| Date | Version | Reading Plan |
|---|---|---|
| @April 14, 2024 | ESV (2016) | M’Cheyne Plan 2024 |
Leviticus 18
Leviticus 18:24–25 (ESV) 24 “Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean, 25 and the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.
The LORD spoke to Moses to speak to the people regarding the sexual relations and resulting uncleanness they were to avoid. It was by these abominable practices that the LORD was driving out the nations before them. This can often be a point of contention among unbelievers—God initiating the destruction of the Canaanites—who ask why a benevolent Deity would be capable of such a thing. However, as we see here, it was because of their deplorable practices, making Israel’s invasion of them a just judgment placed upon its inhabitants.
Psalm 22
Psalm 22:27–28 (ESV) 27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. 28 For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.
David makes a powerful proclamation of the LORD’s ultimate reign. There will be a day in which all the earth will remember—from highest earthy authority to the lowliest servant—that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:10b-11). Every family among the nations shall worship One to whom all kingship belongs. “To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Pet. 5:11)
Ecclesiastes 1
Ecclesiastes 1:16–17 (ESV) 16 I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.
The Preacher (likely Solomon) had amassed great wisdom but confesses that even this is a striving after wind. This seems to contradict Solomon’s very own words in Prov. 1:7 in which he says that “fools despise wisdom and instruction” and antithetical to the overarching narrative that we are to seek God and His wisdom. However, as the Faithlife Study Bible eludes, by saying that seeking wisdom is striving after wind, Solomon is tempering our expectations and acknowledging the limitations of human intellect.
1 Timothy 3
1 Timothy 3:1 (ESV) 3 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
A significant portion of this chapter is dedicated to Paul’s instruction to the church regarding criteria for selection of overseers and deacons. Because the calling of a pastor/elder/overseer bears the weight of shepherding souls to Christ, the bar is set very high. Important to note is how how many of these qualities are outwardly manifested. This denotes that these men are not only to think themselves as possessing such a calling by God, but that the fruit of this calling should be clearly visible by others mature in the faith.