Read To Me Daily Semester 4Sample

MICAH 3-4:
In Micah 1 yesterday we heard one of the sections of Hebrew poetry which is virtually impossible to translate so that the text carries the same impact as the original. Micah— expressing his deep sorrow at God’s coming judgment, concatenated many place names— using them in a compound figure of speech based on the meanings of the names. For instance,

Mic. 1:10b NLT You people in Beth-leaphrah,
roll in the dust to show your despair.

The name Beth-leaphrah means ‘house of dust’. 

For those not using the NLT to follow this reading plan, Micah 1 would be a good place to open the NLT. The NLT footnotes do a good job helping us with the meanings of the various place names. That holds true until the reader gets to Adullam. No footnote for that one! Say, we’ve heard that name before, haven’t we? Who else hid there? 

ISAIAH 51:
If you have time, go back to review Isaiah 50. God showed the thoughts of our Savior in advance of his coming in verses 4-6. Jesus’ resolve (alluded to in Luke 9:51) is shown in verse 7. And verse 9 might have been Paul’s inspiration for the last part of Romans 8! Verse 10 has been an amazing comfort to many with incurable diseases or in hopeless situations.

REVELATION 3b:
One of the rewards given to the victorious from Philadelphia in Revelation 3 is this— as NIV translates it:

Rev. 3:12a The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it.

That gives the wrong impression to me. “Oh, no, I don’t want to be made into a pillar and not be able to move!” NLT gives the right idea with neat economy of words like this:

Rev. 3:12a NLT All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never _have to_ leave it. 

Another part of their reward is this:

12b And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.

People get very concerned about the mark of the beast in Revelation 13. Observe here something that you will see throughout this book: EVERYONE gets a mark of ownership upon them— including all the saints, and even Jesus has a mark on his forehead.

Let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, we worship You as the One who has perfect control and knowledge of the churches. You have perfect unity and partnership in all the work of the Holy Spirit. We praise You that You rule right now as king— as the promised descendant of David. You alone have the power to open and shut all doors of opportunity. How we long to be faithful like the church of Philadelphia, and hear You say to us that you have opened a door in front of us, and that no one can close that door. Yes, Lord, please open such doors for us! And please help us to so live and so speak, that even our harshest enemies will come and confess that it is obvious that You are real and that You love us. Lord, for spiritual deadness and indifference in our own lives, may we follow the instructions You gave to the church in Sardis. Increase our desire for heaven, and for making certain that our names are found in the book of the living. How we desire to be acknowledged by You publicly before the Father and the angels. Please give us your everlasting mark of ownership on us— your own new name. May we also have the permanent right of access to come into the most holy place at the center of heaven.