Today's Reading (day 266)

Individual References

John 20
Exodus 29
1 Corinthians 16
2 Thessalonians 1
Job 18
Psalms 116
Proverbs 18
Joshua 17
Isaiah 16
Acts 14

It's interesting that in John 20 every time that Jesus comes into the midst of the disciples he greets them saying "peace be unto you".

Matthew Henry says:

(1.) His kind and familiar salutation of his disciples: He said, Peace be unto you. This was not a word of course, though commonly used so at the meeting of friends, but a solemn, uncommon benediction, conferring upon them all the blessed fruits and effects of his death and resurrection. The phrase was common, but the sense was now peculiar. Peace be unto you is as much as, All good be to you, all peace always by all means. Christ had left them his peace for their legacy, Joh 14:27. By the death of the testator the testament was become of force, and he was now risen from the dead, to prove the will, and to be himself the executor of it. Accordingly, he here makes prompt payment of the legacy: Peace be unto you. His speaking peace makes peace, creates the fruit of the lips, peace; peace with God, peace in your own consciences, peace with one another; all this peace be with you; not peace with the world, but peace in Christ. His sudden appearing in the midst of them when they were full of doubts concerning him, full of fears concerning themselves, could not but put them into some disorder and consternation, the noise of which waves he stills with this word, Peace be unto you.

This is also the passage in which Jesus gives them the Holy Spirit.

22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

And the charge of passing on the gospel message.

23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Exodus 28-29

These passages speak in great detail about the elaborate priestly garments and about the sacrifices at the Tabernacle. Sacrifices of blood and flesh and bread. One can hardly not make a correlation with today's Roman Catholic church and the elaborate priestly garments of the pope and the sacrifice made in the Eucharist.


1 Cor 16:22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema {m} Maranatha.

The 1599 Geneva Bible notes say:
(m) By these words are meant the severest type of curse and excommunication that was among the Jews: and the words are as much as to say, "As our Lord comes". So that his meaning may be this, "Let him be accursed even to the coming of the Lord", that is to say, to the day of his death, even for ever.

I wonder if this is an example of John 20:23 noted above.


2 Thessalonians 1
King James Version (KJV)

1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:

12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I probably read Job 6 times this past year. I'm still trying to figure out Job's friends. The words of their speech seemed to carry much truth. Yet they so misrepresent Job and God. At some point I hope that I can actually understand this.

Psalm 116
King James Version (KJV)

3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

4 Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.


There is great wisdom in Proverbs 18
King James Version (KJV)

2 A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

13 He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.

15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

And more about the lot.
18 The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty.

22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.

24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Joshua 16 again mentions dividing the land by lot. Also in this chapter we see the daughters receiving the inheritance of their family.


The children of Joseph a great people...

14 And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the Lord hath blessed me hitherto?

15 And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee.

16 And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Bethshean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel.

17 And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot only:

18 But the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong.

In Acts 14 we see Paul and Barnabas preaching the gospel and it ends with themreturning to Antioch and sharing the success of the good news to the Gentiles.

Acts 14
King James Version (KJV)

14 And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.

2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.

3 Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

7 And there they preached the gospel.

15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

16 Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.

21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,

22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

27 And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.

28 And there they abode long time with the disciples.