Read To Me Daily Semester 4Sample

EZEKIEL 14-15:
The title that the Lord keeps using when addressing Ezekiel is ‘son of man’, which the Lord is using in the normal sense, meaning ‘ordinary human’. The title for Jesus— ‘Son of Man’, is a special usage. For why that became Jesus’ title, check out Daniel 7. 

Note in yesterday’s reading when Ezekiel acted out how King Zedekiah would go into exile, Ezekiel was told to cover his eyes. In this rather odd way God revealed that Zedekiah would go to Babylon but not see it. This was fulfilled since Zedekiah had his eyes blinded after watching his sons’ deaths. This also fulfilled the prophecy against his sons.

In today’s reading in Ezekiel 14, verses 14 and 20, GNT followed the liberal side of Biblical scholarship in identifying Daniel the prophet as Danel, the Ugaritic mythical hero. Daniel was a contemporary of Ezekiel, who arrived in Babylon only 8 years before Ezekiel was in exile at the Chebar river. Even so, I think it very plausible that Daniel’s miraculous deeds (publicized even in the king’s proclamations) would have made him famous in that day. The remote Ugaritic figure named Danel was not famed to be righteous, as would be necessary in today’s passage. To find out more I suggest searching for an article by Wallace entitled, Who is Ezekiel’s Daniel?

SONG OF SOLOMON 8:
Yesterday we heard more passionate expressions of love, and today is the final chapter of Solomon’s Song.

MATTHEW 27a:
In the drama we read yesterday in Matthew, I imagine that while the high priest tore his clothes and shouted ‘blasphemy’, his expression was not one of grief, but of triumph. Peter recognized that Jesus was to be sentenced to death when he denied Christ.

Let’s pray.
Dear Lord Jesus, forgive us for being like Peter. Oh yes, we’re so confident that we would never deny You. But in a situation where it is our responsibility to speak, and when under pressure from the world, when things look dark, we too easily become cowards. Indeed, our spirits are willing, but our fleshly bodies— with all our desires to please people, are so weak. We also prefer to sleep, than to stay alert, watching out for things to pray for. Open our eyes to see every situation in a spiritual light, and may we obey the Holy Spirit’s prompting to pray. Lord, we thank You that You are now reigning at the right hand of Almighty God. Therefore give us a boldness to stand firm in these final days, as if we could even now see You coming on the clouds of heaven.