Read To Me Daily Semester 4Sample

NAHUM 1-2:
Micah certainly poured out his heart in chapter 7. Micah 7:7-9 matches the verse I highlighted in Isaiah 50:10. Those are verses that give comfort to people dealing with long-term suffering.

Now we are turning to Nahum: Nahum’s name means ‘compassion’, ‘consolation’, or ‘comfort’. Nothing is known about Nahum except for what we can glean from his book. He must have written between the fall of the Egyptian city of Thebes in 663 B.C. and the fall of the Assyrian city of Nineveh in 612. Nineveh fell to a combined force of Medes, Babylonians, and Scythians.

This book is a vivid prediction of the fall of Nineveh— which is the same city that Jonah preached against 150 years earlier. Assyria was an extremely violent and cruel oppressor. 

Re-reading ISAIAH 52:13—53:
Today let’s prayerfully re-read the amazing prophecy about the suffering servant in Isaiah. Note the contrast between chapter 53, verses 8 and 10:

Is. 53:8 NLT Unjustly condemned,
he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.

But just two verses later, we read:

10 But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands.

So in verse 8 we have the word ‘died’ (past tense), and ‘buried like a criminal’ and ‘no descendants’, but in verse 10 the words ‘long life’ and ‘many descendants’. Looking back at Jesus, this makes perfect sense. In a similar way, mysteries in Revelation will one day be perfectly clear.

REVELATION 6:
In Revelation 5 we heard that only One was worthy to take the scroll that was in God’s hand. The scroll had seven seals, and it is the first of three big sets of seven in this book. Christ is introduced as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. But when John sees him, he appears as a lamb that has been slain. (Remember quotes about the Lamb spoken by Isaiah, Micah, and John the Baptist!) The Lamb had seven horns. Horns are used in Scripture to portray kingly power to rule, so with 7, he is the perfect and divine King. And the Lamb had 7 eyes, which again, we are told, stand for the sevenfold Spirit of God. Through the Holy Spirit Christ has perfect eyesight— seeing in all places and in all hearts.

Let’s pray.
Our Lord, Christ Jesus, how can we begin to praise You for what we have read in all our readings. There is no one like You, O Lord. You have trampled our sins underfoot and sent them to the bottom of the sea! You have fulfilled all the promises given from ancient days to Abraham and Jacob. People from all nations and ethnic groups should be silent with amazement. Kings and the wise of this world should marvel because of understanding what You have done. Instead, however, so many continue to take no notice of You and find nothing attractive in You. We are such wayward sheep. Let it sink deep into our hearts, Lord, that the wounds that should have fallen on myself and my listener fell on You instead. Thank you, and thank You again, for taking our punishment. May we learn from your humility. And may we see You in your victory. You are indeed the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the victorious Lamb of God. We praise you that 700 years before your were born, our Father God revealed his plans to Isaiah about your suffering and your victory. You are worthy to receive power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and praise.