by David, guess we're not done with his songs yet
• 89:1 - song "I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever"

Day 43 ~ I Miss Rich Mullins

I'm sitting on my back porch tonight. The little black kitten is long gone, off to another new home. The weather seems to have turned toward fall. My tulip tree in the back yard has dead rust colored leaves clinging to the branches. It turned quickly over a couple of days. I saw several tulip trees a bit smaller at the Hutson's during the Home Fellowship bonfire on Saturday and they all had their green leaves. I'm thinking ours might be dead or dying. I hope not, it is the only good sized tree in the back yard before you get to the woods. I hear lots of sounds...crickets, a motorcycle, cars, the neighbor's toddler crying, dogs barking, footsteps on the stairs inside the house, a vacuum, a combine... Given the peaceful setting, and the fact that I don't stop for much in Psalms, I'm going for two nights reading tonight!

• Psalm 51 - David has been caught in his sin, and he doesn't lie or deny his guilt. However, in verse 4 he says he has only sinned against God. I'm not sure that Uriah would agree with that statement. I don't think I do either.
• 51:15-16 - God desires a broken and contrite heart above a burnt offering (we'll see this thought again in 60:31-32.
• 53:1 - also in 14:1 - the fool has said there is no God.
• 55:6 - reminds me of Jenny from Forest Gump - when young Jenny says "Dear God, make me a bird. So I could fly far. Far far away from here" Wasn't that an awesome movie?
• 56 - does your Bible version have an opening descriptor to most of the Psalms? Mine does, I think it is part of the scripture, not the commentary. Anyway, many of them say "set to" and then what appears to be a melody title, in this case "The Silent Dove in the Distant Lands". There are also "melody" songs listed in Psalm 9, 22, 45, 57, 58, 60, 69, 75, 80, 88 (I stopped at 89, cause I made it through two days!). Some of them are listed more than once, like "Do Not Destroy" and one with "Lilies" in the name. So, are these titles rythyms, or melodies or tunes? Do the Jews still know the tunes and use them?
• And what is Michtam? listed in the describing sentence in Psalm 16, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60.
• 62:1, 5 - Truly my soul silently waits for God.

Rich Mullins break here. Psalm 63:1 reminds me of him. I love Rich Mullins' music. I remember being at weeks of camp with him way before he became famous (with a group named "Zion" and at Cincinnati Bible College), one at Rainbow Christian Camp as a teenager. He kept singing "Jenny, Jenny...867-5309" - do you remember that song? The last time I saw him was at Taylor University in September 1996, a year before his death in a car accident. If I remember correctly, I went with Gino & Deb Small, Alicia & Eric King, Jay & Julie St. Peters. I cannot hear a Rich Mullins song to this day without getting a tight throat or crying. And I'm not much of a cryer. If found a youtube video of a concert about 6 weeks before his death that is very similar to the concert that I went to, however at Taylor he played the Dulcimer on this song, which was awesome to watch. Anyway, Psalm 63:1 instantly reminded me of his song "Sometimes by Step". I strongly recommend his CD "Songs" - one of my all time favorite CDs. Here's the song on Rhapsody: Rich Mullins Sometimes by Step: "1. Sometimes By Step - Rich Mullins ". Here's the song with a video and the words on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-b7TQMoZsM

• Psalm 71 - the Elderly believers psalm
• 72 is from Solomon (the first one I think). He'll have a whole book of songs later. The psalm ends with "The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended." That's kind fo weird. What does it mean? Will we have any more Psalms written by David (yes, 86).
• 72:20 - "The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended" - what does this mean? Will we have any more from David?

Day 42 ~ Be Still and Know That I Am God

• Ps 33:9 - "For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast." - I think of this in reference to creation.
• Ps 34:8 - "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good"
• Ps 35:12-15 make me wonder if David is referring to the time that he sent condolences to a neighboring kingdom when the king died (Moab?) and the recipients doubted his sincerity and subsequently attacked him.
• 37:9-11 - reminds me of the Beatitudes
• 37:16 - "A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked."
• Ps 39 - learn to keep your mouth shut; life is short

So ends "book 1" of the Psalms (1-41). Book 2 is listed in my commentary as 42-72.

The sons of Korah are mentioned several times in the remainder of today's passage. Per our former reading, the sons of Korah are Levite gatekeepers. I thought that maybe they were the order of musicians that David created. Guess not.

• 42:1 - "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God."
• 45:8b - "Out of the ivory palaces" - do you remember the song?
• 46:10a - "Be still and know that I am God."
• 47:1 - "Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!"
• 49:8-9 - "For the redemption of their souls is costly, And it shall cease forever—That he should continue to live eternally, And not see the Pit." - Messianic?
• 50:16-17 - "But to the wicked God says: 'What right have you to declare My statutes, Or take My covenant in your mouth, Seeing you hate instruction And cast My words behind you?' "
• 50:22-23 - Hope for the sinner, separated from God:
  “Now consider this, you who forget God, Lest I tear you in pieces, And there be none to deliver: Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.”

Day 41 ~ Joy comes in the morning

• Psalms 14:1 - "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' "
• 14:7 - 7 Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! - and it does!
• Ps 15 - description of integrity - I've failed within the first few descriptors
• Ps 18 - horn of salvation - referring to the horn on the altar? A place of safety? Remember someone we've read about escaped to the horn of the altar - yes, a couple of kings - Adonijah (1 Kings 1:50), Joab (2:28). This psalm also contains the song sung in rounds..."I will call upon the Lord...Who is worthy to be praised..."
• 19:14 - "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer."
• Ps 22 - parallels Jesus' death in at least three ways in verses 14-18: "I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. 16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; 17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. 18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots."
• Of course we all know the 23rd Psalm.
• Ps 24:1 - The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.; 24:3-4 - more examples of integrity - "Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully."
• Ps 25 - "Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me" goes well with the passage from the sermon today from 1 John 3:18-22 "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight."
• Ps 27:1 - this would be a good one to teach Grace to remember when she has those nightmares about Spiders and Snakes: "The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?"
• Ps 30:5 - "For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning."

Day 40 ~ Behemoth & Leviathan: dinosaurs?

I read as scheduled, but didn't do the blog yesterday because my comments were so brief. I guess that was God's timing, because in church this morning Ed Moore launched the service with a passage from Job chapter 37 about God and how he miraculously controls nature through the weather. It was nice for him to have used the challenge, and I knew exactly what he was talking about - it put a nice meaningful spin to my worship today.

• Job Chapter 40:15 - Could Behemoth have been a dinosaur? Visit Answers In Genesis for their take: http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v15/i2/behemoth.asp
• Job 41:1 - Could Leviathon be a sea monster or dragon or dinosaur? Visit Answers in Genesis for their take: http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v15/i2/behemoth.asp
• Note that there is no closing comments with God and Satan as there were opening comments at the beginning of Job.

Job completed! Now, are we beginning the "hymnbook of the second temple" described by Ezra? My brief recordings as I breeze through these poems

• Ps 1 - choose your path: Godly or ungodly
• Ps 2 - quoted in Acts 4, Hebrews 1:5, 5:5; 2:6 - Messianic
• Ps 3 - David flees from Absalom when this is written. What is a Selah? A transition? Interlude? Musical direction? We know that David established the music troops for the temple and that he played instruments well - that is how he got in front of King Saul - he could sooth his troubled spirit.
• Ps 4 - Man rules over beasts

Day 39 ~ Why not blame Satan?

Job and his "friend" continue to debate back and forth about what has brought Job's disasters. They all talk about God, but why do none of them talk about this coming from Satan?

Day 38 ~ With friends like Job's, who needs enemies?

I've mentioned before that I'm not much into poetry. Plus, Job is one tidbit after another, almost like proverbs. I'm just reading through.

Job does mention Rahab, which makes me believe that he would have been chronologically after Rahab.

Job's "friends" have many reasons why God must be punishing Job - Job must have done something wrong, but Job insists he is innocent, and appeals to God to show him his sin. He tells his friend they are pitiful encouragers, and he would encourage them if they were in his situation. Job knows his only redemption can come from God. He continues to contend he is innocent. There are some good comebacks to mouthy idiots.

My shortest blog ever!

Day 37a ~ Cliff Notes Revisited

As I was sitting eating my breakfast this morning and getting a start on my reading for today, I was using the NKJV Bible with the study helps that I normally use, but did not use yesterday, nor for Ezra or Nehemiah. I reviewed the study helps and have the following to add to my comments about the empires that oppressed Judah and Israel.

• King Josiah of Judah fought against King Necho of Egypt back in II Chronicles 35. Apparently King Necho was on his way north not to fight Judah, but to help the Assyrians in an attack against the Babylonians. The delay of Necho to battle King Josiah resulted in the the fall of the Assyrian city of Haran in 609BC.
• Ezra wasn't in the first round of Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. There were three major waves of Jews who returned to Jerusalem after King Cyrus gave the green light. Cyrus, if you remember, was one of the first kings of Persia after they defeated the Babylonians bringing that empire to an end. The study helps say that Ezra returned in the second wave, about 458BC, and that Nehemiah was in the third wave, about 444BC. I don't have my handy Old Testament Chronology CD to check that against.
• Apparently the Cyrus of Ezra was not the first Cyrus in the Persian empire. The Chart that I referred to only starts with the line of empire where they overtook the previous empire who ruled over the Jews.
• The study helps in this Bible place the chronology of Esther before Ezra and Nehemiah. It attributes Xerxes I as king Ahasuerus in Esther 1:1, with his reign from 486BC to 465BC.
• The study helps in this Bible place both Ezra and Nehemiah under the rule of Artaxerxes I Longimanus (464-424BC). So Ezra wouldn't have been an old man when Nehemiah came, because I was assuming that Ezra was in the first wave of Jews who started the temple reconstruction before it was halted, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

No, I didn't read any new material yet!

Day 37 ~ Cliff Notes on Assyria/Babylon/Persia timeline

Okay, you know I've got this thing about the timeline, right. To me, all these clues, in context with other historical documents, especially of other cultures, solidifies even more the accuracy fo the Bible.

It would seem that Ezra, Nehemiah and the book of Esther would be during similar time periods. In my handy chronology of the kings of the divided kingdom, states that in 536BC the temple reconstruction instructed by Cyrus is started, and it is concluded in 516BC. Ezra and Nehemiah were obviously contemporaries, as Ezra reads the book of the Law in Nehemiah's presence in front of the people. And Ezra would have arrived in Jerusalem before Nehemiah and begun the temple reconstruction, then Nehemiah began the wall reconstruction. The king in Esther, Ahasuerus (also identified as Xerxes in some texts), is also named in Ezra (4:6). The same name is also used in Daniel as the father of the king when Daniel was in Babylon. But Nehemiah worked under King Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 2:1). So, maybe Esther was before Ezra, and the king who replaced Ahasuerus/Xerxes was Cyrus. I'm having enough trouble with keeping the kings of Israel straight, I should avoid trying to place the kings of Assyria in chronological order.

But, I can't. You knew that.

Guess what? There's another great timeline in my book "The Chronology of the Old Testament" by Floyd Jones, and it gives the chronology and helps with the Assyria/Babylon question. Here's the Cliff Notes:

• Israel, under king Hoshea, falls to Sargon II, king of Assyria, in 721BC (II Kings 18:9-11)
• Assyria begins to fall apart - Ninevah falls in 612BC, followed by city of Haran, followed by a failed counter-attack against the Babylonians, then the fall of a final city and they are defeated by Babylonians by 605BC. We'll hear more about this in Ezekiel 1 and Jeremiah 25.
• "The Servitude" of the Babylonians against the southern kingdom of Judah begins within a year of the Babylonians defeating the Assyrians - the Babylonians were waging wars on more than one front. See jeremiah 25:1, 46:2.
• The reign of king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon began shortly after this oppression began - Jehoiakim was king of Judah (2 Kings 23:36, 2 Chronicles 36:5). The captivity comes nine years into Nebuchadnezzar's reign, he made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah. (2 Kings 24:17-19, 2 Chronicles 36:11, Jeremiah 39:1,2). Zedekiah "ruled" as a puppet of Neb in Jerusalem for 11 years, but many are taken captive to Babylon at the beginning of Zedekiah's reign (about 597bc).
• Jerusalem is burned 586BC. 2 Kings 25:1-4, 8-10. Jeremiah 52:12. I assume it's abandoned.
• Thus begins 70 years of no temple in Jerusalem. We'll hear about that in Jeremiah and Daniel. But apparently the reconstruction of the temple begins during the end of this 70 years, and the 70 years is complete when the temple is complete.
• About 65 years after Nebuchadnezzar becomes king of Babylon, and about 4 kings later in Babylon, it falls to Darius the Meade (2 Chronicles 36:21-23, Ezra 1:1,2). What is a Meade? According to 2 Chronicles 36:20 "And those who escaped from the sword he [Nebuchadnezzer] carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia". Darius is Persian. Didn't I wonder about that yesterday? Is Persia Assyria? I thought maybe it was, but now we know that Assyria was defeated by Babylon who was defeated by Persia, which became a huge empire, and will be the empire that 200 years later is ruled by Alexander the Great.
• Now, you know how names are used over and over again? Same thing in the Persian empire, too. In 13 listed kings of Persia, starting with Darius then followed by Cyrus (from Ezra, who instructed the rebuilding of the temple), there are three king Darius, two Xerxes, and three Artaxerxes. You try to figure out which Darius is from Daniel and which Xerxes is from Esther. I can't.
• The chart doesn't give a timeline for when Esther's story takes place. If I had to guess, I would say the second or third Xerxes. The Jews don't seem to be oppressed and are spread out among the huge empire.
• The timeline places the completion of the temple in the second Darius' rule. All of the three Xerxes reigns' occur after the temple is completed (the first is 30 years after the temple is complete).
• The Artaxerxes in Nehemiah 2, according to this chart, would have been at least 45 years after the completion of the temple. Ezra would have been an old man when he read the law before the people in the presence of Nehemiah.
• I'm likin' this Floyd Jones guy. Aren't you glad we got this out of the way before we get to Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel? 'Cause you know it's gonna come up again.

So, what happened to the tribes of the northern kingdom? All we heard about in Ezra and Nehemiah were from the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin and the tribe of Levi. Are the northern tribes lost forever?

Now, to the history via the book of Esther

• The king's empire is vast - 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia, and I would presume that includes the territory that Judah formerly occupied, as well as the former land of the northern tribes who formed the country of Israel. This would have been a world power at the time, and the people of Judah would have been but a cog in the wheel.
• Apparently the "Assyria's Next Top Model/Queen" contast to replace the dethroned Vashti required a 12 month preparation period of eligible virgins.
• Esther has many admirable qualities - humility, beauty, bravery, boldness, respect, pride, patience, loyalty...
• Esther finally gets her chance in front of the king. This was an overnight stay, by the way; my guess is that she was no longer a virgin. She is not sent to the second harem of concubines, but is made queen right away. Note that the beauties are surrounded by Eunuchs, who didn't have the "equipment" to interfere with the ladies, if you know what I mean.
• Why did Mordecai tell Esther not to say she was Jewish? It appears the oppression of the Jews was started by Haman because Mordecai would not bow to him and it bruised his oversized ego. I'm assuming this time frame is after the Jews were allowed to go back to Jerusalem.
• 3:14 - if you knew the time of your slaughter, wouldn't you get lost? I guess it would be hard to get away if the decree is given to 127 provinces that on the 13th day of the 12th month your race was to be wiped out.
• 4:14 - Mordecai to Esther - "Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this"
• Pride goeth before the fall. Haman is a great example of this. The king can't sleep, so he reads a bit of the history of his reign and recounts Mordecai providing information that had saved the life of the king. He wants to know how Mordecai was rewarded for the information, and when he finds out that he wasn't rewarded, the king wants to honor him immediately. Haman must have been embarassed that the man he came to the king to ask to be killed by his hand on the gallows he had already constructed was now the man that he had to lead around for all to cheer. Haman's own family and friends had told Haman that his pride was going to cause him problem if he didn't keep it in check.
• Esther's well-devised plan results in Haman's death on his own gallows, and the property and position he held went to Mordecai.
• You can't revoke the kings original decree to all the killing of the jews for one day, but Mordecai is given the approval and power to give it the old college try to come up with a way to avoid the disaster. His king-approved decree was that the Jews could actively defend themselves, and even attack, on this one day and take plunder from those they defeat. The Jews take advantage and kill 75,000 throughout the provinces, but leave the plunder.
• 8:17 - many people become Jews because of this proclaimation.
• Have you heard of the Jewish Purim. This is where it comes from. See 9:22.
• Want to celebrate Purim or learn more - http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday9.htm

Okay. I finished Esther at lunch today, and have been working on this blog for 2 hours. I have 8 chapters to read in Job tonight to keep on track.

17 books completed. I think I got lost somewhere, but I counted it out tonight. Books of Law (5) - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Books of History (12) - Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. Now on to the books of Wisdom: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon. hey, I remembered that from memory, at 11:27pm.

I'm not even going to try to figure out when Job occurs. I don't think anyone knows. He was into sacrificing, so maybe it was during one of the few moments when Israel was on track. So it was after the exodus, and likely before the temple, since they don't mention the temple in his sacrifices.

You know the story of Job. God allows Satan to try to get Job to defy God. He takes away his family, his health, his friends and wife mock him. Job curses the day he was born, he asks God to let him die. His friends tell him he must have sinned and should appeal to God.

The rest...tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed this explanation of the timeline of Assyria/Babylon/Persia.

Day 36 ~ Walls of Jerusalem rebuilt

• Chapter 4 - Nehemiah's wall is defended against enemies who taunt them, but the people have a mind to work. The enemies try to get them off focus of the task at hand - rebuilding the wall, and nearly do, but they devise a plan for shifts to construct and defend - one hand working, one holding a weapon.
• Chapter 5 - more obstacles to stying on focus occur - shortage of food, infighting, taxes, slavery.
• Apparently when the king of Assyria sent Nehemiah, he must have appointed him as governor, his length of time to be gone from Assyria looks like it was 12 years.
• Chapter 6 - when he returns to Assyria, Nehemiah gives charge of Jerusalem to his brother, who was a faithful man and feared God more than many. But apparently not good enough, because we see later in chapter 13 that while Nehemiah is gone, the people quickly sway from the covenant that they sign in chapters 9 & 10.
• Chapter 7 - I wondered in Ezra why the people that had returned to Jerusalem were only listed as Levites, or from Judah or Benjamin, then I remembered that they are the tribes that were carried off to Babylon, while the other 10 tribes had been carted off to Assyria. So I decided to look on a map where Babylon and Assyria were, and basically the maps show that Assyria encompasses Babylon. Now I'm more confused. At any rate, they were two segments of a kingdom if not two separate kingdoms. There is a long list of people who returned to Jerusalem with Nehemiah. I assume that the northern tribe and the southern tribe were not held together.
• Ezra had arrived earlier and rebuilt the temple. Now Nehemiah rebuilds the walls, and it is time to fill the city.
• A new currency is listed in vs. 71 - drachmas, minas (also listed in Ezra).
• Chapter 8 - Ezra (scribe) and Nehemiah (governor) work together to read the Law and celebrate the feast of tabernacles. They helped people to understand the Law. They had not celebrated this feast of tabernacles (booths) since the time of Joshua.
• Chapter 9 - the people confess their sin, recall the history of their people, and make a covenant which many of them sign - and it includes not to marry foreigners, no work or sales on the Sabbath, rest the land every 7 years, support the temple and give of their firsts to the Lord.
• Chapter 10 - list of people who signed the covenant - there were many. You would think it would be enough to keep each other accountable, but it isn't
• Chapter 12 - a big choir stands on the wall. More architectural descriptions given.
• Chapter 13 - Nehemiah is back in the capital in the 32nd year of the kings reign, and comes back to Jerusalem to visit. The people in charge had become corrupted and had broken the covenant on several counts. Nehemiah gives new assignments to more reliable men. (We'll see how they fare).
• The downfall of Solomon is given as an example of why not to marry outside of the Hebrews.

Day 35 ~ Temple and walls rebuilt

• Ezra Chapter 1 - Cyrus, king of Persia, is instructed by God to send the Israelites who have been captive in Assyria back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the temple. He gathers up the stuff that had been stolen to return with the captives.
• Chapter 2 - the Israelites who return are listed.
• Chapter 3 - worship is restored in Jerusalem. Temple reconstruction is started. Some really loud shouting.
• Chapter 4 - Resistance and opposition to the rebuilding of the temple is intense. A letter writing campaign from the advesaries of Judah delays and tries to stops the temple reconstruction.
• Chapter 5 - I guess Persia is Babylon, because verse 13 lists Cyrus king of Babylon. King Darius is asked to check the archives to see if the letter from Cyrus really exists that instructs that the Jews could rebuild the temple. And it was found, and it even says that Persia will pay for the project. And, whomever alters the edict is to be destroyed. So Darius lets them complete the temple.
• Chapter 6 - Haggai and Zechariah are prophets in this rebuilding time.
• Temple is completed in the sixth year of Darius reign.
• Passover is celebrated.
• Chapter 7 - Ezra is introduced as a great scribe of God, come from Babylon with king Artaxerxes blessing to Jerusalem to teach. It appears that the Assyrians/Persians still reign over the Jews in Jerusalem, but support their religious ways. Ezra is to choose the judges in the land "beyond the river"
• Chapter 8 - The families who went with Ezra to Jerusalem are listed.
• Ezra and those with him camp near a river and send for Levites from Jerusalem to help fast and pray for protection as they move to Jerusalem.
• Chapter 9 - it is brought to Ezra's attention that the people are intermarrying with the pagan tribes again, especially those in leadership positions. "So when I [Ezra] heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and plucked out some of the hair of my head and beard, and sat down astonished" vs. 3. Had he not read any of the history of the people? This shouldn't have surprised him too awfully much!
• Chapter 10 - those willing to turn away their pagan wives and children were to report to Ezra within 3 days or loose their property and be separated. They ask for more time and a scheduled arrangment, which they get. The guilty parties are listed.

That's the end of Ezra. What did I learn? Ezra used fasting and prayer effectively. God used a powerful king to whom the Jews would listen to prepare a new temple for His Glory. The Israelites won't listen to their own prophets, but apparently will listen to a foreign king holding them captive.

15 books down, 51 to go.

• Nehemiah Chapter 1 - In the twentieth year of what? Is this before the temple is rebuilt? Or has there been more damage to the temple?

I've done a lot of reading of this challenge online using www.Biblegateway.com, reading from the New King James Version, because that's the hard copy version I started with. I've found two typographical errors so far. One is in Nehemiah chapter 1, verse 3. Can you find it?

• Apparently Nehemiah has read Deuteronomy, because he is quoting it. Maybe it wasn't in that form, but he knew it.
• Nehemiah was the king's cupbearer. Which king?
• Chapter 2 - king Artaxerxes. When the king inquires why he looks sad, Nehemiah says he wants to return home to help restore the burned city and the burial places of his family. The king says he can go, but he is to return at an assigned time. Nehemiah is bold enough to ask for a traveling safety pass and for people to supply him with what he needs for the rebuilding projects.
• Hey, I remember this guy - he rebuilds the wall - Pastor Barry gave a sermon from Nehemiah that I remember.
• Reference to the Refuse Gate and the Valley Gate and the Fountain Gate in Jerusalem as Nehemiah checks out the damage at night.
• Chapter 3 - Repairs or building of: Sheep Gate, Fish Gate, Old Gate, Refuse Gate, Eastern Gate, Horse Gate. Many people got into the action of repairing the walls and gates: the men of power, perfumers, daughters, goldsmiths...

Important archaelogical references - the gates that Nehemiah refers to are probabaly long gone - either destroyed by the Romans, or covered up and built over. However a reference is made to the "stairs that go down from the City of David" and a man-made pool - I think those were discovered on the south side of the temple mound when some excavation was done within the last few decades. Visitors to the Jewish Quarter of the old city of Jerusalem can see a portion of the wall that was rebuilt by Nehemiah. Is the East Gate mentioned in 3:29 the closed up gate that can be viewed today? Some sources say that the masonry at the base dates from the time of Nehemiah. It's more likely that the Golden Gate was erected on the same site of the Gate that Nehemiah erected.

Here are a couple of interesting sites about the temple mount: http://www.templemount.org/visittemp.html and the southern stairs http://community.gospelcom.net/Brix?pageID=5015

Other than referring to the tribe of Levi, it seems Ezra and Nehemiah don't really pay attention to the tribes much. They list by heads of families.