March 20 Readings

CHECK OUT THIS SITE FOR LINKS TO ALL THE BLOGS I HAVE CREATED WITH PERSONAL COMMENTS, BIBLE COMMENTARIES AND BIBLE RESOURCES AND FREE BIBLE BOOKS AND SOFTWARE

The Back to the Bible OT and NT Together Reading Plan

Joshua 4-6; Luke 1.1-20

Joshua 4
When the Israelites cross the Jordan, God told them to pick a representative from each tribe to collect a stone from the Jordan River, which was, at the moment dried up. They were to place all twelve stones in a memorial. Similarly we are suppose to remember what God has done in our lives.

Joshua 5
The Cananites became aware of the Israelites, they knew how God dried up the Jordan. At Gilgal, (v. 2-9) all of the Israelites men had circumcision before entering Canaan. This was to signify consecration and commitment before entering Canaan. Manna stopped falling from heaven the day after they ate food from the land. Joshua saw a man in front of him with a drawn sword. He asked him wheither he was on the side of the Israelites ot the enemy. The man said neither. He was the commander of the army of the Lord. He told told Joshua to take off his sandals he was on holy ground. We must be aware that in the Christian walk and service, we need commitment and consecration and the Lord will be ahead of us in our endeavors.

The Taking of Jericho and Ai
Joshua 6
Today, we have two situations one had to do with Jericho. God gave specific instructions (v. 1-5) to Joshua to march around the city for six days with the Israelite army. The army were led by the seven priests carrying trumpets of ram's horn in front of the ark. On the seventh day, they were to do everything they had done for six days. They were give a long blast on the trumpet a shout and the walls would collapse. The plan was carried out (v.6-11), they marched around Jericho (12-14). The walls fall, rahab and her family was rescued (v. 20-25). What can we learn from this? If we want victory in our Christian life, we have to do it God's way, not our way. There was no way the Israelites could have captured the city unless God gave it to them. Link to Jericho The Fall of Jericho

Joshua 4, with Commentaries, verse by verse
Joshua 5, with Commentaries, verse by verse
Joshua 6, with Commentaries, verse by verse

Other Links
OT Gateway Links on Joshua
Introduction to Joshua by Malik
Malik Argument of Joshua
Dr. Thomas Constable Study Notes is a PDF file, open with Adobe Acrobatic Reader
Calvin on Joshua 1-18
Calvin on Joshua 19-24
Doug Goins on Joshua, scroll down
Spurgeon's Sermons on Joshua
Biblebb.com Website
Studies in the Life of Joshua by J. Hampton Keathley III


Luke 1.1-20 with Commentaries, verse by verse

We are now in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus is portrayed by Luke as the Son of Man. Luke was writing the Gospel to the Gentiles. The Greeks have also idealized the Perfect Manhood, and Luke had portrayed as the Perfect Man. Who is Luke?. This passage deals with the introduction verse 1-4, where Luke is writing to Theophilus, which means one who loves God. Luke wanted to geve Theophilus to get an accurate and orderly account of the life of Jesus. Luke also wrote to Theophilus about the events in the book of Acts.
John the Baptist birth (Luke 1.6-17) was foretold by the angel Gabriel to Zechariah, the priest. Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. Zechariah was serving in the temple, when he saw Gabriel. Gabriel told him 'Do not be afraid... We are under the impression that angels are loveable and huggable from the New Age teachings we have today. But in all the cases regarding appearances of angels, the people had to be commanded not to be afraid. Gabriel told Zechariah that he would have a son and 14He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.[b] 16Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous–to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” That is why God picked these parents so that they could influence John from birth through manhood in preparation for this ministry.
In Luke 1.18-20, he did not believe Gabriel, because he said that he was an old man and his wife was old and Elizabeth, his wife was well along in years and she was barren. He had doubted what Gabriel told him Zechariah was made speechless, as a sign, until Gabriel's word came true.

More Links in Luke
Introduction to Luke-Malik
Argument for the Gospel of Luke-Malik
Deffinbaugh on Luke
Lightfoot on Luke
Ritchie on Luke
Dr. Thomas Constable Study Notes is a PDF file, open with Adobe Acrobatic Reader
Sermons on Luke by Ryle, Spurgeon, and Whitefield
John Piper Sermons on Luke

Jesus Saves
This Posting is NOT a commentary of the passages read today but it is a devotional. Please send a comment if something spoke to you today from the passages, links or thoughts that I have shared with you.