Commuter Bible

In his latter days, David charges his son Solomon to build the temple for the worship of God, and we get a few new details. First, we learn that the Lord did not allow David to build the temple because his hands had shed so much blood and because he had waged great wars. We also realize that David looked forward to the building of the temple even though he himself couldn’t build it, charging his s...

After staying in the house of Obed-Edom for a while, the ark of the covenant finally comes to Jerusalem with great fanfare. After King David reestablishes the tabernacle, he returns to his own home, a palace made of cedar, and thinks “Why does God dwell in a tent, while I, a mere man, dwell in a palace?” As his wheels begin to spin, he tells Nathan the prophet. Nathan tells David to go for it, but...

There’s a lot more historical narrative in today’s reading, especially when compared to our first three episodes in 1 Chronicles. David becomes king, he intends to reinstitute the proper worship of God at his tabernacle. When the ark of the covenant almost falls in transit, one man reaches out to grab it, which is not permissible by God’s law. The Lord strikes him dead, which both angers and terri...

We’re still working through a list of names, but thankfully things get a little more interesting this week as the lists are broken up by historical accounts and records of what people did and when. As someone who once worked retail and food service, I like the behind-the-scenes look at how the Levites and gatekeepers conducted the daily maintenance of the temple found in today’s reading. Later we’...

We’re reading through the genealogies handed down over the centuries that trace God’s people from Adam & Eve all the way through the exile to Babylon. Remember that each name represents a lifetime and a family: real people with real lives who either trusted in the Lord or who were stiff-necked and rebelled against the Lord. Reading these genealogies juxtaposed against chapters from Ecclesiastes re...

Alright, real talk: this episode probably isn’t going to change your life, but there are some interesting little nuggets to be found in between the names and genealogies. For instance, there’s, “The Prayer of Jabez,” right? which, if you didn’t live through 90’s Christendom, is the title of a book that says you can be blessed with prosperity if you pray prayers like Jabez. Although the author  pro...

Among the many things that Luke illustrates in his record of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, is that all of it was in fulfillment of Scripture, including a number of references to Psalm 22. While sinful men sought to snuff out this king and his message about a coming kingdom, they in fact helped usher in the new kingdom by crucifying the Son of God. Then, on the third day, Jesus rose from...

Looking back from our position in history, we have the advantage of considering the kingdom of God through all of the teachings of Jesus and through the lens of Scripture as a whole. During his time of ministry on earth, however, things weren’t so clear for His original audience. When the crowds thought about the Son of David, they assumed that he would be a king in the traditional sense. The Jews...

Let’s talk about two of today’s parables that are different from the others, because in them Jesus points to sinful men as examples of that which is good, which is confusing on the face of it, but let me explain. In the parable of the dishonest manager, his goal is to show his people how to think about wealth and earthly possessions: we are to use them to win favor with others while we still have...

Our passage today includes a number of notable parables, some of which concern the nature of death and the afterlife. Jesus tells His disciples to enter by the narrow way, because the door to God’s household will soon be shut and those outside will be turned away regardless of their proximity to Jesus. He compares God’s table to that of a nobleman who hosts a banquet, only to be turned down by tho...

We are almost halfway through the book of Luke, and Jesus and His disciples are on their way to Jerusalem and to the crucifixion of Jesus. On the way he teaches His disciples how to pray to God the Father, rebukes those who claim He uses demonic powers, chastises the generation who will put him to death, and denounces the self-righteous Pharisees as hypocrites. Finally, Jesus encourages his discip...

Today’s chapters focus more on the relationship Jesus has with his apostles and his disciples, as he empowers them for ministry, provides for them, calls them to wholehearted devotion, and warns them of his future death. Jesus and His disciples begin making their way to Jerusalem where He will face the agony of the cross, but He has much to say and to teach before that hour arrives. On the road to...

Jesus continues to exhibit his power over illness, demons, death, and over Creation. Those witness his power, including the disciples who are with him daily, continue to be awestruck by what they see. Make no mistake: the people in Jesus’ day were not simpletons who would simply believe anything. Like you and I, they knew that what Jesus was doing seemed impossible, and they all had trouble wrappi...

As the crowds begin to gather in greater number, Jesus gets in a boat, pushes out a little, and preaches; this would have helped to amplify his voice and give him a little space from the those who were pushing in on him. As he performs miraculous signs that display his power over creation, dedicated disciples begin to grow in number. He then appoints 12 men to be his apostles. These men would have...

After being baptized by John, who is the prophet who prepares the way for the Lord in the wilderness, Jesus enters the wilderness where he fasts for 40 days. At the end of the 40 days, Jesus is hungry, as you might expect, and it is then that the devil comes to tempt Jesus. These forty days and these temptations are a parallel to Israel’s 40 years in the wilderness. However, where Israel fails, Je...

The gospel according to Luke is the longest book in the New Testament, and according to his own prelude, it’s an orderly collection of eye-witness accounts from the life and ministry of Jesus. He begins by recounting the events surrounding the birth of John the Baptist who would prepare the way for the coming Son of David. While John’s conception and birth are miraculous and recall the promises ma...

Amos was a prophet from Judah who travelled away from his homeland to prophesy against Israel. As his introduction states, Amos was a shepherd by trade, but he received instruction from the Lord to go north to Samaria around 760 BC. It was a time of great prosperity for Israel, but many farmers had been reduced to poverty. The wealthy gave them loans that they could not repay, forcing these debtor...

Our episode picks up where we last left King Josiah, who has just discovered the book of the law and the covenant. After consulting a prophetess named Huldah, they learn that the wrath of God is coming upon Judah soon. When Josiah realizes that their days are numbered, he cleans house both figuratively and literally. The Lord’s temple was full of idolatrous objects and practices, and he gets rid o...

Thus far in his reign as king, Hezekiah has put his trust in the Lord. After Isaiah prophesies that his illness will end in death, Hezekiah prays to the Lord and the Lord hears, granting him another 15 years of life. It’s not long, however, before Hezekiah gets cocky and shows off his sweet digs to his neighbors, the Babylonians. Of course, we know that won’t end well. A couple generations later,...

Today, the kingdom of Israel falls with finality as for the longest time they have denied the ways of the Lord that would make them distinct from the surrounding nations. After spiraling madly away from the Lord for decades, the Lord allows the king of Assyria to conquer Israel and deport it’s people to foreign lands. In his quest to conquer nation after nation, Sennacherib sets his sights on Juda...

The kings of Israel have fallen so far from the way of life that the Lord had called them to follow, that by this point they are completely unrecognizable from the nations around them. As we read, notice that as the kings move further away from the Lord and his statutes, the more violent, unpredictable, and selfish they become. While Judah’s kings continuously neglect the high places of idol worsh...

Today, we’ll hear the account of King Joash, the infant heir to the throne who was rescued from a royal slaughter and raised in the temple of God. With guidance from Jehoiada the priest, Joash is inaugurated as a child king over Judah, and he begins the work of repairing the temple. Hazael has become the king of Aram just as Elisha had prophesied, and the army of Jehoahaz, king of Israel is almost...

In today’s episode, Elisha acts through messengers and servants to accomplish kingdom-altering acts. First, the king of Aram sends his servant Hazael to ask Elisha if the king will recover from his sickness. While speaking with him about the matter, Elisha sees Hazael’s future, which one of terrible power and destruction. Later, Elisha sends a young prophet to anoint Jehu, an army commander, to be...

On today’s episode, an Aramean army commander comes to Elisha to be healed, but when Elisha doesn’t give him the respect he thinks he deserves, he almost rejects the offer out of hand. Later, the Arameans try to capture Elisha but he diffuses them with hospitality. Not long after, the Arameans lay siege to Israel, surrounding Samaria in order to cause a famine, and the people take desperate measur...

We continue in our timeline of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah today. Remember that King Ahab has died, but at this point Elijah is still alive. Ahab’s son Ahaziah is now on the throne, but he won’t outlive the Lord’s prophecy against Ahab which says that his family line would come to an end in the next generation. King Jehoshaphat continues to reign in Judah and partner with the kings...