Turning to JOSHUA 22-23:

Yesterday we heard the detailed list of the cities of refuge— the cities set apart for anyone who happened to kill someone accidentally. Following that was the list of the towns that were given to the priests and Levites.

PSALM 77:

This psalm by Asaph was dedicated to Jeduthun, whose name means ‘praise giver’. Asaph worries about this: Has God changed? Why doesn’t He help us like He helped the Israelites in the past? I have chosen again to read this from the CEV rather than from the GNT. The CEV makes it clear that this whole poem is a prayer to God.

(A psalm by Asaph for Jeduthun, the music leader.)1 I pray to you, Lord God,    and I beg you to listen.2 In days filled with trouble,    I search for you.And at night I tirelesslylift my hands in prayer,    refusing comfort.3 When I think of you,    I feel restless and weak.4 Because of you, Lord God,    I can’t sleep.I am restless    and can’t even talk.5     I think of times gone by,    of those years long ago.6 Each night my mind    is flooded with questions:[a]7 “Have you rejected me forever?    Won’t you be kind again?8 Is this the end of your love    and your promises?9 Have you forgotten    how to have pity?    Do you refuse to show mercy    because of your anger?”10 Then I said, “God Most High,    what hurts me most    is that you no longer help us    with your mighty arm.”

11 Our Lord, I will rememberthe things you have done,    your miracles of long ago.

12 I will think about each one    of your mighty deeds.13 Everything you do is right,    and no other god    compares with you.14 You alone work miracles,    and you have let nations    see your mighty power.15 With your own arm you rescuedyour people,    the descendants    of Jacob and Joseph.16 The ocean looked at you, God,    and it trembled deep down    with fear.17 Water flowed from the clouds.    Thunder was heard above    as your arrows of lightning    flashed about.18 Your thunder roared    like chariot wheels.The world was made brightby lightning,    and all the earth trembled.19 You walked through the water    of the mighty sea,    but your footprints    were never seen.20 You guided your people    like a flock of sheep,    and you chose Moses and Aaron    to be their leaders.

We turn for the first time to ACTS 27.

Yesterday we heard Paul's defense before King Agrippa. Paul didn't hesitate to speak convicting ideas to his own judges. Instead of listening, they stood up and left. They admitted that Paul was innocent, but quite frankly, it must have been more politically expedient to get rid of Paul by sending him away to Caesar— in accordance with Paul's own request.

Translation note:[HCSB By now much time had passed,//We spent a long time there,] [so that it was//until it became] dangerous to continue the voyage, for by now the Day of Atonement was already past. So Paul gave them this advice:

JOSHUA 20-21:

Yesterday we read the details of land allotment and cities for the remaining seven tribes with their families. Last of all, Joshua himself received a city.

PSALM 76:

It only makes sense to know God and to be firmly on His side. As verse 10 says, “Human defiance only enhances His glory.” The second line of that verse is very unclear in Hebrew. NLT’s translation makes good sense, saying that God uses human defiance as a weapon against the same defiant ones.

Translation notes:1 [You, O God, are known in Judah and your name is honored in Israel.//God is known in Judah; his name is honored in Israel.2 [You have your//He has his] home in Jerusalem; [You live//he lives] on Mount Zion. 3 There [You//he] broke the arrows of the enemy, their shields and swords, yes, all their weapons.  7 [0//But] you, Lord, are feared by all. No one can stand in your presence when you are angry.10 [NLT Human defiance only enhances your glory, for you use it as a weapon.//Human anger only results in more praise for you; those who survive the wars will keep your festivals.]11 [All you nearby nations,//0] Give the Lord your God what you promised him; bring your gifts to him, [0//all you nearby nations]. God makes everyone fear him; 12 he humbles proud princes and terrifies great kings.

Turning to ACTS 26:

In yesterday's story in Acts, Festus took his position as governor and tried Paul. Afterward King Agrippa and his sister came, and the stage was set for Paul to defend himself again.

Translation note:18 You are to open their eyes and turn them from the darkness to the light and from the power of Satan to God, so that through [believing//their faith] in me they will have their sins forgiven and receive their place among God's chosen people.’

JOSHUA 18-19:

Yesterday we heard the details about Mannaseh and Ephraim's allotment of land. I suggest that it will be very helpful for your understanding of these chapters in Joshua to do an Internet search for “map tribes Israel.”

Turning to PSALM 75:

Do you remember what Paul talked to Felix about from yesterday’s reading? Asaph’s psalm takes a similar theme today.

Translation notes:7 it is [You, O God, who are//God who is] the judge, condemning some and acquitting others.  8 [You, Lord, hold a cup in your hand//The Lord holds a cup in his hand], filled with the strong wine of [your//his] anger. [You pour//He pours] it out, and all the wicked drink it; they drink it down to the last drop.  9 But I will never stop speaking of [You, O God//the God of] Jacob or singing praises to [You//him].  10 [You//He] will break the power of the wicked, but the power of the righteous will be increased.

ACTS 25:

Paul's accusers came, and Paul defended himself before the governor. The governor put off making a decision, and never got around to making one. One day at the beginning of that time, he and his Jewish wife came to listen to Paul for a little entertainment. But Felix cut the discussion short when Paul meddled a little too much. Paul stayed there in jail for two long years, and never gave a bribe to Felix. Finally Felix left Paul in prison when he was replaced by Festus.

Opening to JOSHUA 16-17:

Yesterday Caleb received his special portion within Judah's allotment of land, and then we heard the detailed list of Judah's boundaries and towns. Chapter 15 may be the most challenging passage in all the Old Testament to read out loud!

PSALM 74:

Could this psalm really have been written by Asaph?! If so, Asaph was a prophet as he seems to describe events that happened hundreds of years later in the Babylonian conquest.  It is possible he could have been a 100 year old man when writing this, speaking of the destruction caused by Pharaoh Shishak. It must also be observed that the attributions in the Psalms were written centuries later than the Psalms themselves and are not to be considered part of the inspired text.  (However, I still think that Asaph was a prophet!)

ACTS 24:

A plot was made to kill Paul. Paul's nephew “just happened” to get wind of it. The Roman commander ordered that Paul be taken to the governor in Caesarea.

JOSHUA 14-15:

Yesterday in Joshua we heard an inventory of the kings conquered so far and details about the allotments of land for the 2 1/2 tribes east of the Jordan.

PSALM 73:

This is one of my favorite psalms because it speaks to an intellectual problem that so often bothers me. The turning point is verse 17 in this poem by Asaph.

Translation notes:26 My mind and my body may grow weak,but [You, O my God, are//God is] my strength;[You are//he is] all I ever need.28 But as for me, how wonderful to be near [You, O] God,to find protection with [You,] the Sovereign Lordand to proclaim all that [You have//he has] done!

Turning for the second time to ACTS 23:

Paul before the council cried out words that divided the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were my ancestors! And I am on trial because my hope is in the resurrection of the dead!” Note that no one said, “But who says that Jesus has risen from the dead?!” The leaders could produce no proof that Jesus had not risen from the dead, and this fact also refuted the teaching of their sect, the sect of the Sadducees. So the resurrection of Jesus touched a very raw nerve for them. In the night, Jesus came personally to encourage Paul.

JOSHUA 12-13:

As we heard yesterday, God fought for Israel, even causing the sun and moon to stand still. Basically the main central body of land was conquered in only two campaigns. It is important to remember that the total destruction of the people groups listed was commanded by God because of their disgusting pagan and idolatrous practices. Joshua 10:40 “… This was what the Lord God of Israel had commanded.” See also 11:20.

PSALM 72:

It is clear that this psalm, written by King Solomon— or more likely written about King Solomon, goes beyond Solomon, giving adoration to the King of Kings.

We turn for the first time to ACTS 23.

Paul gave his defense from the top of the stairway leading to the military headquarters. In spite of the miracles in his story, the mob was not impressed. It was the word ‘Gentiles’ that caused the final violent reaction.

Let’s turn to JOSHUA 10-11.

The king of Ai trusted in appearances, and was defeated. And the leaders of Israel trusted in appearances and failed to ask God for guidance, leading to a problem that would later cause more pain.

PSALM 71:

This is a poem written by an senior citizen with examples for our prayers that are appropriate for ‘youth’ of all ages.

ACTS 22:

In the last part of Acts 21, people from Asia recognized Paul and started a riot in the temple. Paul was arrested and now gives his speech to the angry mob.

Translation note:26 When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and [said to//asked] him, “What are you doing? That man is a Roman citizen!”

[In several places in Luke’s writings irony is unmarked, but would have been understood by readers of his day.]28 [PET The commander scoffed, “Oh yeah, I’ve heard that one before! Now you’re gonna say, ‘It cost me plenty to buy my citizenship.’”//The commander said, “I became one by paying a large amount of money.”“But I am one by birth,” Paul answered.

Let’s open to JOSHUA 8-9.

Yesterday the walls of Jericho “came a-tumbling down” after some skillful trumpet playing while marching around the city for 7 days. The city was devoted to destruction, meaning that this was God's judgement upon them. Right after this amazing victory, Israel learned through a man named Achan that keeping treasures devoted to destruction makes oneself devoted to destruction.

PSALM 70:

David pleads in this psalm for help against his enemies. And this poem is a repetition of the last part of Psalm 40.

Let’s turn for the second time to ACTS 21.

Paul, Luke, and the other companions arrived in Jerusalem. On the way, Paul heard the prophecies that he should not go to Jerusalem. He received advice from James and the others which turned out to be disastrous in the end. Should Paul have followed the advice he was given by prophecy? My opinion is that he did the will of God which had already been revealed to him before those prophecies. In other words, the information in those prophecies that Paul would be arrested and beaten was from God. The interpretation that Paul should not go there was added by people, and Paul was right in not following their advice.

We turn to JOSHUA 6-7.

In yesterday’s reading, Joshua lead the people across the Jordan on dry ground, and they set up 12 stones in two places to be memorial reminders for the people of this miracle. All the men were circumcised, and the angel who is the commander of God's army revealed himself to Joshua.

Opening for the second time to PSALM 69:

In yesterday’s reading, I appreciated that the writer appealed to God based on the Lord’s ‘constant love’. Let’s continue the reading of Ps 69 with four verses appropriate to Jesus’ life. Note that verse 22 is quoted by Paul in Romans 11.

We turn for the first time to ACTS 21.

Yesterday we heard Paul's speech to the Ephesian elders. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that they would never see him again. He warned them to be faithful in shepherding the people and to watch out for false teaching. In Revelation 2 we find out that they did as Paul commanded, but in their zeal to protect from error, they forgot to be loving.

Translation note:4 There we found some believers and stayed with them a week. By the power of the [Holy] Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem.

Turning to JOSHUA 4-5:

In yesterday’s reading, Joshua sent out two spies. Rahab, who was a prostitute and later became an outstanding example of God's grace, protected them and eventually became a full member of Israel. The people of Israel crossed the Jordan miraculously on dry ground— even though the river was in flood stage, as Joshua leads following God's instructions.

PSALM 69:

This poem contains words that were quoted about Jesus (v. 4 and 9). Those verses give us an inside view of the nature of Jesus’ suffering while on earth in his public ministry.

Turning for the second time to ACTS 20:

In yesterday’s reading, Paul left Ephesus and prepared other churches for his departure. In Troas, Paul preached all night. Eutychus had trouble staying awake. And today we will hear all of Paul's speech at Miletus to the elders from the church at Ephesus.