Daily Readings:
1 Chronicles 29
1 ¶ Furthermore David the king said unto all the congregation, Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great: for the palace is not for man, but for the LORD God.
2 Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.
3 Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house,
4 Even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal:
3,000 talents x 75 lbs (75 lbs per talent) = 225,000 lbs x 16 oz (16 oz per lb) = 3,600,000 oz x $1751.55 per oz (price of gold per oz, Nov 2012) = $6,305,580,000.00 (6.3 Billion)
7,000 talents x 75 lbs = 525,000 lbs x 16 oz = 8,400,000 oz x $34.00 per oz (price of silver per oz, Nov 2012) = $285,600,000.00 (285.6 Million)
5 The gold for things of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the LORD?
6 Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king’s work, offered willingly,
7 And gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron.
5,000 talents x 75 lbs (75 lbs per talent) = 375,000 lbs x 16 oz (16 oz per lb) = 6,000,000 oz x $1751.55 per oz (price of gold per oz, Nov 2012) = $105,093,000,000.00 (105 Billion)
10,000 drams (1 dram = .25 oz) x .25 oz = 2,500 oz x $1751.55 per oz = $4,378,875.00 (4.3 Million)
7,000 talents x 75 lbs = 525,000 lbs x 16 oz = 8,400,000 oz x $34.00 per oz (price of silver per oz, Nov 2012) = $285,600,000.00 (285.6 Million)
Total dollar amount of gold and silver given by David and the people:
$111,402,958,875.00 ($111.4 Billion) worth of Gold
$571,200,000.00 ($571.2 Million) worth of Silver
8 And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of the LORD, by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite.
9 Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.
10 ¶ Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be Thou, LORD God of Israel our Father, for ever and ever.
11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine; Thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and Thou art exalted as head above all.
12 Both riches and honour come of Thee, and Thou reignest over all; and in Thine hand is power and might; and in Thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
13 Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name.
14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee.
15 For we are strangers before Thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.
16 O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build Thee an house for Thine holy name cometh of Thine hand, and is all Thine own.
17 I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy Thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto Thee.
18 O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of Thy people, and prepare their heart unto Thee:
19 And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep Thy commandments, Thy testimonies, and Thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.
20 And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king.
21 And they sacrificed sacrifices unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings unto the LORD, on the morrow after that day, even a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel:
22 And did eat and drink before the LORD on that day with great gladness. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him unto the LORD to be the chief governor, and Zadok to be priest.
23 ¶ Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.
24 And all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king David, submitted themselves unto Solomon the king.
25 And the LORD magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.
26 Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel.
27 And the time that he reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.
28 And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour: and Solomon his son reigned in his stead.
29 Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,
30 With all his reign and his might, and the times that went over him, and over Israel, and over all the kingdoms of the countries.
Micah 6
Micah is the 4th largest of the minor prophets in the OT. Micah is quoted 5 times in the NT, once by our Lord. The most famous quotation (Matt 2:6) is from Micah 5:2, the verse that predicts that Christ would be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah (there was another Bethlehem up north).
Micah has fondness for “paronomasia,” or more popularly, “punning”, a play on words. In Hebrew such writings of the OT have many plays on words. Micah presents in Micah 1:10-15 a famous example which some have compared with the Latin poet Cicero’s oratory. Unfortunately, this is one of the hardest types of literature to translate, since no two languages have the same sets of double meanings.
Micah means, who is like Jehovah, and advertises the fact that the prophet was a servant of the one true God. Like many prophets, he had the name for God (-el) or Jehovah (-yah) as part of his name. Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah, but from a lower social class. He came from Moresheth, near Gath, about twenty-five miles SW of Jerusalem.
Micah prophesied from about 740 to about 687 B.C., during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, & Hezekiah. Though his main message was to Judah, Micah did predict the captivity of the 10 northern tribes which occurred in 722/21 B.C.
By the 8th century B.C. the old agricultural system in Israel and Judah, with its fairly even distribution of wealth, was gradually replaced by a greedy, materialistic, and harsh society that split the people sharply into the rich & poor. The rich land-owners got richer and the poor farmers got poorer causing the poor to migrate to the cities, which were characterized by poverty and vice alongside the rich. Business with pagan nations brought false religious cults and lower morals to the Jews. Against this dark background Micah wrote his prophecy centered around 3 cities: Samaria, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem.
ISRAEL STANDS IN GOD’S COURTROOM AND THE TRIAL BEGINS…
Verses 1-5, the Lord calls the mountains to act as judges, they listen as the Lord recounts His goodness to Israel in taking them out of Egypt to the promise land.
1 ¶ Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.
The expression ‘contend thou…’, God is telling Israel to plead, strive with or debate with the mountains and hills that have witnessed their sins of idolatry, the altars they setup to other gods and the sacrifices they offered.
2 Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD’S controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with His people, and He will plead with Israel.
3 O My people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against Me.
It is an amazing thing that God would have to say this. Sometimes parents can be blamed for their child’s downfall, but Israel, what have I done to you?
4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.
The expression ‘remember now’ is very tender, not the idea that God is commanding them to remember, rather He is beseeching them to. Why bring up Balak and Balaam? This shows us that God was working behind the scenes for Israel even when they were not conscience of it. Shittim was the last place they encamped before they entered the Promise Land and Gilgal was their first place of encampment upon entering the Promised Land. It shows us the grace of God, because in Shittim is where the awful sin of Baal-peor took place and 24,000 died (Num 25 & Deut 4). And to think that this happened just as they were about to enter the land! Just think of the grace of God that continued to lead them into the Promised Land.
We are now given the reason in the expression ‘that ye may know the righteousness…’. No matter what these people did, God would honor His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Verses 6-8, what is God expecting from His people for all His kindness? Large amounts of animal sacrifices? No! Human sacrifices? No! He is desiring justice, mercy and humility from His redeemed people.
6 ¶ Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
Israel bursts in trying to defend herself. Sometimes we will offer to do everything else but not what we should! All that God wanted was their heart.
7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
The expression ‘He hath shewed thee’, not that God is just showing them now what He wants, He has shewed them for years and years (Deut 10:12-13).
Verses 9-12, the Lord brings before them their sin and therefore the cause of their calamities. They have used false weights & measures, violence and lies.
9 ¶ The LORD’S voice crieth unto the city (Jerusalem) , and the man of wisdom shall see Thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.
Jerusalem is addressed as the center of the Jewish people, their heart, here there was no excuse for not hearing God’s voice. The one who is wise will hear and see, however the nation was very unwise.
‘Hear ye the rod’ means the scourge of God’s wrath. ‘And who hath appointed it’, how kind of God to warn His people many many times and before the wrath would come. How many times in the past had He told them to repent and they didn’t?
10 Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable?
Treasures acquired by wickedness, their ill gotten goods they will lose and all that remains are treasured up judgement from God.
The expression ‘scant measure’, means ‘ephah of leanness’. Applied to us today, whatever I get that is outside of the will of God will end up making me lean, the world may deem it valuable, but God sees it as abominable. The ephah of corn contained 6 bushels, the rich were the sellers and they would pretend to sell 6 bushels to the poor, but if fact it was a ‘scant measure’ that is abominable to God.
11 Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?
‘Shall I count them pure…’, means, ask yourself the question, common sense will tell you that if it defiles me, it will defile you as well. The balances for weighting out the food were rigged in favor of the seller and therefore the buyer was mislead by the ‘deceitful weights’. Simply put, a weight that stated it was 10 lbs was really 8.
12 For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
It is one thing to be taken by a thief of a robber, but to be taken by the princes, men that knew better. The expression, ‘have spoken lies’, fraud of any kind is wrong and therefore a lie before God. The expression ‘deceitful in their mouth’, when the heart is not right with God, deceit lurks in the mouth and is ever ready to spring.
Verses 13-16, sins bring physical, mental and emotional problems. God would see to it that they would not enjoy the things that were begotten by wicked ways.
13 Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins.
God is telling them, as you have made the poor sick, I also will make you sick
14 Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword.
Do you remember what they said in Micah 3:11, ‘Is no the Lord in the midst of us? None evil can come upon us’. God is telling them that I will cast you down in the midst, or, it will be clear to all that I am judging you for your sin.
15 Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.
16 For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye (Judah) walk in their (10 northern tribes) counsels; that I should make thee (Judah) a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of My people.
The ‘statutes of Omri’, Omri was the 6th king of the Northern Tribes, he made Samaria the northern capital and encouraged idolatry (1Kings 16:25-26). It is an expression that shows their desire for what is wrong. Ahab was Omri son, like father like son. Omri was a very wick man before God (1 Kings 16:25-27), Ahab was a wicked king as well (1 Kings 21:25), and therefore the northern tribes were lead into sin. Keep in mind that God is speaking to Judah in this section of Micah, Judah has picked up the sins of the northern tribes and as a result would be judged. To ‘hiss’ means to whistle.
Sad to think that the nation, who were to be the glory of God on earth, ended up a reproach!
Luke 15
1 ¶ Then drew near unto Him all the publicans and sinners for to hear Him.
2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
3 And He spake this parable unto them, saying,
4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?
9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.
10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
11 ¶ And He said, A certain man had two sons:
12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
2 Peter 3
1 ¶ This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
3 ¶ Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 ¶ But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 ¶ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 ¶ Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Mediation of the Day: from Charles J Rolls’ book, ‘His Glorious Name’
