Daily Bible reading and prayer, Tuesday, October 3, 2023
Matthew 2, Luke 2:39-52 (chronological); Isaiah 27-28, Ephesians 5
We are on our chronological journey through the New Testament.
If you want a more detailed study of each day’s reading, my Chronological Study of the Gospels is available by subscription, but you should be able to preview it, here. The study for today’s readings is found here.
Obviously, our daily Old Testament and New Testament plan will have us in the Old Testament through the rest of the year, but this will be the second time this year we have read each Old Testament reading.
A overview of our yearly Bible reading plan, with all edited summaries so far, can be found here.
Tuesday, October 3, 2023 chronological reading: Matthew 2, Luke 2:39-52
Matthew 2
v1-5 “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:
v6 “AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH,
ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH;
FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER
WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.”’
v7-12 “Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.’ After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.
v13 “Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.’
v14-15 “So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON.’
v16-17 “Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
v18 ‘A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH,
WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING,
RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN;
AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED,
BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE.’
v19-23 “But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, ‘Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.’ So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: ‘He shall be called a Nazarene.’”
Luke 2
v39-40 “When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth. The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
v41-51 “Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, ‘Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.’ And He said to them, ‘Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?’ But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them. And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
v52 “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
Tuesday, October 3, 2023 OT/NT readings: Isaiah 27-28, Ephesians 5
We are reading Isaiah for the second time, and we are continuing in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.
We are not reading Paul’s letters chronologically (we’ll do that later in the year). We’ve finished, in chronological order of their writing, Galatians, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, and Romans. A summary of the events in the book of Acts, which is helpful in the timeline of the apostle Paul’s letters, can be found here.
Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians while he was imprisoned in Rome. He went to Ephesus the first time, briefly, at the end of his second missionary journey, leaving Aquila and Priscilla there [as an aside, they met Apollos there and sent him on to Corinth, where they had just come from]. Paul returned on his third missionary journey and stayed for over two years. He left there after a plot was formed against him, traveled through Macedonia and Greece, and said his last goodbye to the elders there on his way to Jerusalem, where he was arrested.
Remember that for each of Paul’s letters, it’s helpful to figure out the overall reason Paul wrote each one. In fulfilling this purpose, he teaches theological truths his readers, including us, may not be aware of and how those truths impact how they (and we) should live in fellowship with one another and as followers of Christ.
I believe Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is one of profound encouragement. He is imprisoned. They, who love him, are likely profoundly bewildered, and he is explaining to them why they shouldn’t be. As he says in Ephesians 3:13, “I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.”
Ephesians thus far:
Chapter 1: Paul reminds us of all that we have been blessed with through faith in Christ Jesus.
Chapter 2: He invites us to consider where we’ve come from and how we, who are not of Israel, have come to be part of the family of God through the blood of Christ Jesus.
Chapter 3: Paul explains why he is a “prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of [the] Gentiles” and asks the Ephesians “not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.”
Chapter 4: Therefore, given all these things, Paul explains how we should all “walk in a manner worthy of [our] calling.”
Ephesians 5
v1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
v3-5 “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
v6-14 “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says,
’Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you.’
v15-21 “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
v22-24 “Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
v25-33 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.”
Dear Lord,
Thank You that we see Jesus’ parents being obedient to the Law of the Lord. Thank You that we see Joseph being immediately obedient to all You called him to. I pray He is an example to us.
Help us to understand that we are all in subjection. As Joseph was an example of obedience, Christ was more so. He gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. He was subject to You. The church is subject to Him. We are subject to Him and to one another: be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
Help us to be careful how [we] walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of [our] time, because the days are evil. Help us understand what the will of the Lord is. In Jesus’ name, Amen.