Reader: Take note! Days 1-14

01/14/21 • 28 min

Greetings and welcome to this first edition of an occasional series of podcasts that I am starting to add extra commentary for those following the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan. I hope that the things I share in this episode will be relevant to those who have arrived at day number 14.

I have taken the title for this series from Mark 13:14 (GW). As Jesus is prophesying in that chapter about the destruction of Jerusalem, he says, “When you see the disgusting thing that will cause destruction standing where it should not (let the reader take note), those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains.” [God’s Word Translation]

The parenthetical note, “let the reader take note” probably was addressed to the one who read out loud to others. In Mark’s day, not many people in a congregation would know how to read. The Greek word for ‘read’ in this verse actually means ‘to read out loud’. Because of that, some commentators feel that this warning to understand was not just for the reader, but was intended as a plea to the reader to explain to his listeners about Daniel’s prophecy that mentions ‘the disgusting thing that will cause destruction’. So here I am, your reader (for the whole Bible, not just Mark’s Gospel). I thought it might be helpful to you to give some information that doesn’t fit in the daily podcasts, but I still, of course, will not have time to answer all questions. My intent is to encourage you to dig deeper by sharing things I find to be interesting and inspiring in the passages you have read or listened to already in the 3D plan.

If you have questions or comments, my favorite way for you to send messages to me is via the contact button at dailybiblereading.info.

Incidentally, from now on I will quote a lot from the translation called God’s Word for the Nations, because I am personally reading that version in my own devotional readings this year. And this year I personally am reading a real-book Bible. See the godsword.org site linked in the episode notes for information on how you can get a gorgeous GW Bible at a great price. And the newest edition is available in YouVersion and the MyBible app. (GW'20)

The first verse I would like to share about is Genesis 1:1 (NLT). “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Some translations say ‘heaven’ singular, but the Hebrew is actually plural, ‘heavens’. When my team and I translated that into Indonesian, because Indonesians haven’t previously known a concept of plural heavens, we translated this verse as, “... God created the levels of heaven and the sky.”

When Scripture talks of plural heavens, the sky is the lowest layer, and ancient people had the concept that there were three or perhaps seven layers of heaven. Some of you will recall that Paul was caught up to the ‘third heaven’ in 2 Corinthians 12.

It is for this reason that I see verse one as not being a summary of what is to come in Genesis 1-2, but as a hint of acts of creation that we are not told about which happened before the creation of this world. There were principalities and powers and myriads of angels in the heavenly places that were put there before God started counting the six days of creation. To me, it is kind of awesome to think about that.

Now quoting from Genesis 1:14 (NLT), “Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years.”

Instead of ‘seasons’ the God’s Word translation translates ‘religious festivals’.

The word that can mean ‘seasons’ as NLT translated it is normally translated ‘religious festivals’ all throughout the rest of the OT. In our Indonesian translation, we translated it as ‘seasons’ but we provided a footnote to tell readers that this word often is translated as ‘religious festivals’.

Here’s the thing I think that is neat about this: Translators have frequently chosen to translate ‘seasons’ because it is kind of strange to talk of religious festivals when there are not yet any people on earth on the 4th day of creation. BUT consider this: God was preparing all of creation, including the sun and moon, to support humans who would worship Him. We can say that the love and worship of Himself was God’s ultimate goal in the creation of the universe. We exist for his worship.

In Genesis 4:19-21 we read that, “Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the first person to live in tents and have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the first person to play the harp and the flute.”

Isn’t it interesting that the harp and flute are mentioned so early in human history! Certainly Jubal not only played the flute and harp, but he invented and constructed the first ones as well. I think this little...

If you have questions or comments, my favorite way for you to send messages to me is via the contact button at dailybiblereading.info.

The first verse I would like to share about is Genesis 1:1 (NLT). “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Now quoting from Genesis 1:14 (NLT), “Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years.”

Instead of ‘seasons’ the God’s Word translation translates ‘religious festivals’.

Previous Episode

December 31 special

Greetings friends to this end of the year podcast! Before I share my own stories, I want to give you our last two Listener Stories for 2020, one from Tom and another from Tammy. I think Tammy’s story is especially interesting because the Coronavirus pandemic had a big impact on her. I think her story will resonate with many of you.

Hello, my name is Tammy. I recently retired from being a principal and before that a school teacher, a job I had done and loved for over 30 years. I had oodles of plans for what I was going to do, places I was going to go and things I was really looking forward to doing- like working with children at our church this summer. When COVID hit and closed down school as we knew it on March 13, 2020, my life really changed. I didn’t get to say goodbye to my students, parents and staff, it just all ended that Friday in March. I was really struggling with what to me felt like a major loss. (This is in no way to disrespect those that have had greater losses due to COVID.)

I was talking to my husband explaining how I was feeling such an absence of being needed and like I was just wandering looking for what I was supposed to be doing with my life at this time. My sweet husband said some very wise words to me. He said, “Tammy, I believe God is just giving you this down time to recharge you and prepare you for what He has planned next for you to do for Him. Take this time and use it to its best.” While I knew he was right, I have to say I DON’T do down time well. When you work 60 hours a week for oodles of years and have people consistently needing things from you, to have that come to a screeching halt, really put me off kilter.

I was struggling trying to figure out what God wanted me to do. Then one morning in my devotion time God put on my heart that I have been wanting to complete a read through the Bible in a year program for a long time. Even though it was August, I thought, this doesn’t have to wait until January to be a New Year’s Resolution, it can be my New Life Resolution. What a blessing this decision has been! I looked at all different types of programs. I found Digging Deeper Daily and liked the explanation of how this program was laid out. I wanted to learn about the “threads that unify the message of the Old and New Testaments”. I also like the fact that there were brief devotional notes that I thought would help me see the connections clearer.

I started this journey on August 20th and upon hearing the first reading, I fell in love with this journey. Phil’s voice was so calming and yet assured in what he was saying and reading. The brief stories he shares of his work as a Bible translator make me feel like I have a new friend. This adventure has helped me grow daily in my understanding of God’s word. Being a Christian since a child, I had heard many stories from the bible, now I understand more deeply what was happening before, during and after those isolated events. It has really helped make the Bible come to life for me.

Phil explains how he started this project as a gift to leave his grandchildren. He wanted to read the entire bible to them. I feel his love each morning as I listen to him read and explain the daily passage, its as if for those brief moments I have been adopted into his family. This has not only been a way for me to learn more about the Bible, grow closer to God, but also to feel like I am being gathered into the fold each morning.

The brief explanations at the end of the readings are so helpful. I always look forward to the prayer Phil delivers to close the devotional time. Often, I will replay the prayer a time or two more. At the end of “our time together” I try to conclude with a prayer for Phil and all those doing God’s work to bring His word to the nations that don’t have the Bible yet. This reminder of what a gift the Bible is to us, that I often take for granted because I haven’t known a time without it, has made my daily time with God even more precious.

Early on in the program, Phil was reading to us from Matthew. When He read Matthew 11:28 which says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” I cried. This to me reiterated what my husband told me. I was in need of this passage. When Phil read this verse, with such love in his voice, I felt as if it was God speaking it to me. I needed rest, yet I wouldn’t let myself admit it. Now, each morning I consider my time listening to Phil read God’s word as a time of rest, connection and recharging.

I can’t wait to find out what great adventure God has in store for me next, or where He needs me in this stage of life, what I do know though is that Phil Fields and Digging Deeper Daily will be on that amazing ride with me.

Thanks so much, Tammy, for your story! And with a sincere blush, I also say thanks for your kind words. I am so pleased— more than that— filled with joy, when people are able to loo...