Job 8-10

See:

• February 8 (2022) / Job 8
• February 9 (2022) / Job 9
• February 10 (2022) / Job 10

Job 6-7

See:

• February 6 (2022) / Job 6
• February 7 (2022) / Job 7

Job 3-5

See:

• February 3 (2022) / Job 3
• February 4 (2022) / Job 4
• February 5 (2022) / Job 5

Job 1-2

As we begin our reading of Job, I would highly recommend that you take a look at this Teaching on Job by a certain young man I know, and then have a look at what we talked about last year.

See:

• Introduction to Job
• February 1 (2022) / Job 1
• February 2 (2022) / Job 2

For a much deeper dive, you might try listening to 60 hours of audio teaching on Job presented at St. Andrew’s some years ago. (I know, 60 hours is a lot, but I bet you can at least listen to the first hour.)

Proverbs 30-31

I again encourage you to split these readings up over the course of the day…

See:

• September 17 (2022) / Proverbs 30:1-10
• September 18 (2022) / Proverbs 30:11-20
• September 19 (2022) / Proverbs 30:21-33
• September 20 (2022) / Proverbs 31:1-9
• September 21 (2022) / Proverbs 31:10-31

So how about Proverbs? Are we allowing ourselves to let these ancient words challenge our “modern sensibilities” or the direction of our not-so-wise society? Are we seeking Wisdom? Or are we just nodding our heads, saying, “That’s nice,” and going about our day as usual?

II Chronicles 36:22-23; Proverbs 22:17-24:34

Today we see the (beginning of the) fulfillment of what God promised through His prophets. Jeremiah had declared that the Babylonian exile would come to an end and that God’s people would return to the Promised Land. Further, as we read the other day, Isaiah had declared (much earlier) that a man named Cyrus would be the LORD’s chosen instrument for bringing about their release from captivity. Sure enough, Cyrus the Great, comes to power, conquers Babylon, and proclaims release to the captives.

That brings us to the end of II Chronicles, and The Chronological Study Bible takes the opportunity to return us to the Book of Proverbs for “words of the wise” that are not pegged to any more specific time frame. Unfortunately, that means we must gobble down material that is better digested more slowly…

For those who may have joined us more recently here at RTB, you should know that last year we focused on the Psalms and the Old Testament “Wisdom Literature” (i.e., Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs), which allowed us to read those books at a slower pace than we can this year in our “Bible-in-a-year” tour. As you can see below, we took seven days to cover what we’re reading today. I suggest that for Proverbs, rather than trying to read all of today’s content in one sitting, split it up over the course of the day. You might also want to take a look at last year’s Introduction to Proverbs.

See:

• July 26 (2022) / Proverbs 22:17-29
• September 1 (2022) / Proverbs 23:1-11
• September 2 (2022) / Proverbs 23:12-21
• September 3 (2022) / Proverbs 23:22-35
• September 4 (2022) / Proverbs 24:1-12
• September 5 (2022) / Proverbs 24:13-22
• September 6 (2022) / Proverbs 24:23-34

Isaiah 52-55

Today we get the last of Isaiah’s four “Servant Songs” in Isaiah 52:13-53:12. In case one look at the Cross is not enough to convince us that Jesus is the fulfillment of this “Song”, the New Testament writers practically spell it out for us. Here are several obvious direct references to this “Song”:

• Isaiah 52:15 — Romans 15:21
• Isaiah 53:1 — John 12:37-38; Romans 10:16
• Isaiah 53:4 — Matthew 8:17
• Isaiah 53:5 — I Peter 2:24
• Isaiah 53:6 — I Peter 2:25
• Isaiah 53:7 — Acts 8:32
• Isaiah 53:9 — I Peter 2:22

And there are plenty more New Testament passages that reflect the idea that the Christ must suffer and that His suffering atones for our sins and iniquities, just as this “Song” says.

So take some time today and meditate on this Suffering Servant. Ponder Who He is, His characteristics, His actions on our behalf, His undeserved suffering, His affliction. Consider that it is our sorrows and griefs with which He is acquainted. Recognize that it is for our iniquities that He is scourged, it is our sin He bears on His Cross, and it is in that awful Reality that we find peace and healing.

He was pierced for our transgressions;
He was crushed for our iniquities;
upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with His wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

Isaiah 49-51

Today we get two more of Isaiah’s “Servant Songs” in Isaiah 49:1-13 and Isaiah 50:4-9. As I mentioned before, the ESV avoids capitalizing “servant” or personal pronouns, and I suggest that it is useful to read these texts this way (uncapitalized) to avoid a biased interpretation. The NASB, on the other hand, capitalizes “Servant” and personal pronouns throughout Isaiah 49:1-13. The NKJV likewise provides such capitalization, but — interestingly — does not do so in Isaiah 49:3-4. (What, pray tell, makes the “Me” in verse 1 any different from the “me” in verse 3?)

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[The LORD] says:
“It is too light a thing that you should be My servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Isaiah 49:6

In speaking to the Jews at Antioch in Pisidia, Saint Paul quotes the end of this verse as justification for taking the Gospel to the Gentiles (i.e., the nations). (See Acts 13:13-52, specifically Acts 13:47.) And so here we are today, mostly Gentiles according to our DNA, receiving this message of the LORD’s salvation. Indeed, may His salvation reach to the end of the earth!

Isaiah 46-48

“I am, and there is no one besides me.” That sounds like it must be God speaking, right? But it isn’t. That’s the voice of Babylon in her arrogant self-confidence. Here it is (twice!) with a bit more context:

Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures,
who sit securely,
who say in your heart,
“I am, and there is no one besides me;
I shall not sit as a widow
or know the loss of children”:
These two things shall come to you
in a moment, in one day;
…
You felt secure in your wickedness;
you said, “No one sees me”;
your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray,
and you said in your heart,
“I am, and there is no one besides me.”
But evil shall come upon you,
…

Isaiah 48:8-11

Clearly, this prideful attitude on Babylon’s part does not serve her well, and the LORD declares His judgment against her. One might hope that we would learn from Babylon’s demise, but I look around, particularly at our own dear U.S.A., and I wonder…

Isaiah 44-45

Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel
and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
“I am the First and I am the Last;
besides Me there is no god.”

Isaiah 44:6

The LORD again emphasizes His preeminence. Time and again He declares that He is God and there is no other. (Isaiah 44:6,8; 45:5,6,14,18,21,22) Idols of wood certainly cannot compete. The LORD mocks those who take a block of wood, burn half of it to cook their supper, and bow down before the other half. (Isaiah 44:9-17) How obviously ridiculous that is! And yet the idolator is blind to his folly. (Isaiah 44:18-20) (I wonder how blind we, too, might be sometimes. Oh, sure, we’re not as silly as these ancient peoples, bowing down before figures made of wood, clay, or metal. We’re far more sophisticated than that! Or are we?)

The LORD declares that He will demonstrate His sovereignty by raising up Cyrus (the Great of Persia) to accomplish the LORD’s purposes. He even goes so far as to call Cyrus His “anointed” — that is, “messiah”. (Isaiah 45:1) Although we should recognize that this term has been used before (e.g., for Saul, David, and other kings of Israel and Judah) and that it is not completely reserved specifically for the Messiah, Jesus, we should not disregard the significance of this designation. Cyrus is the LORD’s specific choice for working out His purposes, and the LORD declares it well ahead of time, as no one else can. Even though Cyrus does not know the LORD, the LORD knows Cyrus. (Isaiah 45:4) So Who is responsible for Cyrus’ success? How is it that Cyrus rises to power? How is it that he is able to conquer mighty Babylon and other kingdoms?

It is entirely because of the LORD that Cyrus ever becomes “the Great”. And that is something we need to remember when we look around at our world today, when we see various leaders rise or fall. It is the LORD Who raises up and Who tears down. That is not to say that we should be politically passive, not at all. But regardless of whether we view certain world leaders as “good” or “bad”, we need to trust that the LORD is always fully in control.

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One more thing…

Turn to Me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
By Myself I have sworn;
from My mouth has gone out in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear allegiance.’”

Isaiah 45:22-23

If that sounds a bit familiar, consider what Saint Paul later writes to the Philippians:

Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:9-11

Paul knows Isaiah. Paul’s echo of Isaiah in his letter to the Philippians is by no means accidental.