Category: Through the Bible in a year.

Day 173 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Acts 16:1-15. Timothy joined Paul and Silas in Lystra and in Troas Paul received “the Macedonian Call”. Lydia, a new convert was baptized at Philippi.

2 Chronicles 1. Solomon asked for wisdom, he received it and more, God also gave him economic and military power.

2 Chronicles 2. Solomon Prepared to build the temple, took inventory of all things collected and tallied the number of constricted aliens to do the work.

Psalm 45, of the Sons of Korah, a Wedding Song. C.S. Lewis saw this psalm pointing to Christmas: “The birth of Christ is the arrival of the great warrior and the great king. Also of the Lover, the Bridegroom, whose beauty surpasses that of man. But not only the Bridegroom as the lover, the desired; the Bridegroom also who makes fruitful, the Father of children still to be begotten and born.” (C.S. Lewis, as cited in Willem VanGemeren)

Day 172 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Acts 15. There was much ado about circumcision, and the believers decided to settle the issue at the Council at Jerusalem, which led to the Jerusalem decree, (in short: Abstain from fornication and from blood). Barnabas and Paul argued about Mark, so they split up, and Paul took Silas and embarked on the second missionary journey.

Proverbs 7. Keep the Law, Seek wisdom and above all, stay away from harlots! They will use every trick to get you!

Psalm 44. Of the sons of Korah. It is a Psalm recounting the great victories God gave the Israelites when they followed God, and the humiliating defeats they suffered when they did not. Yet the psalmists were trusting God and claimed they had not forgotten the Lord and ended with an urgent plea for help.

Day 171 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Acts 14. Paul went to Iconium, preached the Gospel and the Jews and some Gentiles threatened to stone him, so he fled to Lystra and they did. He and Barnabas then escaped to Derbe. From there they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Pisidian Antioch where Paul strengthened the converts, after which they went back to Attalia and sailed back to Antioch where they gave a report on their first missionary journey.

1 Chronicles 28. David instructed Solomon how to build the Temple, complete with promises and warnings for the future.

1 Chronicles 29 begins with a long list of offerings for building the temple, then is recorded David’s praise to God, after which Solomon was anointed King and finally recorded is the close of David’s reign.

Day 170 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Acts 13:13-52. From Cyprus, Barnabus and Paul went to the Pisidian Antioch. Paul preached Jesus powerfully, almost the whole city wanted to listen, the Jews got jealous and expelled them from the region. As a consequence Paul and Barnabas continued on their journey to Iconium.

1 Chronicles 26 lists the gatekeepers, the treasurers and other officials.

1 Chronicles 27 lists the military divisions, the leaders of the Israeli tribes and other officials.

Day 169 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Acts 13:1-12. Barnabas and Saul began their first missionary journey with preaching on the island of Cyprus where Saul’s name was changed to Paul. Paul rebuked Elymas the sorcerer and God struck him with blindness.

1 Chronicles 24 shows the divisions of the priests, who served tabernacle duties when, and the other Levites, serving as alternates.

1 Chronicles 25 lists the musicians set apart for temple service in 24 divisions for the different times of service.

Day 168 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Acts 12. King Herod persecuted the Church and putting many in prison, even Peter; but Peter miraculously escaped. Herod’s suffered a violent death after giving a speech without giving glory to God.

1 Chronicles 22. David made preparations to build the Temple.

1 Chronicles 23 contains a listing of the Levites and their duties.

Psalm 43. This Psalm may very well be a continuation of Psalm 42. Nevertheless, it is a Psalm of deep depression and yet full of praise and hope.

Day 167 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Acts 11 . The Jews did not like that gentiles could receive the Holy Spirit, but Peter explained God’s grace. Barnabas went looking for Saul and when found they went together to Antioch. It was there the believers were first called Christians, and it was from there they sent relief to fellow believers in Judea via Barnabas and Saul.

1 Chronicles 18 lists David’s victories and his officials.

1 Chronicles 19. Wars continued, the Ammonites and the Syrians were defeated.

1 Chronicles 20. Wars went on and on. Rabbah was conquered and the Philistine giants were destroyed.

1 Chronicles 21. David took a census of Israel and Judah. This was a great sin and the LORD gave David three options how the country should be punished. David chose to be in the hands of the LORD, and the nation was punished by being visited by the angel of the LORD. The angel stopped at Araunah’s threshing floor, the future site of the Temple.

Day 166 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Acts 10. Cornelius, a Roman centurion called for Peter to come. That same day  Peter had a vision about eating all food, including unclean food. Peter protested, but the voice in the vision told him “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.“ Peter followed Cornelius’ servants  from Joppa to Caesarea, where he met Cornelius and presented the Gospel to Cornelius’ household. They all believed,  the Holy Spirit fell on them and they were baptized, and so they became the first gentiles to be converted.

1 Chronicles 16. The Ark was placed in the Tabernacle, and David’s song of thanksgiving is recorded. After that the regular worship resumed.

1 Chronicles 17. David wanted to build a temple for the Lord rather than the tabernacle, and God’s covenant with David was that his son would be allowed to build it.

Day 165 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Acts 9:23-43. After Saul was converted, the Jews in Damascus decided to kill Saul, but he escaped at night by being lowered out through a window, hidden in a basket. Saul then went to Jerusalem. The believers were at first suspicious of him, but Barnabas told what had happened to Saul, and accepting Saul’s conversion the Church Prospered. Later Saul healed the paralytic Aeneas, and in Joppa a woman named Tabitha (or Dorcas) died. The believers immediately called for Peter, and he uttered the words “Tabitha cumi” and she rose up again.

1 Chronicles 13. The Ark  was brought from Kirjath Jearim to the family of Obed-Edom the Gittite. “And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the house of Obededom, and all that he had.“

1 Chronicles 14. David was firmly established at Jerusalem. After asking God if he should wage war with the Philistines he went to battle with his growing army and defeated them.

1 Chronicles 15. The Ark was brought to Jerusalem in a great procession with music and dancing. When David’s wife Michal, daughter of Saul saw David dancing in the street at the joyous occasion, she despised him.

Day 164 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Acts 9:1-22. On the road to Damascus Saul was Converted. Ananias met up with Saul and from that time on Saul preached Christ.

1 Chronicles 11. David was made King over Israel, after which he conquered Jerusalem and it was from then on called the City of David (as opposed to the town of David, which is Bethlehem). The chapter also lists David’s mighty men, describing some of their deeds.