​Day 262-264 – September 19-21, 2021
Scriptures: Zechariah 1-11, Romans 14-16
 
 Bible Project Zechariah 

Zechariah 8:15-17 - “’So now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid. These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,’ declares the Lord.”
 
Zechariah 10:12 - “’I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they will walk,’ declares the Lord.”
 
Romans 14:17-18 -  “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.”
 
Romans 15:14-16 “I myself am convinced, my brothers that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another. I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”
 
Zechariah 8:23 – “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘ let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’’” 
 
When you look for it, is plainly clear that the goodness of God is meant for all of creation. God is not just in the business of redeeming Israel, but all of creation and all nations.
 
There is a curious phrase, “ten men from all languages and nations…”
 
When we read apocalyptically (numbers have meaning) this is a symbolic 10, not a literal 10. So it’s not that 10 literal men will show up. Rather, 10, in Hebrew represents completion. The 10 commandments for instance, is representative of the whole law. It’s not all of the laws, but it encompasses the whole thing. This takes effect in the book of Revelation. But that’s another conversation for another day.
 
But to our point here. All nations will be redeemed. Paul’s Gospel is for all people, he is convinced of this, and spends his life ministering to the Gentiles and proclaiming the Gospel of Christ across the Roman world. “…so that all nations might believe and obey him…” (Romans 16:26)
 
Zechariah anticipates this day, and Paul proclaims it in the book of Romans. Jesus is for all people, of all nations. Repent and believe in the Good News!
 
Proclaim Christ today!
 
Jordan

​Day 261 – September 18, 2021
Scriptures: Hosea 12-14, Romans 13
 
Hosea 13:14 “I will deliver this people from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?”
 
Romans 13:14 “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”
 
The call to repentance at the end of Hosea fits in well with the call to clothe ourselves in Christ. We are invited to a new life in Jesus. That life consists of our love for one another, our care for each other, and a disregard for the evil intentions of our sinful desires.
 
The hope of Hosea contains a call to repentance. Today in Christ we may truly enjoy the forgiveness that Hosea points towards. There is new life in Christ, we are clothed in the life and love of Christ. 
 
As we come to the close of Hosea, it is the hope of defeated death that holds up all of Romans. It is the power of the Gospel, the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, all of it! Jesus is King, we have new life in Him!
 
Jordan

Day 260 – September 17, 2021
Scriptures: Hosea 8-11, Romans 12
 
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)
 
God’s love for Israel is on display in Hosea 11. After all of the failures , all of the evil done, the rebellion of Israel, God still, and continues to love Israel. God is faithful, even when Israel is not.
 
When reading Romans 12, one of my favorite chapters in all of the Bible, I’m delighted to see a connection with God. Paul encourages the church to not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. It seems that this is exactly what God’s approach is towards the evil of Israel. His goodness is greater than their evil. God looks to the hardened hearts of the rebellion, the long list of evils, and overcomes it with Good. He overcomes it with the goodness of Christ. He came, seeking and saving the lost. Rescuing sinners.
 
Romans 12 is a list of things that we could spend the rest of our lives doing. Be devoted to one another. Share with one another. Be hospitable. 
 
Pick something and run with it! In all of it, we join the mission of God, we overcome evil with good. 
 
Jordan

Day 258 – September 15, 2021 & Day 259 – September 16, 2021
Scriptures: Hosea 3-7, Romans 10-11, Psalms 145
 
“My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.” (Psalm 145:21)
 
We see a critically important connection between Hosea and Romans 9-11; God loves Israel. God is faithful to Israel, and in so many ways, throughout their history, Israel has proven it is unfaithful. God desires mercy, not sacrifice. But they have chosen other gods and have rejected the Lord God. Repeatedly, they reject the Lord God. We’ve read enough of the Bible together to know that foreign gods like Baal and Asherah have wreaked havoc on the lives and loyalties of the Israelites. 
 
Paul holds out hope for Israel. He believes that the Israelites are not completely lost. He has seen the power of God’s grace on display for the godless Gentiles, elsewhere he describes as “those who are far away.” So also, he has incredible hope for those who are near, Israel. He sees the magnitude of grace offered to Gentile sinners. He knows that it will be extended for the Israelites as well.
 
Paul’s hope, all our hope, comes to the forefront in Psalms 145, “My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.” (Psalm 145:21)
 
The trajectory of all of creation is praise, glory and honor to Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Gentile and Israelite. As One People. Glorifying the One Lord, One God and One King, Jesus Christ.
 
Praise him!
 
Jordan

​Day 257 – September 14, 2021
Scriptures: Hosea 1-2, Romans 9
 
Hosea Bible Project 
“I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’ I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’ ”” (Hosea 2:23)
 
Paul will quote from Isaiah and Hosea in this section of Romans. His work is a difficult one. He is trying to explain how the righteousness of God is now something that the Gentiles can enjoy and participate in. This is such a foreign idea to them, especially after all of the idolatry and problems of the Israelite faith throughout the years. Gentiles compromise faith, they aren’t meant to be a part of it!
 
For Paul to accomplish his argument returns to Hosea to shed light on what God is doing with Israel, to redeem and save all his creation. He will, through the promise given to Abraham, to Isaac, bless all nations.
To do that well, he must explain the law and its purposes and relationship Israel. Ultimately, both books are pointing us to the hope of a life in Christ.
 
We are forgiven, God is faithful, and we are a part of the promise to Abraham.
 
Jordan

​Day 256, September 13, 2021
Scriptures: Job 41-42, Romans 8
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) 
“Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:34–39)
 
Job is restored. He prays for his friends. He trusts in the Lord. His life turns out to be quite alright. It’s a long painful story of questioning God, the advice of friends, and becoming rather self-defensive. But everything seems to be alright for him, in the end. Most everything is restored to him, or even more so.
 
In Romans 8, we discover, we are not condemned in Christ, but redeemed! Nothing will separate us from Christ!
 
These promises fit in line with Paul’s argument that the trial and suffering the Roman Christians were facing, are not insurmountable. God will accomplish his purposes. Everything will work out.
 
It may be impossible to see during difficulty and incredible suffering we all face in life. But God is faithful, and nothing will condemn us or separate us from Christ. IT will all work out in Christ, for His glory.
 
Jordan

​Day 255, September 12, 2021
Scriptures: Job 39-40, Romans 7
“So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” (Romans 7:21) 
 
“The Lord said to Job: “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!” Then Job answered the Lord: “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more.”” (Job 40:1–5)
 
When we come to a confession, belief, repentance and Baptism in Christ, we have a new life. Paul outlines the struggle and tension of the new life, in light of the old and new law. A life in Christ is one marked, not by condemnation but forgiveness of sin. Paul will go on to say that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
Our story in Job is coming to an end, and he finally shows flashes of humility. “I am unworthy.”
 
Faced with the sovereignty of God in all of creation (Job) and in light of the glory of God to make all things new and give us life (Romans+Jesus), we are compelled to say to God, “We are unworthy.” And we would wisely go on to say, “Although we want to do good, evil is right there with us. But your sovereignty, your goodness surpasses it all. Thank you, God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

​Day 254, September 11, 2021
Scriptures: Psalm 104, Job 38, Romans 6
Psalm 104 and Job 38 pay perfect complement to one another. God holds together the waters and the stars. Job is interrogated for his questioning and anger with God. Yet the point of this interrogation is to remind Job of his own stature before the Mighty Lord God. God’s sovereignty is on display in all of creation, that’s the point of Job 38 and Psalm 104.
In Romans 6, the sovereignty of God moves beyond the workings and splendor of creation towards the new creation of new life in Christ. We are no longer slaves to sin and death!
 
All of this is a celebration of the sovereignty of God. In him, all things hold together.  He holds you and me together. No longer separated by the cavern of sin and death. The rising waters of sin that separated us, are held back. You are free to draw near to him. You've joined in a death like Christ, that you may now have a life like his as well.

Our response is to walk with God in the righteousness of our Savior, trusting in the sovereignty of God.

Jordan

​Day 253, September 10, 2021
Scriptures: Job 36-37, Psalms 29, Romans 5
 
“Beware of turning to evil, which you seem to prefer to affliction.” (Job 36:21)
 
 
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3–5)
 
Elihu, speaking on God’s behalf, rebukes Job yet again, saying, “You prefer evil to affliction.”
Those words offer a stinging rebuke of our own pride and preferences. If I am honest with myself, it seems that I too prefer evil as opposed to affliction. Given the choice I choose pleasure to pain. Most of us do.
 
The book of Romans offers a different take on the matter of choosing evil and choosing Christ. We are invited to persevere and hold out on our hope in Christ. This calls for patience or more aptly -longsuffering. Our example is Christ. He suffered and died for us. His grace has made us new. We are forgiven and loved by God.
 
This stands in the way of our old way of living our lives. Unlike Elihu’s assessment of Job, Paul looks to the Christians, he invites them to persevere, and choose Christ and the afflictions of this conviction. Because of this conviction they are now opposed to self-pursuit and sin.
Easier said than done. But all the same…
Turn from evil, walk with Christ.
Jordan

​Day 252, September 9, 2021
Scriptures: Job 34-35, Romans 4
 
Job 35:2 - “Do you think this is just? You say, ‘I am in the right, not God.’ 
 
Romans 4:25 - He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. 
 
We continue our contrast of the righteousness/self-righteousness of Job. There is an ongoing tension in the story of Job. Did he deserve his punishment or not? 
While that question never really reaches a satisfying conclusion, we do get a glimpse of the righteousness offered us in Christ.
 
Paul explains that Jesus was deliver over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
 
In Christ, we are approved and made right before God. Where we are painfully aware of our own sinfulness in chapter 3, having fallen short of the glory of God, Paul’s argument takes form. We are justified by Christ. We are forgiven and made new in him. 
 
We are raised up, righteously approved by God. Not by our merits, but by our faith in Christ.
 
Jordan