The Bible Reading Challenge Presented by VCY

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Judges 8:18-9:21
  Luke 23:44-24:12
  Psalm 99:1-9
  Proverbs 14:9-10

Judges 8:27 — John MacArthur says Gideon’s intentions were good with this ephod:

This was certainly a sad end to Gideon’s influence as he, perhaps in an expression of pride, sought to lift himself up in the eyes of the people. Gideon intended nothing more than to make a breastplate as David did (1 Chr. 15:27 to indicate civil, not priestly, rule. It was never intended to set up idolatrous worship, but to be a symbol of civil power. That no evil was intended can be noted from the subduing of Midian (v. 28), quietness from wars (v. 28), and the fact that idolatry came after Gideon’s death (v. 33), as well as the commendation of Gideon (v. 35).

Judges 8:30 — Even though Gideon did not want to be king (Judges 8:23), he should have hearkened to the command of Deuteronomy 17:17.

Judges 9:1 — We have secular records referencing Lab’ayu, the King of Shechem, that indicate collaboration between the Israelites and the Shechemites. From the Associates for Biblical Archaeology:

A number of the Amarna Letters indicate that the Shechemites were working with the habiru/Israelites to expand their territory. Since Lab’ayu was a third generation ruler (EA 253), there was continuity in leadership from the time of the conquest. This could account for a continuing relationship between the Shechemites and the Israelites/habiru. We have three letters from the king of Shechem (EA 252-254). In one letter, Lab’ayu has a somewhat defiant tone, much different than the letters from the other city states (EA 252; Campbell 1965: 195-196; Hess 1993: 99). This, coupled with the fact that Shechem was fortified during this period, suggests that Shechem was somewhat independent of Egyptian control and was pursuing its own best interests.

Luke 24:6 — Christ the Lord is risen today!

Psalm 99:1 — The LORD is not just a friend; He is our reigning monarch! What does it mean when it says to let the people “tremble”? The original Hebrew word is “ragaz” which means “to be agitated, quiver, quake, be excited, perturbed.” Throughout this Psalm we are commanded to tremble, be moved, praise Him, exalt Him, and worship Him.

Proverbs 14:9 — What do Americans think about sin? From a 2021 Gallup survey:

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Judges 7:1-8:17
  Luke 23:13-43
  Psalm 97:1-98:9
  Proverbs 14:7-8

Judges 7:3 — Deuteronomy 20:8 says to let the fearful and fainthearted go home. Gideon had to wait for God to reiterate this command.

Judges 7:10 — If thou fear … ever notice how merciful God was as He orchestrated this victory?

• Israel did evil (Judges 6:1)
• Israel cried unto the LORD (Judges 6:6)
• The LORD allows Gideon to ask a sign (Judges 6:17)
• The LORD puts up with Gideon thinking he will die (Judges 6:23)
• The LORD helps Gideon even though his father has an altar to Baal (Judges 6:25)
• The LORD helps Israel even though the townsmen wanted to kill the obedient Gideon (Judges 6:30)
• The LORD helps Gideon even though he asks for a second sign (Judges 6:37)
• The LORD helps Gideon even though he asks for a third sign (Judges 6:39)
• The LORD helps Israel even though 22,000 of them were fearful and afraid of trusting in the LORD (Judges 7:3)
• The LORD helps Gideon even though he’s still scared (Judges 7:10)
• The LORD was patient and victorious – all Israel did was sin and cry

Luke 23:14 — Notice the contrasts:

• The man who was charged with perverting the people is found with no fault at all (Luke 23:14)
• Bar-abbas (“son of the father”) was desired instead of the Father’s Son (Luke 23:18)
• The rebel to authority was traded for the King of the land (Luke 23:19)
• The typically bloodthirsty Romans (Luke 13:1) wanted to release a prisoner (Luke 23:20)
• The priests of mercy (Hosea 6:6) want death (Luke 23:23)
• The governor obeys the governed (Luke 23:24)
• The guilty murderer was released, the innocent victim was punished (Luke 23:25)

Luke 23:42 — The guilty malefactor did what the Israelites did (Judges 6:6) and cried to the LORD.

Psalm 97:9 — The LORD who puts up with Gideon and Israel, who humbles Himself to accept the judgment of His Creation, is the same LORD who is high above all the earth.

Proverbs 14:8 — Deceit blinds your eyes to the truth. Understanding opens your eyes to the truth. Not all truth is immediately visible (Proverbs 25:2).

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Judges 6:1-40
  Luke 22:54-23:12
  Psalm 95:1-96:13
  Proverbs 14:5-6

Judges 6:1 — Twenty times in the Old Testament the phrase “did evil” occurs. Seven times is in the Book of Judges. As a result of their evil, God delivered them into the hand of their cousins, the Midianites.

However, the relations between the Israelites and the Midianites began to sour when the Midianites joined forces with the Moabites in order to hire Balaam to curse Israel (Numbers 22). Later, when Israel fell into idolatry and sexual sin with the Moabite women (Numbers 25), we find that a prominent Midianite woman was also involved (Numbers 25:6). The Lord then told Moses to wage war against the Midianites (Numbers 25:17-19).

Judges 6:17 — John MacArthur examines if Gideon’s request violates Deuteronomy 6:16:

Though the Lord graciously consented to his request (as He had to a similar one by Moses in Exodus 33:12ff), Gideon’s actions should not be viewed as a pattern for believers to follow. As Christians, we do not ascertain the validity of God’s Word by asking Him for miraculous confirmation. Instead, we live according to His will by believing Him and being obedient to His Word. The Lord had already told Gideon that He would be victorious over the Midianites. That revelation should have been sufficient. By asking the Lord not to be angry with him before his request, Gideon, driven by his doubt, showed that even he knew he had overstepped his bounds. He acknowledged his faith was weak, but that he was in danger of sinfully putting God to the test (cf. Deuteronomy 6:16). The Lord could have punished Gideon for his lack of faith, but He didn’t.

Judges 6:25 — Gideon joins a small group of people who destroyed the false altars in the land in accordance with Exodus 34:13 and Deuteronomy 7:5.

• Asa (2 Chronicles 14:3)
• Jehoiada (2 Kings 11:18, 2 Chronicles 23:17)
• Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 30:14)
• Josiah (2 Kings 23:15, 2 Chronicles 34:4)

Luke 22:61 — This is the only gospel to record that the LORD looked at Peter.

Psalm 95:5-6 — Note the increasing emphasis on the creation by the Creator. It starts out that the sea is His, then the land, but even more so we are made by Him!

Proverbs 14:5 — I was just listening to a radio preacher who said that he knew someone who wasn’t able to speak for 6 months due to a surgery. He said their opportunity to sin dropped almost 50%.

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Judges 4:1-5:31
  Luke 22:35-53
  Psalm 94:1-23
  Proverbs 14:3-4

Judges 4:8 — If Deborah won’t go with him, Barak refuses to obey a direct command from the LORD. In contrast, Daniel stood alone (Daniel 6:13).

Luke 22:36, 38, 49, and 51 — What is the normally peaceful Jesus doing telling His people to buy swords? And what about when He finally tells His people to put down their sword? In Matthew, Jesus comes across as “anti-sword” (Matthew 26:51-52), so why the contrast here in Luke 22?

Jesus, the omniscient One, knew His enemies would be coming with swords (Luke 22:52), and He was demonstrating that His followers also had weapons – not to mention that His twelve legions of angels had weapons (Matthew 26:53). It is clear that no man took Jesus’ life from Him (John 10:18), but that He laid it down, just as He told Peter to lay down the weapons (Luke 22:51, Matthew 26:52).

Psalm 94:7 — What does God call those who think He cannot see or regard something? Psalm 94:8 says He calls them “brutish and fools.”

Proverbs 14:4 — A verse of encouragement to young mothers who are discouraged over their house being a mess because of their toddlers.

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Judges 2:10-3:31
  Luke 22:14-34
  Psalm 92:1-93:5
  Proverbs 14:1-2

Judges 2:12 — A violation of the vow of Joshua 24:16.

Judges 3:6 — Direct violation of Deuteronomy 7:3.

Judges 3:7 — God warned them about the groves in Deuteronomy 16:21.

Judges 3:9  — Caleb and Othniel form a godly line of leadership in stark contrast to their surroundings.

Luke 22:29-30 — It’s not just the apostles that will reign – we will too (2 Timothy 2:12, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 20:6, Revelation 22:5).

Psalm 93:3 — This is a great example of an anthropomorphism.

Proverbs 14:2 — Not only does the “wise man build his house …” but the wise woman does as well!

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Judges 1:1-2:9
  Luke 21:29-22:13
  Psalm 90:1-91:16
  Proverbs 13:24-25

Judges 1:1 — The Book of Judges starts on a high note! “The children of Israel asked the LORD.” Unfortunately, it ends on a bad note (Judges 21:25).

Judges 2:2 — “… ye have not obeyed my voice.” The pre-incarnate LORD spoke, not a messenger who said “Thus saith the LORD.” And it was a rebuke. Obedience is what God desires.

Luke 22:5 — “… and they were glad.” 2 Corinthians 9:7 says that the Lord loveth a cheerful giver, but these givers (although cheerful) were not giving to the Lord but to a man possessed by Satan who would help them kill the Lord.

Psalm 90:12 — There are “Death Clock” websites that allow you to enter your date of birth, sex, smoking habit, body mass index, personality, alcohol consumption, and country you live in, and it will tell you how much time you have left on earth, statistically speaking. When we number our days, we stop and think about where we are putting our most valuable resource (not our talent, not our treasure, not our tools, but our time).

Proverbs 13:24 — A goal of parenting is to set the appetite of your children. You want them to love good and be repulsed by evil. Obedience brings blessing, and disobedience brings consequences. A danger is when we overemphasize the behavior of our children; the child may be tempted to lie about their improper actions just to please you (or perhaps not to infuriate you). While we are pleased with his/her words, he/she may ultimately feel rewarded for lying about doing wrong and punished for admitting when he/she did wrong. Make sure that you’re not just encouraging verbal conformity but truth telling as well!

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Joshua 24:1-33
  Luke 21:1-28
  Psalm 89:38-52
  Proverbs 13:20-23

Joshua 24:19 — In the middle of the people claiming to serve the LORD once (Joshua 24:18), twice (Joshua 24:21), and three times (Joshua 24:24), Joshua tells them they cannot serve the LORD because He is holy and jealous! But why does Joshua say He cannot forgive their sins? Similar to Jesus warning of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Luke 12:10), these passages indicate God cannot save those who have hardened their hearts against Him, only those who have repented and called upon the LORD.

Luke 21:14 — How do we reconcile this with 1 Peter 3:15? 1 Peter 3:15 is for our dispensation (the Age of Grace/Church Age), and according to Jimmy DeYoung, Jesus is here prophesying about those in Jerusalem in AD 70.

Psalm 89:47 — I need to remember how short my time is. That’s why we need to redeem the time!

Proverbs 13:20 — Let’s go to our good friend Patch the Pirate to teach us this verse! Think this is tied to Joshua 24:31?

Proverbs 13:20 — If you want to memorize the verse, Earl Martin can help you!

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Joshua 22:21-23:16
  Luke 20:27-47
  Psalm 89:14-37
  Proverbs 13:17-19

Joshua 22:2 — The presumed rebel tribes are making an appeal to the LORD. The altar is non-functioning, but a witness that while they’re across the Jordan, they are one with the rest of the tribes (Joshua 22:27). Phinehas was pleased (Joshua 22:30).

Joshua 23:8 — What does it mean to cleave unto the LORD? A man is to cleave unto his wife (Genesis 2:24). Cleaving to the LORD preserves your life (Deuteronomy 4:4). We are to fear, serve, and cleave to Him (Deuteronomy 10:20). We are to love Him, walk in His way, and cleave unto Him (Deuteronomy 11:22). If we cleave to Him (Deuteronomy 13:4), the cursed will not cleave to us (Deuteronomy 13:17), nor the pestilence (Deuteronomy 28:21), nor the diseases (Deuteronomy 28:60). Love, obey, and cleave (Deuteronomy 30:20).

Luke 20:31 — The Sadducees presented a hypothetical scenario featuring a woman who is best described as “bad luck.” Even though the Sadducees and Pharisees tried to entrap Jesus, He was able to appeal to some of them (Luke 20:39). But He was not enticed to soft-pedal His critique (Luke 20:46).

Psalm 89:37 — What happened to the “throne of David?” When Jesus was born the angel said, “The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David (Luke 1:30-33).”

The Kingdom of God in the past then will be re-established with Christ as it’s king – but at this future time ALL nations will be in subjection to it. This Kingdom will bring peace to the earth and all peoples will know about God and want to please Him. We are given a few glimpses in the Bible of what this wonderful kingdom on earth will be like …

TheGospelTruth

Proverbs 13:18 — Nothing is harder than accepting reproof … but that will be honored!

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Joshua 21:1-22:20
  Luke 20:1-26
  Psalm 89:1-13
  Proverbs 13:15-16

Joshua 21:3 — From Wayne Stiles:

After Joshua parceled out the land of Canaan to the 12 tribes at Shiloh, the priestly tribe of Levi received an inheritance far different from the others (Josh. 21).

• Rather than getting a portion of land on which the tribe could settle, the tribe of Levi acquired Levitical Cities scattered throughout the other tribes.
• Strategically placed along main roads, this distribution of the 48 Levitical cities among the 12 tribes meant that any Hebrew who needed the wisdom of God’s Word had to travel no longer than one day to find a priest.

Years earlier, Moses had blessed each tribe, praying specifically for the Levites:

“They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law.” — Deut. 33:10 The distribution of the Levitical cities made the ministry of God’s Word more accessible to His people.

Joshua 21:45 — This is a verse that deserves to be highlighted! “There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.” (KJV)

Joshua 22:5 — Heed the Law, love God, walk in His way, cleave to God, serve God.

Joshua 22:13 — Phinehas, the bold defender of truth! Phinehas was born in Exodus 6:25, he punished the wrongdoers in Numbers 25:8, he was the reason God spared Israel in Numbers 25:11, he was given a covenant of peace in Numbers 25:12, he was given an everlasting priesthood in Numbers 25:13, he led the Israelites in their battle with the Midianites in Numbers 31:6, and in this verse he leads the dignitaries to confront the tribes that are building an altar that they believe should be destroyed according to Exodus 34:13 and Deuteronomy 7:5. What happens? Come back tomorrow!

Luke 20:17-18 — Jesus spent the passage yesterday referencing the destruction of the very stones of the Temple, and now today He is saying He is the new Cornerstone!

Psalm 89:1 — Will you sing of the mercies of the Lord?

Psalm 89:9 — We pointed out earlier the fulfillment of this claim to God’s omnipotence!

Proverbs 13:15 — The biggest lie of sin is that it’s not a big deal. No, the way of the transgressor is hard!

Sin will take you farther than you want to go,
keep you longer than you want to stay,
and cost you more than you want to pay.

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Joshua 19:1-20:9
  Luke 19:28-48
  Psalm 88:1-18
  Proverbs 13:12-14

Joshua 20:2 — What’s the big deal with these Cities of Refuge? Moses spent a whole chapter (Numbers 35) talking about them! John Barnett of Discover the Book explains that Hebrews 6:17-20 talks about those who have fled for refuge to Jesus. Here’s an excerpt from “Christ, Our City of Refuge:”

The elders of the city would investigate the case. If he was acquitted of intentional killing, he must remain within the city until the death of the high priest. We have fled to Jesus Christ, and He is our eternal refuge. As our High Priest, He will never die (Heb. 7:23-25); and we have eternal salvation …

1. God Himself appointed these cities of refuge (John 3:16)
2. God’s Word announced these cities of refuge (Joshua 20:7-8, Acts 4:12)
3. Anyone could access these cities of refuge (Joshua 20:9, John 3:16)

Luke 19:38 — Jesus the KING enters as Zechariah 9:9 prophesied. He also rebuts the Pharisees by referencing Habakkuk 2:11, part of the passage prophesying judgment coming upon Israel (Habakkuk 2:8).

Luke 19:43-44 — Jesus the PROPHET foretells the destruction of Jerusalem, as reported by Adam Clarke:

Cast a trench about thee – This was literally fulfilled when this city was besieged by Titus. Josephus gives a very particular account of the building of this wall, which he says was effected in three days, though it was not less than thirty-nine furlongs in circumference; and that, when this wall and trench were completed, the Jews were so enclosed on every side that no person could escape out of the city, and no provision could be brought in, so that they were reduced to the most terrible distress by the famine which ensued. The whole account is well worth the reader’s attention. See Josephus, War, book v. chap. xxii. sec. 1, 2, 3.

Luke 19:45 — Jesus the PRIEST cleansed the temple again in preparation for the destruction of Jerusalem. Joel McDurmon has a long post on why Jesus cleansed the temple twice:

Jesus [is] fulfilling the role of the High Priest visiting and inspecting the touch of affliction/corruption in the house. This is described in Leviticus 14:33–53. It accounts for the multiple visitations and the repeated act of removing the corruption, then finally pronouncing the house (temple) unclean and decreeing the total destruction of the house.

Psalm 88:1 — What to do when in despair and facing destruction? Call out to the Lord daily (Psalm 88:9)!

Proverbs 13:14 — What chapter of the Bible does this sound like? Perhaps Psalm 119?

IMPORTANT: Just a reminder – I may reference other sources from time to time. Quotes and hyperlinks are not an endorsement of ministries, but they merely indicate that I found a resource interesting. No authors are endorsed by me … I can’t even endorse myself! Search the Scriptures daily to see if these things are so (Acts 17:11)!

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.