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Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Days 33 & 34 (Part 1)

Feb3

Day 33. Reading in Exodus 10 -1 2. 

Read the scripture for today. What do you learn about God? Share what you learn with others.

Exodus 10.

After the horrendous hail had stopped, Pharaoh changed his mind yet again. 

The LORD said to Moses, “I have hardened Pharaoh’s heart and the heart of his servants.” Say to Pharaoh, “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?  LET MY PEOPLE GO, THAT THEY MAY SERVE ME. If you refuse … I will bring locusts, such as you have never seen, to cover the face of the land. They will eat whatever is left from the hail. They will fill your houses.”

Then Moses turned and left the king’s presence.

Pharaoh’s servants begged him, “Let the men go that they may serve the LORD their God! Do you not yet understand that EGYPT IS RUINED??”

Moses and Aaron were called back in.  “Okay! Go! Serve the LORD your God. But who will go?” 

“We will go with our young and old, our daughters and sons, our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the LORD.”

“I will NEVER let you AND your little ones go! YOU HAVE SOME EVIL PURPOSE IN MIND!!” yelled Pharaoh. “No! Only you and the men will go. That’s what you asked for!” 

And he drove them out of his presence.

And God sent the locusts when Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt. The early East wind brought them. The sky was dark. The land was covered with the winged insects, chomping, chomping.

Quickly, Pharaoh called them back. “Oh, I’ve sinned against the LORD your God. Forgive my sin only this once!  PLEAD WITH THE LORD TO REMOVE THIS DEATH FROM ME!!!”

Moses prayed. The LORD heard. He blew every last one of them into the Red Sea.  And … “The LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart.”

Then, without warning, God told Moses to stretch out his hand toward heaven. A complete, deep darkness descended on Egypt for three days. A darkness that could be “felt.” They could not see each other or their hands in front of their faces. They all were confined to their beds. (Goshen had light!)

“GO! Serve the LORD; your little ones may go with you! Only not your flocks and herds.”

“Sorry,” said Moses. “Everything must go. Not a hoof must remain. We don’t know what we’ll need.”

But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart.

“NO! Go away! I never want to see your face again!“

Exodus 11.

“I have one more plague yet,” said the LORD.  “After that, he will let you go.  He will drive you away completely. Now tell your people that every man and woman shall ask their neighbor for gold and silver jewelry.”

“Here’s what will happen, Moses…

“About midnight, I will go out in the midst of EGYPT, and EVERY FIRSTBORN in the land of Egypt SHALL DIE of Pharaoh, his servants, and his cattle. There will be a great cry throughout the land of Egypt. But not a dog shall growl in Israel.  And all Pharaoh’s servants shall say to you, “GET OUT, YOU AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW YOU!”

Exodus 12.

Earlier, God had told Moses about the glorious exodus and how it would go down for the Israelites. In fact, the exit from Egypt would signal a new calendar. This event would signal a new year – a new beginning as the “nation” of Israel.  It would be an event that should be remembered forever, told about to all generations to follow. It was to be “Passover.”

Moses had been instructed by God how to prepare the people.

  • They were to select a spotless lamb, watch him for 3 days to make sure he was perfect,
  • Then all of Israel would kill their lamb at one time and roast it whole. 
  • Its blood was to be caught and swiped on the doorposts and top bar of the door of their house. (VERY IMPORTANT TO DO THIS!!  Because when the Angel of the LORD came to kill all the firstborn of man and beast in Egypt … He would see that blood of the lamb and PASSOVER that house.) Everyone inside the “blood-stained” houses would live.
  • They were to have their things packed (including all the jewelry and clothing the Egyptians had given them) and to eat the lamb standing up in their travel clothes and sandals. 
  • They were not to wait for the bread to rise but bake/eat it without leaven.
  • None of them was to go outside until daybreak.

The people of Israel did all the LORD had commanded them through Moses. 

Midnight arrived.

Israel ate in silence. 

Then, they heard that great cry rise and echo through Egypt. Every house wailing for a loved one dead.

.Pharaoh summoned Moses. “GET OUT FROM AMONG MY PEOPLE!  GO!  Serve the LORD. Take your flocks and herds and everyone!  BE GONE!

All the Egyptians were URGENT with the people to send them out of the land in haste. “We shall all be dead!” they cried. 

So, after plundering Egypt, the promised children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-Israel began to move out of Goshen toward the city of Ramses—and then home.  And Moses took the bones of Joseph with them. (13:19)

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There were 600K men, plus women and children, and livestock. A “mixed” multitude of non-Jews (other slaves?) also went with them.

It was 430 years to the very day they came down, that they went out from Egypt.

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 32

Feb1

Day 32. Reading Exodus 7 – 9.  (February)

Read the scripture for today. What do you learn about God? Share what you learn with others.

Exodus 7.

“Let the “plagues” begin!” 

God renews His commission to Moses to tell Pharaoh to “Let the people of Israel go out of his land.”  He warns Moses that Pharaoh will NOT allow it, but so that the Egyptians will know that He is the LORD, He will perform “great acts of judgment.” When Pharaoh asks Moses to perform a miracle, Moses is to tell Aaron to throw down his staff in front of the king so it will become a serpent.

(Aaron will speak for Moses. Aaron is much more at ease with the Egyptian language than Moses, who has been away for 40 years.)

It goes just like God said, except Pharaoh’s sorcerers were able to make their staffs become snakes as well.  Did that surprise/worry Moses?  However, the “rod of God” swallows their “serpents” before Aaron picks it up.

Pharaoh’s heart was hardened.

Next, God tells Moses to meet Pharaoh by the Nile River as he goes out to get water. Moses is to repeat the request (“Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.”)  To show that the LORD is God (and not their pagan river god), Moses will tell Aaron to strike the water with his staff. When he does, ALL the water in Egypt will turn to blood. Pharaoh ignores the warning, so Aaron hits the water.

All the water in the Nile turned to blood, the fish died, and the river stunk. All the connecting canals, ponds, and pools became blood, and all the pots, buckets, and pitchers of water also became blood. (Egyptians had to dig in the sand along the river to get fresh water, or they would have died of thirst.)

And Pharaoh’s sorcerers did the same. Huh? How? And why not REVERSE the plague instead of making it worse. They couldn’t.

Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened.

Exodus 8.

A whole week later, Moses goes to Pharaoh and repeats the request. “Let my people go, that they may serve me.” If he doesn’t respond, Moses (though Aaron with the staff) will call up frogs from the River. Millions of frogs will swarm over the land and into their houses, bedrooms, beds, cooking pots, ovens, and kneading bowls.  YUCK!! 

(BTW, frogs were considered sacred to Egyptians, so they wouldn’t try to kill them.)

Pharaoh does not respond, so Aaron stretches the “rod of God” over the waters, and Voila! Up come those masses of amphibians.  And guess what!  The sorcerers made MORE frogs.  Seriously?? 

“Moses, Moses! Plead with the LORD to take away these frogs!” says the Pharaoh, now stepping on and throwing off the creatures. “And…. I will let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.”  Whoa! Really??

(I love this.) “Be pleased to command me WHEN I am to plead for you and our servants and your people that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile,” Moses (or Aaron) says. 

“TOMORROW!”   (Huh?  Why not this minute?)

“Okay, so you will know that there is no one like the LORD our God… tomorrow it is.“

Moses leaves and prays. God hears and answers. The frogs die and are gathered into piles. They stink, but they are no longer hopping into houses.

When Pharaoh saw there was a respite, he hardened his heart.

Then, without warning, Moses tells Aaron to strike the dust with his staff. He does, and the dust becomes gnats. (Think “no-see-ums,” you folks in the South.)  They swarmed and buzzed and landed on and bit man and beast. 

Ho, ho, ho! The sorcerers could NOT duplicate this one. “Pharaoh, this is the finger of God!” they cried.

But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened.

Next, Moses is told to meet Pharaoh again when he goes out to get water. “The LORD says, Let my people go, that they may serve me. Or else…flies will swarm everywhere! EXCEPT in Goshen where My people live.” And the next day, it happened. No “rod of God” this time. 

“Moses! Go, sacrifice to your God within the land!” Pharaoh cries, swatting at the awful insects.

“Nope. The offerings we shall sacrifice to the LORD are an abomination to the Egyptians. (They worshiped cattle.)  “We must go a three-day journey into the wilderness.”

“Okay, okay,” says the fly-covered Pharaoh. “I will let you go and sacrifice to the LORD in the wilderness, but you must not go very far away. PLEAD FOR ME!” 

“Okay, the flies will be gone tomorrow, but YOU’D BETTER NOT CHEAT AGAIN!”

And so, the LORD removed the flies so that not one remained.

But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also.

Genesis 9.

The LORD sends Moses again to Pharaoh. “The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, ‘Let my people go, that they may serve me.'” 

This time, it would be a very severe plague on the livestock in the field. Horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks will die.  BUT NOT IN GOSHEN. The animals belonging to the people of Israel would be safe.

The next day, it happened as the LORD said, and the animals of Egypt died. (Pharaoh even sent to check in Goshen and found the Israelite animals well and chomping grass in the fields.)

But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened.

Next, God told Moses and Aaron to take handfuls of soot from the kiln and let MOSES throw it in the air in the sight of Pharaoh. It will turn to fine dust, spread over Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast, says the LORD.  EEEK! 

So they did it before Pharaoh.  His sorcerers could not even stand on their feet because of the boils, as was true for all of Egypt.

But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh.

Next, Moses was to go before Pharaoh in the morning and say, “The LORD the God of the Hebrews says ‘Let my people go, that they may serve me.”  Furthermore, He said, “This time I will send all my plagues on YOU, YOURSELF, and the people, so that you may know that there is NONE LIKE ME in all the earth.“

God then explains why He continues to plague (and harden his heart). “For this purpose, I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that My Name may be proclaimed in all the earth. 

Then, through Moses, God proclaimed that the next day would bring hail like they had never seen, VERY HEAVY HAIL.  But, the merciful God warned all in Egypt who would listen to “Send and get any livestock you have in the field into a safe shelter. Every man and beast in the field will die when the hail falls on them.”

(Whoever feared the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into houses.)  Well done, you!

Moses then stretched out his hand toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth (lightning?). There was fire flashing continually in the hail, very heavy hail, not seen since Egypt became a nation.  And all in the fields; man, beast, plant, and tree were stuck down or broken.

But not in Goshen. 

Pharaoh sent for Moses. “This time I have sinned; the LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. PLEAD with Him, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.”  REALLY… Pharaoh?

“I’ll do it, O Pharaoh, but you do not yet fear the LORD God.”

And Moses was correct. As soon as the rain, hail, and thunder stopped, the king sinned again.

The heart of Pharaoh was hardened.

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Mass destruction and the final blow will come tomorrow for Pharaoh and Egypt. But deliverance for Israel, as God promised.

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 30

Jan30

Day 30. Reading in Exodus 1 – 3. 

I invite you to read the scripture for the day and meditate on it. What do you learn about God?

Exodus 1.

.And … the eleven sons of Jacob-Israel are named again (Joseph already has been in Egypt). They and all that generation die. And the children of Israel greatly increase, multiply, and grow strong so that the land is FILLED with them. 100 years after, the number of men, women and children had grown to TWO MILLION. They had become a nation, just as God had told Abraham.

Several Pharaohs had reigned since the one who elevated Joseph. The current king was ruthless and evil. He looked at the mass of strong Israelites, and fear gripped his heart. “If” war broke out, these “foreigners” might join the enemy army. So he gradually turned them into slaves with taskmasters to build store cities for him. When that didn’t slow the population growth, he worked them harder in the fields and in making bricks.

Then, this diabolical king (probably Thutmose 1) told the midwives to kill all boys being born to the Israelite women.  They refused and lied to him, so he made it a “national” law that everyone, seeing a Jewish baby boy, was to grab him and throw him into the Nile River to drown or to be food for the crocodiles.

How many were killed, we don’t know, but before we judge this wicked man, think of the hundreds of thousands of abortions our country has allowed (promoted) over the years.

Exodus 2.

During these atrocities, two descendants of Levi (Amram and Jochebed) marry and begin a family. They have a daughter (Miriam), then a son, a beautiful, healthy baby.  The mother keeps him as long as she can, but his cries will soon bring vengeful neighbors to take him to the Nile.  So, she does it herself, except her baby is wrapped up and placed into a watertight basket before going into the river. A gentle push and the baby’s amazing voyage begins. He is carefully watched by his older sister.

The baby floats into the reeds near the pool where Pharaoh’s daughter (and her ladies-in-waiting) are bathing. THEN it starts to cry. The ladies bring her the basket, and immediately, her heart goes out to the beautiful infant. She smiles and perhaps tickles the little one until it stops crying, then she takes it into her arms and cuddles it close. She opens the blankets and discovers that the baby is a boy … an Israelite boy. (He is circumcised.) But she already wants him for her own. 

Right then, Miriam steps up, bowing, and offers a wet nurse to feed the baby. Pharaoh’s daughter is not fooled, but she wants the boy and sees the practicality of having “his mother” feed him.  She promises to pay this “wet nurse” and expects the boy to be brought to her as soon as he is weaned. And so, for three to four years, Amram and Jochebed sing and speak the stories of their God and His promises to the little boy.

“God has chosen them. God is with them. God has promised to rescue them and bring them to their own land. God always keeps His promises.”  A lullaby and alphabet lesson of faith.

The time comes. and Jochebed presents her son to Pharaoh’s daughter. She’s done all she can to instill in the boy his Hebrew heritage. Now, she entrusts him to God. 

Your name is Moses (drawn out) because I drew you out of the water. “And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.” (Acts 7:21)

At forty, Moses was a man of stature, education, and importance. Raised an Egyptian, he nevertheless remembered that “his people” were Israel.  One day, as he watched how they were being treated, he saw a taskmaster mercilessly beating a Hebrew. Fury rose in him, and he struck the Egyptian down dead. Quickly, he buried him in the sand. (not a ‘smart’ move, as the wind would soon uncover the body).  

Moses felt good (if a bit scared) about his actions.  Surely, his people would recognize him as “their savior.”

NOT SO!  The next day, when he tried to break up a fight between two Hebrews, they reminded him of what he’d done to the Egyptian. “Who made you PRINCE and judge over us?”

Ah-oh!

Suddenly, Moses was afraid. Pharaoh would kill him if the stern man learned he’d murdered an Egyptian. So Moses ran.  He ran and ran, all the way across the desert he would one day lead God’s people.  He ran to Midian. (Midian was a descendant of Abraham by his second wife, Keturah.) 

At a well (where it seems all Hebrew men meet their wives), Moses met seven daughters of a priest of Midian.  When the man learned that a handsome, strong Egyptian had helped his daughters, he invited Moses to dinner.  The rest is history. Moses married Zipporah and they had a couple sons.

And he became a shepherd of sheep.  (This began the second 40-year phase of his education.  How do you lead, feed, run after, and care for a bunch of unruly, dumb sheep? Or people.)

Meanwhile, Pharaoh died. The slavery of Israel got tougher.  They groaned and cried out for help.  God heard the groaning and remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (For 400 years they’d serve another nation, then He’d bring them back to the land.)

“God saw the people of Israel, and God knew.”

Exodus 3.

One day, the 80-year old-shepherd Moses, was out with his sheep on the west side of the desert near Horeb (Sinai), the “mountain of God.” He was watching the white wooly backs serenely, when suddenly the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush, that didn’t itself burn. 

“Whoa. What’s going on here?”

“Moses, Moses!”

“What?  Here I am.”

“Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground.”

And Moses quickly untied and took off his sandals.

“I AM the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”

Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look AT GOD.

“I have SEEN the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have HEARD their cry because of their taskmasters. I KNOW their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and bring them up to that good and broad land, flowing with milk and honey.

“Come,  I will send YOU to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

“WHAT??? I can’t do that!! Who am I to deliver Israel out of Egypt???”

“I will be with you, and this is a sign for you, that I’ve sent you. When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God ON THIS VERY MOUNTAIN.”

“Who shall I tell the people sent me? (A bush?)

“I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel. The LORD the God of your fathers… has send me. This is His name forever. Go, Moses, gather the elders of Israel and say that the LORD, the God of their fathers has appeared to you and promised to bring them up out of affliction.

Then, go to the king and ask that the people go a three-day journey into the desert to sacrifice to their God. He won’t let you go, so I will strike Egypt with plagues, and then he WILL let you go. And when you ask them, all the Egyptians will give you silver and gold jewelry, and clothing. AND YOU WILL PLUNDER THE EGYPTIANS!

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Tomorrow, we will see Moses’ response.

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 12 & 13

Jan13

Days 12 & 13. Reading in Job 32 – 34 and 35 – 37. (Posted on Monday.)

I invite you to read the scripture for the day and write “in the comments” what you found meaningful. We can encourage each other.

.Job 32.

There’s a new guy on the block. Elihu has been there the whole time, but as the youngest, he’s kept quiet until now. His views differ from the three “wise” old men who spoke before him.

“I am young in years, and you are aged. Therefore, I was timid and afraid to declare my opinion to you.”  “It is not the old who are wise, nor the aged who understand what is right.  Therefore, listen to ME. Let ME also declare my opinion.“

He says he’s about to burst from waiting to answer! “I MUST speak, that I may find relief; I MUST open my lips and answer. I will not use flattery toward ANY person.”

Oh, dear. I’m not sure I want to hear what this young whippersnapper will say.

  • Lord, help me remember that wisdom comes from YOU. You are the only wise God. Help me not to disdain either the aged or the young enthusiast or to center my whole life on the words of one person/group. May I always look to You and your Word with help from the Holy Spirit.

Job 33. 

Right off, Elihu puts Job at ease, identifying with him as one also is “pinched off from the piece of clay.”  He’s human, fallible. He assures Job he has no need to fear him as his words will not be heavy on him. But he tells Job he’s wrong in saying God does not answer him.

Elihu lists two ways that God speaks to man. 1) in dreams or visions, God warns man. 2) in pain, God rebukes man.  Hmmm.

He tells Job that God allows suffering to bring a person to Himself and for spiritual benefit. (This seems true, at least in my own life.) Then Elihu offers Job a chance to speak. If not, Elihu tells Job to listen, “for I will teach you wisdom.”

Job 34.

Elihu then goes on with HIS speech to both Job and the other three men.  He gets a lot correct, but there are some parts he mis-remembers, attributing to Job what his other “comforters” said. (For example, Job said he was sinless, which he did not claim.)  However, Elihu does mention some pretty awesome truths about God in his speech, saying He is just, holy, impartial, and omniscient.

Sadly, Elihu starts to echo the three who went before him, “Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without insight. I would that Job was tried to the end because he answers like a wicked man. He adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.”  (Sigh.)

(Three more chapters of Elihu tomorrow.)

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Job 35.

“Shame on you, Job.” is basically what Elihu says (in his wisdom). He tells Job that it doesn’t matter if he sinned or not because God is ‘too high’ to be affected by them. “If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?”

He tells Job why God does not answer his prayers and questions. It’s because of pride (vs. 35:12), a wrong motive, and he’s not patient enough.  Oh, Elihu, you are not so wise as you say. YOU don’t know much about Job’s condition either. It’s your own “human” understanding. 

  • Lord, I am like Elihu sometimes, if only in my thoughts. I think I can figure out “the mind of God” by my own human reasoning. “SURLY, this must mean that!” I say.  Humble me, Lord. Your ways and thoughts are so much higher than mine.  Teach me not to judge. Teach me to wait. Help me see my own needs.

Job 36.

Now that Elihu has leveled Job to the ground, he presumes to instruct Job about God’s opinion. (“I have yet something to say on God’s behalf.”) He now seems no different from the three older gentlemen before him. THEN he adds the words that make me choke. “For truly, my words are not false; one who is perfect in knowledge is with you.”   What???  Poor Job.

But Elihu does say something new in verse 15. “He (God) delivers the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ear by adversity.” 

  • Suffering, trials, and persecution do make us more open to God’s words. Sometimes, that’s the only time I will listen. A gentle tap on the shoulder will go unnoticed, but a “slap up alongside my head” will get my attention.  Illness, sorrow, or a rebuke from a loved one will undoubtedly send me to prayer and His word. Why is this so? Oh, Lord, soften my heart!

Job 37.

Elihu then “waxes eloquent” about the majesty of God in creation. This is wonderful to read. All creation does reveal God like Psalm 8 says,  “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens.” (vss. 1-2)  “When I look at Your heavens the work of Your fingers, the moon, and stars, which You have ordained, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” (vss.3-4)  

Elihu reminded Job (and us) that all the mighty things God does in the heavens and with weather are for a purpose. “Whether for correction or for His land, or for love, He causes it to happen.” (vs. 13)

  • Wow. I had to stop and think about this. Yes, I believe God is totally sovereign in all things. Yes, there is always a purpose to what He does (His glory and our good, according to Romans 8:28), although, like Job, we may never know (can’t even begin to comprehend) what that is. 
  • Just now (January 2025), I’m thinking of the total disasters that wind and fires have brought to Los Angeles County in the last week.  God is sovereign. This fiery “apocalypse” was NOT out of His control. Many do and will ask, “Why?” (And many will gladly place the “blame” on anyone.) It is a “wake-up” call, whether to the hearts of believers and unbelievers or merely to earthly officials and their responsibilities.
  • Job didn’t know the reason for his suffering (or for his friends’ badgering, for that matter). But we get a glimpse of the purpose in the first chapters. That in Heaven, before the evil one, GOD GETS GLORY for Job’s faith in his suffering. 

Thank you, God, for using Elihu to say this one thing, if nothing else. 

And it’s good that this young, wise “kid” ends his speech by pointing Job (and us) to God and His Majesty because God stands ready to speak in the next four chapters.  ARE WE READY TO HEAR?

 

…

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, days 363-364, Part B.

Dec30

 Day 363-364—We are in the LAST month of Bible reading for the year, studying the LETTERS of the Apostles.

NOTE: Usually, Sunday’s and Monday’s studies are posted together, but because these readings are so long, I will post them separately.

Day 364, Part B – Revelation 12 – 18 (Woman & dragon, Satan cast down, the Beast, 3 visions, 7 plagues, 7 bowls of wrath, 666, Babylon falls, Yay!)

This section of Revelation is filled with symbols and allegories. The people in the churches of John’s day would probably have understood their meanings more than we do. The sequence of events is not necessarily linear but often overlapping & repeating.

Revelation 12.

This chapter pictures Satan attempting to destroy the infant of a woman with a crown of 12 stars. But the child is taken to heaven and his throne before the Dragon can kill him. The woman (Israel?) is protected by God in the wilderness.

There is a great war in heaven. Michael and the angels fight against the dragon and his angels (demons). Michael’s army wins and throws the great dragon (that ancient serpent, the devil, Satan) down to earth with his angels.  Satan, “the accuser of the brethren” (remember Job?), is thrown down and mad. 

“WOE to the earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath because he knows his time is short.“

Revelation 13.

Then, an ugly, multiheaded, powerful “beast” emerges from the sea. (He looks a little like the beast in Daniel’s vision of end times.)  To this beast (Antichrist), the dragon gives his power, throne, and great authority.  The people of the earth worship the dragon and worship the beast. The beast speaks great blasphemies against God, His name, and His Temple.   The beast was “allowed” to make war on the saints and conquer them. All on the earth worshiped it, EXCEPT those whose names were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Then a second beast emerges from the sea, looking like a lamb, but speaking like the dragon. This beast can do miracles and deceive the people of Earth into worshiping the Beast. It has them make a statue of the Beast and he enables it to speak too.  It makes all who live on Earth to get the MARK on their forehead or hand, or they cannot buy or sell anything. 

The mark? 666 is “the number of a man.” In John’s time, this was clearly NERO.

  • And so, now there is an unholy trinity: the Dragon/false prophet, the Beast/Antichrist, and the miracle-working second Beast. 
  • NOTE: Even the required Mark of the Beast is a foul imitation of God’s command in Deuteronomy 6:4-8 to Love the LORD, the ONE TRUE GOD, with all their hearts, soul, and strength. They were to teach His Words to their children and…” bind them as a sign on your HAND, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes (FOREHEAD).” (Their actions and thoughts.)

Revelation 14.

The victory is at hand!!

The Lamb of God stands on Mount Zion and with Him, the 144K evangelists, with HIS name on their foreheads. John heard thunderous singing, like a gazillion harps singing a new song.  An angel comes from the temple and flies overhead, proclaiming the Eternal Gospel. “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgement has come.”

A second angel proclaims the good news, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality!”

A third angel proclaims, “If anyone worships the Beast & its image and receives the mark, he also will drink the WINE of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger.” And they will be tormented hell with the sulfur and smoke of the torment forever and ever with no rest, day or night.

Here, John inserts, “a call for ENDURANCE of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”

Then John sees Jesus with a sharp sickle. He swings the sickle across the earth, and the earth is reaped.

Another angel with a sharp sickle goes to the “VINE of the earth” because its grapes are ripe.  So this angle swings his sickle and reaps the grapes and throws them into the winepress of the Wrath of God.  “And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and the blood from it flowed from the winepress as high as a horse’s bridle for 184 miles.”

  • This reminds me of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He is tramping out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored.”
  • Also, if you reread Mark 14:34-36 (and passages in Matthew & Luke), you will see that JESUS drank that cup of Almighty God’s WRATH for us, when he died on the cross, PUNISHED FOR OUR SINS. This scene in Heaven portrays God’s wrath on those WHO REFUSED THIS SO GREAT SALVATION.

Revelation 15.

Next, John saw a great and amazing sign in heaven, “Seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is FINISHED.”

First, there was a vast “sea” of what looked like fiery glass. By it were those who overcame the Beast and with harps, they sang the song of Moses and the Lamb. “Great and amazing are Your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations…”

Then, out of the Sanctuary came the seven angels with seven plagues in seven golden bowls, FULL OF THE WRATH OF GOD, who lives forever and ever.

Revelation 16.

John heard, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God!”

  • First bowl: harmful and painful sores on those who bore the Mark of the Beast.
  • Second bowl: blood into the seas, killing every living creature in them.
  • Third bowl: blood into the rivers and springs of water.
  • Fourth bowl: on the sun so it scorched people with fire. (The people did not repent and give God glory but cursed the name of God.)
  • Fifth bowl: darkness on the Beast and his kingdom. People gnawed their tongues in anguish and cursed the God of heaven, but they did not repent.
  • Sixth bowl: into the river Euphrates, so it dried up and prepared the way for the great kings and hoards from the East.  The dragon, beast, and second beast opened their mouths, and demonic spirits like frogs came out, going abroad to assemble all the kings of the world to assemble for battle at the place, ARMAGEDDON.
  • Seventh bowl: into the air, and a loud voice came out of the Temple, from the Throne, saying, “IT IS DONE!”  There came lightning, thundering, and a great earthquake so destructive that the great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell.  Every island fled away, and no mountains could be found.  Great hailstones, weighing 100 pounds, fell on the people.  AND THEY CURSED GOD!

Revelation 17.

Then, the seventh angel took John to view “The Great Prostitute” and her judgment. She was seated “on many waters,” picturing her rule over the peoples of many nations.  Written on her forehead was a name of mystery: “BABYLON” (code name: Rome).  She also sat on seven hills (again, Rome). She was drunk with the blood of the saints martyred for Jesus. The angel also explains the heads/horns of the Beast as kings who make war on the LAMB. 

The Lamb of God defeats them all, for He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Revelation 18.

Then, with the calls of angels, the announcement of Babylon’s fall is made known. 

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.”

All the kings of the earth weep and wail for her fall.

“Alas, alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour, your judgment has come.”

And all the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, for no one buys their cargo.

All the shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors on the sea stood far off and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning.

“Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth, For in a single hour, she has been laid waste.”

And a mighty angel took up a huge millstone and threw it into the sea saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence and will be found no more.”

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(WHEW, that was hard!)

Tomorrow, rejoicing in Heaven!

 

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 361

Dec27

   Day 361—We are in the LAST month of Bible reading for the year, studying the LETTERS of the Apostles.

Day 361 – 2 John 1, 3 John 1 (Do’s and do not’s of Christian hospitality)

This is the second of three letters John wrote to churches in Asia-Minor under his oversight. John calls himself “the elder,” which signifies his age and position in leadership.

There are warnings about false teachers trying to influence them and encouragements to hold fast to the truth and to Christ-like love for each other.

2 John.

John is encouraged that in this church (the elect “lady”) some make it a habit to walk in the truth of God’s word.  He encourages them all to keep loving one another. “And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments.”

John cautions them about “many deceivers” who do NOT confess Jesus Christ in the flesh.  They are to watch out for them.  These deceivers are anti-Christ.  “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching of Christ, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.” 

John closes, saying he wishes to come and talk to them face to face to complete his joy.

3 John.

In this letter, John addresses the “beloved Gaius,” a member in good standing of the church. “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health as it goes well with your soul.”

(What a great New Year’s prayer!!)

John also tells Gaius that it brings joy to his heart that he is “walking in the truth.”  He says Gaius is doing well in supporting true believing brothers in Christ, even if they are strangers, in a manner worthy of God. This way, supporters and missionaries can be “fellow workers for the truth.”

John then calls out two men – Diotrephes and Demetrius. The first man is selfish, does not acknowledge authority, talks wicked nonsense, and refuses hospitality. (I will deal with him when I come.) The second man has received good testimony from everyone, including from us. “Beloved Gaius, don’t imitate evil, but imitate good.”

In closing, John repeats that he hopes to see them soon and talk to them face to face. Meanwhile, “peace be to you.”

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Tomorrow, we begin John’s last writing – The Revelation.

 

 

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 359

Dec25

   Day 359—We are in the LAST month of Bible reading for the year, studying the LETTERS of the Apostles.

Day 359 – 2 Peter 1-3 (Salvation, Scriptures, Prophecies) 

This is the second letter that Peter wrote to the persecuted churches. He is even more concerned with the false teachers infiltrating them. He warns and encourages the believers to stand firm in the faith.

It’s possible that Peter wrote THIS letter from prison in Rome and soon faced execution by Emperor Nero.

2 Peter 1.

Peter affirms that his recipients “have obtained a faith of equal standing…by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” By God’s grace alone.  God has done it all by His divine power: life and godliness through the knowledge of Him. 

Peter challenges them to add to their faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind.” 

“If you practice these qualities, you will never fall.” 

“Therefore, I intend to always remind you of these qualities…..to stir you up by way of reminder.”   

Peter knows he will be martyred soon and says, “I will make every effort so that after my departure, you may be able at any time to recall these things.”  (Review NOW the qualities Peter emphasized so strongly in the above paragraph.)

Peter then tells them he knows what he’s talking about because he was one of the three eyewitnesses of Jesus’ transfiguration on the Mount.  And…. not only THAT, he has a “more sure word of testimony…. the word of the prophets.  “...knowing first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

2 Peter 2.

Peter warns, “False prophets and teachers are among you!  They blaspheme the truth and will exploit you. Their destruction is sure. God didn’t spare the world in Noah’s time. God destroyed Sodom & Gomorrah (except Lot).  “God knows how to rescue the godly from trials while keeping the UNRIGHTEOUS under punishment until the day of judgment.”  

Peter then writes about the horrible things (verses 10-22) the “unrighteous” are and do that will bring God’s final judgment on them. For them, the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved.

2 Peter 3.

You can hear Peter’s desperation as he writes, “I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days, following their own sinful desires.

They will taunt, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? Since the fathers fell asleep, ALL THINGS continue as they were from creation.”  (Like today, too!)

Regardless of what these “scoffers” say, “the Day of the Lord WILL come like a thief” with cataclysmic horrors in the heavens and on earth.  “The heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!”  (WOW)

But true believers are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (As God promised.)  “Since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish and at peace. 

Count the patience of the Lord as salvation (SEE verse 9), JUST AS OUR BROTHER PAUL ALSO WROTE TO YOU ACCORDING TO THE WISDOM GIVEN HIM.”

“Take care not carried away by the error of lawless people and so lose your own stability.  But GROW in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.“

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(Peter, probably in his seventies, was martyred soon after writing this letter, being crucified (as tradition says) upside down, refusing to be crucified like his Lord.)  (Read John 21:18-19 where Jesus tells Peter how he will die.)

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Day 359 – Jude 1 (True apostles & apostates, doxology)

Jude (Judah in Hebrew/Judas in Greek) was one of Jesus’ four half-brothers, listed in Matthew 13:55. He calls himself “the brother of James,” who was the leader of the Jerusalem church. Although he and his brother initially rejected Jesus as Messiah, they were converted after Jesus’ resurrection, and so Jude was an eyewitness.

The content of Jude’s letter is very similar to 2 Peter and powerfully confronts apostasy/false doctrine in the church. Peter says it is coming; Jude says it has come. (Christianity was thought to be very vulnerable at this time. Only John and Jude, the eyewitnesses to Jesus’ life, death & resurrection, were now alive .)

(Jude uses many OT illustrations and even quotes Peter. And… he quotes from books NOT in the Canon of the Bible but were accurate and true.  See how Paul did this in Acts 17:28, 1 Corinthians 15:33, and Titus 1:12)

Jude 1.

Jude wanted to write to these believers about their “common salvation” (a wonderful topic to write on), BUT, instead, he felt the necessity to urge them to “contend for the faith that was ONCE FOR ALL delivered to the saints.”   Why? Because certain people “have crept in unnoticed,” ungodly people who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

Then, like Peter, Jude reminds them of OT instances where God brought judgment on those who indulged in unbelief (Israelites), immorality (Sodom & Gomorrah), and blasphemy (fallen angels). 

“WOE TO THEM, for they walk in the way of “Cain’s greed,” “Balaam’s error,” and “Korah’s rebellion.”

He calls these false prophets and teachers “shepherds feeding themselves, waterless clouds, fruitless trees, wild waves of the sea, and wandering stars,” always leading believers astray.

Jude further calls them, “grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires, loud-mouthed boasters, and ones who show favoritism for gain” (in case you missed them before!).

REMEMBER, beloved, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the predictions of (Peter).  “In the last time, there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions, who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit!”  (WATCH OUT!!)

But you, beloved…

  • build yourselves up in the most holy faith
  • pray in the Holy Spirit
  • keep yourselves in the love of God
  • wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life
  • and have mercy on those who doubt
  • save others by snatching them out of the fire,
  • to others, show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

And then Jude’s doxology.

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, BE GLORY, MAJESTY, DOMINION, AND AUTHORITY, before all time and now and forever. Amen”

 

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, days 356-357

Dec23

   Day 356-357—We are in the LAST month of Bible reading for the year, studying the LETTERS of the Apostles.  NOTE: Sunday’s and Monday’s studies will be posted on MONDAY,

Day 356 – Hebrews 7 – 10 (Melchizedek, Better Covenant, Redemption, Sacrifice, Faith)

Read a quick review of Melchizedek and Abraham in Genesis 14:18-20.

Hebrews 7.

The author discusses Melchizedek, king of Salem (peace), king of righteousness (zedek) and a priest of the Most High God. He tells how Abraham, coming home from rescuing his nephew Lot from an invading army, gave this priestly/kingly man a tithe (10th) of the loot. And Melchizedek blessed Abraham.

This was WAY before Israel’s priesthood was set up on Mt. Sinai, with Aaron, the Levite, as High Priest.  In a way (the author of Hebrews says), Aaron, the High Priest, paid tribute to Melchizedek, “being still in Abraham’s loins.” (He had no children at that point.)

Melchizedek is also said to have had “no beginning of days nor end of life” as a priest forever. He was a priest not based on the law (like Aaron) but on the power of an “indestructible” life. The author compares Jesus to this mysterious man, without beginning or end of days, but HIS ministry is much more excellent.  

The first covenant of law could make nothing perfect, so a new one was needed, allowing us to draw near to God. “Consequently, Jesus can save to the uttermost, those who draw near to God through HIM since He always lives to make intercession for them. 

Jesus is a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.  HE HAS NO NEED TO OFFER SACRIFICES DAILY like other priests, first for their own sins, then the people.  Jesus did this ONCE FOR ALL when he offered up HIMSELF.

Hebrews 8.

Jesus, as High Priest, is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a more excellent ministry than the old one.  He can mediate better because the new covenant has better promises and is faultless. In this new covenant, God says He will put His Law on their hearts and minds, not stone tablets, and His people will know Him.

He will be merciful toward their iniquities and will remember their sins no more!

Hebrews 9.

The author then reminds readers how the old covenant worked, with the Holy and Most Holy places in the “tent of worship.”  Behind the second curtain was the ark of the covenant and God’s presence.  No one could go into this place except for the High Priest, and that only once per year… carrying the blood of the sacrifice. 

But Christ, as high priest, entered ONCE FOR ALL into the most holy place through HIS OWN BLOOD. Doing this, he obtained ETERNAL REDEMPTION.  He appeared ONCE FOR ALL to put away sin by sacrificing himself. 

Hebrews 10.

Under the old covenant, the sacrifices were a reminder of sins every year. “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”  Now, we have been sanctified (made clean, holy) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL.

When Christ had offered FOR ALL TIME A SINGLE SACRIFICE FOR SINS, He sat down at the right hand of God. “For by A SINGLE OFFERING, He has perfected FOR ALL TIME, those who are being sanctified.”

Jesus. the perfect, sinless High Priest, offered Himself a spotless sacrifice and opened the new and living way for us through the curtain so that we can now “draw near (to God) with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” 

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Day 357 – Hebrews 11 – 13 (the FAITH chapter & heroes of the faith, witnesses for us to endure too, discipline as sons, acceptable worship, final instructions)

Hebrews 11.

Hebrews 11 is called the “Faith Chapter” or the “Saint’s Hall of Fame.” In it, the author defines faith and how it’s to be used. He lists heroes of faith from the Old Testament, sixteen by name (including women), and many others by deeds or means of death. These all have served and glorified God.

DEFINITION: “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (verse 1)

WHAT IT INVOLVES: “Without faith, it is impossible to please God, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” (verse 6)

From righteous Abel to the prophet Samuel, men and women have lived and died for God, loved and obeyed Him, trusted and spoke for Him without shame or fear, and many paid for it with their lives. 

These heroes “conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong through weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to fight, and some women received back their dead by resurrection!! 

(I can think of some names that come to mind here, can you?”

Others were tortured for their faith, suffered mocking and flogging, even chains and imprisonments, stoning, beheading (killed by the sword), and even being sawn in two!  They were destitute, afflicted, mistreated, and lived in deserts, mountains, dens, and caves.  OF WHOM THE WORLD WAS NOT WORTHY!

And YET, they did not “see” the promised Messiah they spoke about and waited for like WE HAVE!  (How totally blessed we are!)

Hebrews 12.

“Therefore, SINCE we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses (those heroes listed above), let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith.  He, for the JOY that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated now at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus, as God’s Son, endured much hostility against Him. And so we, as God’s children, must endure “discipline” too.  God disciplines us (through suffering/persecution) for OUR GOOD, so we may share His holiness.  It doesn’t seem pleasant at the moment, but later, it “yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” to those trained by it. 

So…. lift your drooping hands….strengthen your weak knees….and make straight paths for your feet.   And “let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken (by persecution or death), and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”

Hebrews 13.

The author encourages readers to continue in brotherly love, hospitality to strangers, and prayer and support for those imprisoned for their faith.  They are to be faithful in marriage, not love money but be content with what they have.

They are to “remember their leaders (in prayer and financially), the ones who first spoke the Word of God to them.”  They are to consider the fruit of those men’s ministry and imitate their faith.  They are to pray and support their leaders and also to submit to and obey them (for THOSE MEN will have to give an account one day).

He ends with a doxology. ‘Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant….equip you with everything good, that you may do His will.

To Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen”

 

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 353

Dec19

   Day 353—We are in the LAST month of Bible reading for the year, studying the LETTERS of the Apostles.

Day 353 – Titus 1 – 3 (Instructions by Paul on straightening out a lax church)

After being released from prison in Rome, Paul went to Crete briefly to minister and left Titus there to fix some of the problems that had come up, much like he did with Timothy in Ephesus.

Doctrine wasn’t too much of a problem in Crete, but their lifestyle definitely needed work. This letter came in response to a letter from Titus or a report about the Cretan church by some other means.

Titus 1.

Paul calls Titus, a Gentile, his “true child in a common faith.” Paul probably led him to Christ during or just after his first missionary journey. Later, he had become a “fellow worker in the gospel” to Paul.

The Apostle starts by saying why he left Titus in Crete. “So that you might put what remained into order and appoint elders in every town as I directed.”  Similar to the letter to Timothy, Paul lists the qualifications of a church elder. They are to be the husband of one wife, have believing children, and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.”  (You might gather what kind of men were abundant on Crete by this!!) 

These men also needed to be above reproach, not arrogant, quick-tempered, drunkard, violent, or greedy for gain.  They had to be hospitable, lovers of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, disciplined, and holding firm to the trustworthy Word they’d been taught.

Paul says that anything else evident in their lives should prevent them from teaching.  He admits that what was said about the Cretans was true. “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”   And so, Titus was to rebuke them sharply.

Titus 2.

And Titus was to teach sound doctrine about their places in church order. 

  • Older men were to be sobber-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, love, and steadfastness. 
  • Older Women were to be reverent, not slanderers or slaves to much wine.
  • Older Women were also to train Young Women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands.
  • Slaves were to be submissive to their own masters in everything, and not argumentative or pilfering, but showing good faith.

Titus was to be an example to all, a model of good works and teaching, showing integrity, dignity, and sound speech. God’s grace brought salvation to all kinds of people in order to teach them godliness, and so Titus… “declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you!”

Titus 3.

Oh, and “remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.”

Paul admits that we all (himself included) WERE selfish, foolish, disobedient, and passed our days in malice, envy, hate, passions, and pleasures.

“BUT (and here he states clearly salvation through grace by faith in Christ alone),

“…when the goodness and loving kindness (grace & mercy) of God our Savior appeared, HE SAVED US, not because of works we have done, but in righteousness according to his own mercy….by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that  being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

(And so, what a godly life we should live!)

Paul then tells Titus that he’s sending Tychicus and Artemas to take over in Crete because he wants Titus to join him in Nicopolis (on the west coast of Greece), where he plans to winter. Titus is also told to send  Zenas and Apollos (who had brought this letter to Titus) on their way, supplied with everything they needed (a good work for the Cretans to practice.) 

 

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, days 349-350 (Part 2)

Dec16

   Days 349 & 350—We are in the LAST month of Bible reading for the year, studying the LETTERS of the Apostles.  NOTE:  Sunday & Monday studies are posted together on MONDAYS. This is Part Two.

Day 350 – Ephesians 1 – 6 (Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, greetings & blessings & prayer to them, Salvation by grace & faith alone, the gospel to Gentiles, special prayer, gifts to the church, armor of God)

Ephesians 1.

Paul greets these believers and reminds them of their blessings in Christ Jesus. God chose them before the foundation of the world, predestined them for adoption as sons through Jesus, redeemed them through Christ’s blood, forgave their sins, and gave them an inheritance.  Then Paul writes a glorious, extended prayer in thanks for them and for their spiritual growth.

Ephesians 2.

Paul explains how salvation comes by GRACE through FAITH.  They were spiritually DEAD in sin, living in all the wicked passions of their flesh, by nature children of wrath.

“But God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” 

“For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the GIFT of God, not a result of works, so no one may boast.”

Ephesians 3.

Paul then tells of the “mystery” that was revealed to him by God, that he should also minister to the Gentiles (like them), making them fellow heirs (with the Jews), members of the same body, and partakers of the promise of Christ Jesus through the gospel. 

His fervent prayer for them is “that according to the riches of His glory, He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, and that you, being rooted and grounded in love may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, and that you may be filled with all the fulness of God.”

(Wow… and we can be in that prayer too! Read it again!)

Ephesians 4.

Paul urges the Ephesians to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

He reminds them how God gave each of the churches gifted leaders, such as the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor-shepherds, and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to-and-fro by every wind of false doctrine. 

They are to “put off” their old selves and be renewed to “put on” the new self, created in the likeness of God in righteousness and holiness.   Then, he lists more of the ways Christ shows Himself in their actions, words, and thoughts. 

Ephesians 5.

“Be imitators of God, as beloved children. And WALK in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

“WALK as children of the light, for the fruit of light is found in all that is good, right, and true. And try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.”

“Look carefully then how you WALK, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of your time because the days are evil.”

Ephesians 6.

‘Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.   Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and have done all to stand. 

  • Stand, therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth
  • and having put on the breastplate of righteousness
  • and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
  • In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one
  • and take the helmet of salvation,
  • and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God
  • Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

(I wonder if Paul looked over at the Roman soldier guarding him in prison to come up with the armor of GOD necessary for believers?)

Next, he sends greetings, telling the church that Tychicus will tell them everything happening to Paul and encourage their hearts (and bring news of them back to him.)

“Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.”