Romans 11. Israel’s Rejection is not total, but because of their rejection of the Gospel, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Israel’s Rejection is not fatal, all Israel will be saved according to Scripture. The chapter ends with a Doxology, if you are in the habit of memorizing Scripture, this would be a good passage to memorize
Job 4. Job’s friend Eliphaz was first to speak: Job has sinned –
Romans 10. Paul claimed that Israel too needs the Gospel, “ if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” It is true in the Gospel, that “there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek,” but Israel rejected the Gospel.
Job 2. Satan Attacked Job’s Health, and then Job was visited by three friends, keeping him company for a week without saying a word.
Job 3. Job deplored his birth speaking to his his three friends, and they still kept quiet.
Romans 9. After the glorious chapter 8 Paul turned his attention to Israel and their rejection of Christ, they are after all God’s Sovereign Choice and the Children of Promise. God administers justice as he seed fit: “As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated,” and Israel’s unbelief was “Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
Job 1. This is the oldest book in the Bible and predates even the Pentateuch. It is written in old Aramaic. Job and his Family lived in in Uz, righteous before God. Satan attacked Job’s Character and as a result Job lost his property and his children.
Romans 8:28-39. This is my favorite chapter in all the Bible, and is far too important for my feeble comments. Read it together with all the Old Testament references, let them serve as the commentary; then read it again. Let it sink in, then pray with thanksgiving.
Proverbs 11. The list of Solomon’s Proverbs is many chapters long.
Psalm 62, of David. David, as always claimed God to be his rock and salvation, even when surrounded by false and evil men, he would not be moved. All power belongs to God.
Romans 8:1-27. This is my favorite chapter in all the Bible, and is far too important for my feeble comments. Read it together with all the Old Testament references, let them serve as the commentary; then read it again. Let it sink in, then pray with thanksgiving.
Esther 8. With Haman out of the way, the Jews were still in peril, since the edict of the king could not be changed, so Esther pleaded again to the king and a new edict was proclaimed, the the Jews had every right to defend themselves and strike back, and so Esther saved the Jews.
Esther9. The Jews triumphed, and the first Purim was celebrated.
Esther 10. Epilogue about the greatness of Mordecai.
Romans 7. Thanks to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are free from the Law when we belong to Him. Yet, we struggle with sin; “ For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.” The chapter ends up with “ O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” It will all make sense in chapter 8.
Esther 5. Esther prepared for a banquet with only her, the King and Haman in attendance. Meanwhile Haman’s rage against Mordecai was so great that he had built a seventy-five feet high gallows, on which to hang Mordecai.
Esther 6. As it so happened, the king had a case of insomnia. To become drowsy he had the annals read to him, which told that Mordecai had averted a coup. During the banquet the king wanted to honor somebody, and rather than Haman, Mordecai was honored.
Esther7. And so it was, Haman was hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai.
Psalm 61, of David. As so often happened, David was in trouble and cried out to God, proclaiming his trust in God, singing praises.
Romans 6. The three most important truths are: “Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.“ and “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” It is a fantastic chapter, read it and meditate.
Esther 2. The search for a new queen was on and Esther became the new queen. Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, uncovered a conspiracy against the king.
Esther3. Enter Haman, an Agagite. (There was great animosity between the Agagites and the Jews since the time of king Saul.) He was great in the kingdom, and everybody bowed down to him – except Mordecai. This enraged Haman, so he offered 750 tons of silver to the king’s treasury for being allowed to kill all Jews. Fair enough, deal signed and sealed, (and the king’s seal cannot be undone.)
Esther 4. Mordecai persuaded Esther to risk her life to save the Jews, and Esther’s response was “If I perish, I perish”.
Romans 5:12-21. Death came through one man, Adam, but “if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” Let that sink in.
Esther 1. A fantastic book that made it to the Holy Bible, even though the name of God is not mentioned, not even once! Yet, the hand of God is everywhere in it. Read all of it! It starts with a big, decadent feast, and queen Vashti refused to make a spectacle of herself so she was deposed. Now what do you do without a queen?
Psalm 59, of David. A prayer for deliverance from Saul and his men seeking to Kill David. It ends up with David singing God’s praises.
Psalm 60, of David. A Psalm intended for teaching. Even though they were defeated, David gave God the glory for future victories and deliverance.
Romans 5:1-11. This is a great chapter and tells how faith triumphs in trouble, one quote: “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Proverbs 10 contains some of the wise sayings of Solomon, with New Testament thoughts sprinkled in.
Psalm 56 , of David. The Psalm is from the time when the Philistines captured him in Gath It deals with the period between the visit to the tabernacle at Nob and David’s arrival at Adullam. David was alone, desperate, afraid – and had no one left to to trust but the LORD.
Psalm 57 , of David. Charles Spurgeon noted, “There are four of these ‘Destroy not’ psalms, namely, the 57th, 58th, 59th, and 75th. In all of them there is a distinct declaration of the destruction of the wicked and the preservation of the righteous.” It ends with “Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.“
Psalm 58, of David. A short, but intense prayer that God would punish the wicked and judge righteously.
Romans 4. Abraham was justified by faith, not works and definitely not circumcision. Where there is no law, there is no transgression. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed, and it was credited to him as righteousness. And “for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”
Nehemiah 12 lists the priests and Levites, the time had come for Nehemiah to dedicate the wall, and the temple responsibilities were specified.
Nehemiah 13. The final reforms of Nehemiah are recorded, the temple service is given its due, and a final admonition from Nehemiah: Observe the Sabbath and don’t marry strange women.
Len Bilén's blog, a blog about faith, politics and the environment. 