Psalm 18:1-30 Dear RTB’ers, Psalm 18, beginning. Thirty verses today and we’re just over halfway through this psalm. My guess is that most of us will read through the entire psalm today, even though STS breaks it down into two readings. But today, only the first thirty. It often helps for me to see these …
Category Archives: RTB 2024 – Search the Scriptures, Part 1
July 15 / Psalm 17
Psalm 17 Dear RTB’ers, Psalm 17. Have I mentioned that I wish you all had study bibles? Or maybe access to online Bible commentaries…? Today’s Psalm 17 was as confusing as any that I’ve read thus far, but my Study Bible helped me make sense of it, breaking it down into its smaller components. They …
July 14 / Psalms 15-16
Psalms 15-16 Dear RTB’ers, Back to Psalms. Today, Bastille Day in France! I recently read and re-read A Tale of Two Cities. It’s a wonderful novel, historical fiction, set in the context of the French Revolution. If you’re looking for something to read…! He who walks blamelessly and does what is right … He who …
July 13 / Psalms 13-14
Psalms 13-14 Dear RTB’ers, Back to Psalms. How long, O LORD?… How long…? How long…? How long…? (13:1-2) Four times in two verses David cries out, “How long…?” Can you relate? When in your heart you know that something needs to happen, that good needs to overcome evil, and you know that God is all-seeing …
July 12 / Hosea 13-14
Hosea 13-14 Dear RTB’ers, Hosea, continued – and ended. Today, again two chapters very different from each other, with chapter 13 continuing God’s judgment on Israel and chapter 14 speaking of His deliverance. Earlier in this book we saw a lot of greed and subjugation of the poor and helpless by the wealthy and powerful. …
July 11 / Hosea 11-12
Hosea 11-12 Dear RTB’ers, Hosea, continued. I’ve often heard that the book of Hosea is basically a love story – a story of God’s love for Israel (and for us!) in spite of their many wanderings from that love (and our own wanderings!). First we saw that in the book’s first three chapters, with Hosea …
July 10 / Hosea 9-10
Hosea 9-10 Dear RTB’ers, Hosea, continued, God’s punishment of Israel for her iniquities, both civil and spiritual: The days of punishment have come; the days of recompense have come; Israel shall know it. (9:7a) Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house. I will love them no more… …
July 9 / Hosea 5:15-8:14
Hosea 5:15-8:14 Dear RTB’ers, Hosea, continued. I quoted today’s first verse yesterday: I will return again to My place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face, and in their distress earnestly seek Me. (5:15) So naturally the first thing the Israelites do today is to seek Him: “Come, let’s return to the LORD. …
July 8 / Hosea 4:1-5:14
Hosea 4:1-5:14 Dear RTB’ers, Hosea, continued. God condemns Israel for their earthly sins (see Hosea 4:2) and for their worship of false gods (see Hosea 4:12-13). My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge… (4:6a), a well-known, oft-cited verse. Fundamentally, it’s what RTB is all about. From its beginning some 15 years ago RTB has …
July 7 / Hosea 2
Hosea 2 Dear RTB’ers, Hosea, the middle chapter. As I read chapter 2, especially the beginning, I don’t think I agree with the STS authors in having chapters 1 and 3 yesterday and chapter 2 today. To me chapter 2 falls nicely after chapter 1 and provides a nice lead-in for chapter 3. Yesterday I …