http://woh.org/index.php en admin@example.com Copyright 1972 1972-12-31 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/208 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/208 Messiah will come to save His people. From the perspective of the New Testament, we see many such passages in Isaiah. Many Messianic promises have a twofold fulfillment, one in the days of the prophet or shortly thereafter and the second in Jesus Christ. God gives wicked King Ahaz a sign that a young woman will bear a child, and before the child grows up, the prophecy made through Isaiah will be fulfilled. But a much more important fulfillment is in the virgin birth of Throughout the Old Testament, a number of passages speak of a great deliverer whom God will send. They promise the our Lord Jesus Christ. He will be called Immanuel, which means “God with us.” The northern province of Galilee was not an illustrious place, but the promise is that there “a great light” will shine. There was no greater Light than Christ who grew up and had a great ministry in Galilee. The promise is that a child will be born who will be called “Wonderful Counselor.” What wonderful advice Jesus gives us. He will be called “Mighty God” and we now know Jesus is truly man and truly God. “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end” (9:7). Jesus is king of the kingdom of God which shall continue forever. Father, we thank You that the wonderful promises of the Old Testament are fulfilled in Jesus. In His name. Amen. Isaiah 7-9 Day 208 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/207 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/207 The “woes” in chapter 5 are instructive to us as we seek to shape our behavior biblically. Woe to those who seek to swallow up every one else economically (5:8). Already in chapter 3, God condemns “grinding the face of the poor” (v. 15). Also in the coming day of judgment “the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets,” etc. (3:18). Businessmen must accept social responsibility, something which often does not happen even among Christians. Woe to those who love alcohol (5:11,22). Again the message is contemporary. Woe to those who question that God is at work in human life (5:18,19). “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil” (5:20a). Woe to those who are know-it-alls (5:21). Isaiah has a vision of God in all His majesty. He hears the angels chanting, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts” (6:3). He cries out, “Woe is me.” Before he had seen the sinfulness of others, now he sees his own sin. When he confesses that sin, God provides for forgiveness. Being forgiven, he hears the call of God to go out to be God’s servant, and he responds, “Here am I! Send me” (6:8). We all need to realize that we are sinners. To receive God’s forgiveness made possible by the blood of Christ. To hear the call to serve and to respond with a hearty “Yes.” Has this happened to you? Father, forgive us and give us grace to respond wholeheartedly to the call to service. In Christ. Amen. Isaiah 3-6 Day 207 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/206 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/206 We now come to the prophets. The name means “one who speaks on behalf of another.” The prophets spoke to the people on behalf of God. There are four major prophets (those who wrote long books) and twelve minor prophets (those who wrote short books). The books of the prophets are not arranged in chronological order, but primarily in order of length. Isaiah had a long ministry. He spoke primarily to the southern kingdom at the time when the northern kingdom was being overrun by the Assyrians, in the 8th century B.C. In the first chapter, he grieves over the rebellion of God’s people against God, an unnatural attitude, for even farm animals are attracted to their owners (1:3). They are “a sinful nation” for they have “despised the Holy One of Israel” (1:4). The result has been a spiritual sickness affecting the whole being (1:5,6). Isaiah shows that God hates religious rituals that do not reflect a love of the heart. This love must be expressed by justice which prevents oppression. But there is also hope in the message. When the call to repentance is heeded, great blessings will flow from God to His people. While the prophets addressed God’s Old Testament people, there is a powerful message to us in their words. If we desire God’s blessings, we must serve Him from the heart. Father, help us to hate sin and to love You. For Jesus’ sake. Amen. Isaiah 1-2 Day 206 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/205 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/205 Having read this passage, which speaks so much about love, it is well to ask ourselves, “What is love?” Love between a husband and wife is physical attraction, it is affection, but it must be much more than this if the marriage is to be a good one. In the Old Testament, we read of “steadfast love.” The emphasis is on faithfulness, on keeping the covenant. God has that kind of love for us; we are to have it for each other. A husband and wife have made a covenant with each other; let there be determination to be faithful to those covenant promises. Greek, the language of the New Testament, has three different words for love. One refers to sexual attraction, one to human affection, and the other to a determination to act for the benefit of the one loved. It is this last kind of love that the New Testament uses to describe God’s love for us and the love we are to have for Him and for each other. This word for love is agape. This is the kind of love the New Testament says a husband and a wife are to have for each other. It is not primarily a matter of feelings, for emotions are very changeable. It is a matter of the will, a decision, always to treat one’s marriage partner for that person’s benefit. It is to wake up each morning and ask yourself, “What can I do to make my spouse happy?” Father, help us to be totally committed to our marriage partner. For Jesus’ sake. Amen. Song of Solomon 5-8 Day 205 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/204 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/204 The Song of Solomon is called the Song of Songs or Canticles, and may have been written by Solomon or about Solomon. It describes the love of a bride and groom, and in so doing places God’s approval on the physical aspect of marital love. In trying to find why it should be included in the Bible, the Jews allegorized it to represent the love between God and Israel. Some Christians followed this line by seeing in the book a description of the love between Christ and His church. There are passages of Scripture which compare God’s love for Israel and then for the church in terms of the love between husband and wife, but there is no reason for not taking the book at face value as describing the love which should exist between a married couple. A difficulty in understanding the book is that it appears to be a dialogue between the bride and the groom with a chorus provided by “the daughters of Jerusalem,” and it is necessary to determine when the speech changes from one person or group to the other. The book has added to our own literature by providing such attractive lines as “I am a rose of sharon, a lily of the valleys” (2:1) which in a hymn is used to describe Christ, and “the little foxes, that spoil the vineyards” (2:15) showing how little things can spoil wonderful relationships. Father, fill the hearts of husbands and wives with unselfish love for each other. For Christ’s sake. Amen. Song of Solomon 1-4 Day 204 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/203 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/203 One disadvantage the writer of Ecclesiastes has as he seeks to understand the meaning of life is that he lived in a day when God had not yet fully revealed what happens after death. God’s revelation throughout the Bible is progressive. The godly in Genesis did not know all there was to know about life and death. God slowly revealed more down through the centuries, and it remained for the coming of Christ to bring “life and immortality to light.” The writer is pessimistic because he thinks “one fate comes to all, to the righteous and the wicked” (9:2), but in the New Testament we learn that the fate of the two is very different. The writer thinks that “the dead know nothing” (9:5), while the New Testament reveals that at death the soul goes to heaven or hell. The concluding chapter is a plea for young people to come to God now. This is followed by a vivid description of old age, when “the grinders cease” (we lose our teeth), “the windows are dim” (our eyesight diminishes) etc. Death is then described in terms of “the silver cord” being “snapped.” The conclusion: “Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man” (12:13). The reason given: God will judge every deed and all that we cannot see. This book shows how empty is life without God, how meaningful with Him. Father, we thank You that we know that death for the believer means entrance into Christ’s presence. Amen. Ecclesiastes 9-12 Day 203 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/202 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/202 This passage begins by cautioning against carelessness in worship. Again the “better” formula is used. When you come to God’s house, “to draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools” (5:1). “It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay” (5:6). Next is a section on problems connected with the possession of riches. The author considers these “an evil . . . under the sun” (5:13). “Under the sun” is used in this book to describe life lived on the horizontal level, without giving due regard for God. While all things are vanity, some things are better than others. “A good name is better than precious ointment” (7:1). It is better for the soul to recognize the lessons learned in mourning than to focus on shallow humor. A patient spirit is better than a proud spirit. Wisdom is commended. “Wisdom preserves the life of him who has it” (7:12). “Wisdom gives strength to the wise man” (7:19). “A man’s wisdom makes his face shine” (8:1). Life may be frustrating but a life directed by wisdom will be better than that of the foolish. At several points in the book, the author commends enjoying one’s food and work. A life of moderation, of enjoying simple things, is better than madly pursuing riches or pleasure only to be disappointed in the end. Father, we thank You for the simple things of life that can be enjoyed when we are conscious of You. In Christ. Amen. Ecclesiastes 5-8 Day 202 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/201 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/201 Some think Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon in his old age. It is the work of a man who has had the opportunity to live life to the full and ends up disillusioned. The theme is “all is vanity.” It describes how a life of earthly success which leaves God out of the picture is ultimately meaningless. The author put forth great effort to acquire wisdom but found the search unsatisfying. He tried pleasure, the accumulation of wealth and hard work, and all his success in these areas did not bring him lasting happiness. Many people seek happiness in the same ways. But lasting happiness is not found by making these things the top priority in life. At the end of chapter 3, he considers the role of God in life and comes to the conclusion that it is best simply to enjoy the gift of life which God gives us. In the fourth chapter, he uses the “better” formula that we saw in Proverbs. Perhaps he is thinking about himself when he says, “Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who will no longer take advice” (4:13). Tragically, Solomon’s spiritual life deteriorated over the years. This is true of a number of characters in the Old Testament, and it is a warning to us. Our spiritual life deepens over the years only if we nourish it through continuing to take the advice given to us in God’s Word. Father, fill our lives with meaning and purpose through our relationship to Christ. In His name. Amen. Ecclesiastes 1-4 Day 201 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/200 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/200 Proverbs 29 is the last chapter of the book written by Solomon. It includes proverbs beginning with if. One describes the uselessness of arguing with a foolish person. Another shows how corruption grows in government. Still another promises that a government concerned for the poor will be stable. Agur is the author of chapter 30. He likes to speak of groups of four. There are four things he doesn’t understand, including how a man courts a woman. There are four things which cause trouble, all four of them being ways in which people suddenly gain power which they cannot wisely handle. There are four small animals, all of whom show great wisdom. The final chapter consists of wisdom taught to a king by his mother. In the first part of the chapter, she stresses the dangers of a king falling under the influence of his wives. This was certainly illustrated by the bad influence that pagan wives had on King Solomon. She also warns of the danger of alcoholic beverages. She concludes her advice to the king by reminding him that he must speak out on behalf of the oppressed. The last part of the last chapter consists of a description of the ideal wife. She is a very industrious person with managerial skills and as a result she is praised by her husband and children. Father, give us the willingness to learn from the right sources that we may be a blessing. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Proverbs 29-31 Day 200 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/199 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/199 We now begin the third section of Proverbs. These proverbs are a collection apparently discovered many years after their writing and copied by scribes in Hezekiah’s court. In the first part of this collection are many proverbs beginning with the word like. They compare a physical truth with a spiritual truth. Jesus in His parables expanded this form. Many of His parables begin with: “The kingdom of God is like.” A person who gives wise criticism is like gold jewelry (25:12). Cold snow and a faithful messenger both provide refreshing stimulation (25:13). A similarity exists between clouds which promise rain but do not produce any and a person who promises a gift but doesn’t follow through on his promise (25:14). Both a drink of water given to a person who is thirsty and good news from a distant land provide a similar positive response (25:25). A proverb told by a foolish person is as helpful as a lame leg (26:7). We also have here more contrasts provided by the use of the word better. As in several similar proverbs, to live in a little attic room is to be preferred to a companionship that is filled with dissension (25:24). A person who is not a blood relative but who is on hand to be of help is better than a brother too far away to be of help (27:10). An honest poor man is better than a rich stubborn person (28:6). Father, we thank You that we can understand spiritual truths through comparison to the physical. In Christ. Amen. Proverbs 25-28 Day 199 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/198 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/198 Included in this passage is a departure from the common structure of Proverbs. Along with isolated sayings are longer sections dealing with one subject. There is a section on adultery (23:26-28). I met a man who when he was young never went to church but read his Bible regularly, especially Proverbs. Once he and his friends were walking along when one suggested they visit a house of prostitution, but this young man refused to go with them because Proverbs had convinced him that this would be folly. A second section deals with drunkenness 23:29-35). It begins with a series of questions as to who has a number of problems and then answers by saying the person who has such problems is the one who drinks too much. Alcoholic drink is so attractive to the physical senses of vision and taste but “at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.” Today multitudes are suffering from that bite. Then follows a vivid description of the sensations of drunkenness concluded by the sad words, “I will seek another drink”! I am so thankful I followed my father’s advice, “Never take the first drink and you will never get drunk.” Another section deals with laziness describing the way in which it leads to poverty. Father, deliver people from sexual sin, the misuse of alcohol and drugs and from laziness. In Jesus’ name. Amen Proverbs 22-24 Day 198 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/197 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/197 Several proverbs talk about “a fool.” In each case he shows his folly through his words. A fool is not interested in understanding, but only in giving his opinion. What he says leads to his hurt. He is ready to give an answer to a question before he has really heard what the question is. Words are so important that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (18:21). As someone has said, “Never forget that God gave you two ears and only one mouth.” Laziness comes in for its share of rebuke. Failing to work hard and destroying something fall in the same category (18:9), for in both cases others are shortchanged by the action. Slothfulness results in hunger (19:15). The sluggard fails to sow and then is surprised when there is no harvest (20:4). The “Better” formula is also used. It is better to be poor and have integrity than to show folly by a wrong use of words (19:1). Solitude is better than relationships which produce contention (21:19). The words “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; and whoever is led astray by it is not wise” will be commented on more fully later. A book on wisdom cannot ignore the folly produced by the misuse of alcohol. This is the kind of advice needed by many today. There is a timelessness about the proverbs because human nature is ever the same. Father, keep us from letting alcohol make us foolish, and from speaking hurtful words. Amen. Proverbs 18-21 Day 197 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/196 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/196 Proverbs stresses the proper use of the tongue. A God-controlled tongue gives a “soft answer” and therefore helps in peacemaking. Such a tongue “dispenses knowledge” and “is a tree of life.” Those who hear the speech of a good man benefit from it. His lips “spread knowledge” and are “a delight.” The rest of the Bible speaks similarly. We are taught to be careful how we use that powerful instrument, the tongue. It can do much good or much harm. Proverbs also likes to make comparisons. A number of them start with the words, “Better is.” It is better to have a meal consisting of just a few vegetables and enjoy the meal because of the harmony around the table, than to have a big steak dinner with the people eating it angry with each other. What timeless advice! It is better to have very little in the way of material goods and have a deep reverence for God than to be wealthy and have a life full of trouble because of ignoring God’s commandments. There is also the “but the Lord” formula. A person may think he is good, “but the Lord” looks at his motives. A person may make plans, “but the Lord” has the final say as to how they all turn out. What God thinks counts. He is in control, not us. Because He is in charge, it doesn’t pay to be “hot tempered,” “a sluggard” or “greedy.” Father, help us to guard our tongues and to follow the better way of life You have revealed to us. Amen. Proverbs 15-17 Day 196 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/195 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/195 The proverbs describe a good man. He “loves discipline” and “listens to advice.” He is not a know-it-all, but realizes he has much to learn. His thoughts “are just”; that is, his thought life is honest, not like the wicked whose thoughts are “treacherous.” His words are true but also gracious, so that they “bring healing” in the relationships of human beings to each other. He “ignores an insult”; he does not allow the unkind words of others to disturb him. He “has regard to the life of his beast”; he treats animals kindly and therefore human beings with even greater kindness. He “tills his land”; that is, he is not lazy and does not “follow worthless pursuits” as does the person who has “no sense.” He “acts faithfully” and “turns away from evil.” These are the practical applications of the commandments of God which were revealed to us earlier in the Old Testament story. Just as that earlier law said that obedience would result in blessing, so also here. A man who lives like this “obtains favor from the Lord.” Being rooted in righteousness, he will “never be moved.” He escapes from the trouble which befalls the evil man, for there is a just God in heaven. He is “satisfied with good.” Such people “have joy.” Proverbs portrays the good person so as to call us to live such a life with its resulting rewards. Father, help us to be good people as You measure goodness and to reap the reward of righteousness. Amen. Proverbs 12-14 Day 195 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/194 http://woh.org/word/Daily Bible/194 In chapter 8 and the first part of 9, Wisdom continues to call us to follow her teachings so that we may avoid folly and experience blessings. In the last part of 9, folly is also personified as a woman who calls in the same way, but who calls to the wrong kind of life which ends in death. Both call, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here” (9:4,16). Still today, God calls us to His way which is best for us while the world calls us to a different way which ends in death; the broad road still leads to destruction. The second section of the book begins with chapter 10, also written by Solomon, but in a different style. Each verse is an individual proverb not connected to the verses in the context. But there are some common themes. Many proverbs begin with “He who” in which the first line of the proverb gives the result of the right kind of living, while the second line shows the result of the wrong kind of living. For example, “He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out” (10:9). Just as is often found in Psalms, there are two kinds of people: “the righteous” and “the wicked,” and the action of the first will result in blessing, that of the later in destruction. Jesus enlarges on the teachings of some proverbs; for example, 10:25 is similar to the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. Father, as voices call us from all directions, give us ears to hear Your Word. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Proverbs 8-11 Day 194