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July 23 Daily Reading- Read the Bible in 1 Year
11 Plays3 days ago
If you would like to download my FREE calendar for keeping track of your commitment to read the Bible every day, you can find that on my site, here: https://www.inthefamilywaycoaching.com/pages/read-the-bible-in-1-year
Monthly memberships to support this event can be purchased on my site, here: https://www.inthefamilywaycoaching.com/offering_packages
In today's reading we will begin the Book of Haggai, Chapter 1, and read Ezra, Chapters 5 and 6. We will read about God sending a message to the people through the prophet Haggai to continue working on the temple and asked the people to notice that although they were working hard for themselves by planting a lot of seed and working, the crops were not yielding what they planted, the money they earned seemed to have holes in the money bags, they were eating and drinking but not getting full, and this was because the people were not making God the most important one and rebuilding HIS home. They were putting construction of their own homes first. We see that God worked in the peoples' hearts and they obeyed God, continuing construction on the temple and received all the funding they needed through the order that King Cyrus made and King Darius enforced. God will always take care of His people, even today, just as He did at the time of the rebuilding of the temple. God reassured the people that HE WAS WITH THEM. Even now, today, we have Jesus, whose name is Immanuel, which means GOD WITH US. God is ALWAYS WITH US. He will NEVER leave us or forsake us! We need to be just as faithful to God in return and make HIM the most important one in OUR lives. We need to be sure we bring our tithe to Him and just as in the past, God will take care of us and meet ALL of our needs, just as Jesus taught us: Seek first the Kingdom of God and everything else will be given to us.
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Transcript
Introduction and Date Setup
00:00:03
Speaker
Good day, everybody. Today is July 23rd. You are joining Robin at In the Family Way Coaching for our daily Bible reading as we go through the Day by Day Kids Bible written by Karen Henley.
00:00:16
Speaker
I am so glad that you're joining me. We had a lot to read yesterday and we don't have as much to read today, but it is still going to be magnificent. I've really been enjoying reading about these events that are occurring and I hope that you are enjoying reading about them as well.
00:00:36
Speaker
If you are following along on that commitment calendar, it's time to take that out and your sticker because you're about to hear the Bible today.
00:00:45
Speaker
Wow, we are already at July 23rd.
Mid-Year Reflection
00:00:49
Speaker
Can you believe it? We are over halfway through this year. This year is just zipping, zipping, zipping on by.
00:00:56
Speaker
This is probably the fastest year I can remember ever having.
00:01:02
Speaker
Well, today are going to get right into it because it is late for me. have a hard time getting started sometimes in the day as I'm doing other things and and i just I struggle with transition.
00:01:13
Speaker
I know I need to get going on it and then I just i keep doing other things and I'm like, ah, just get the recording going already.
Chronological Bible Reading Decision
00:01:22
Speaker
So today, Jedi, if you are reading along with us today, as i I know you often do, we are going to read Haggai chapter one first.
00:01:34
Speaker
Even though it lists Ezra chapter five first, we are going to start, go to over to the next page at 463 and it's at the bottom of the page. It's going to start Haggai chapter one.
00:01:48
Speaker
Now our Bible, the Day by Day Kids Bible, is presented chronologically. However, I believe that this is out of place. I believe that the way that this is placed where it is given after Ezra chapters 5 and 6, I believe that it is incorrectly placed and that it should occur first.
00:02:07
Speaker
Because Haggai is a prophet who encouraged the people to keep building God's temple. And in Ezra chapter five and six, we see that the people are already completing the building.
00:02:23
Speaker
So it doesn't make sense to hear the message to get going on that after we've already read about them completing it. So I've looked at the timeline and it looks like ah maybe an editing. Maybe it should have been placed ah first. So we're going to.
00:02:40
Speaker
make what we call the executive decision here but but and read chapter one of Haggai first. So we're going to be reading Ezra chapter five and six today, as well as Haggai chapter one.
00:02:54
Speaker
So when we left off yesterday, we read that the work on the worship house in Jerusalem stopped and it did not start again until the second year Darius was the king of Persia.
Opposition to Temple Rebuilding
00:03:05
Speaker
So that's what we're going to see. So during that time, ah the people were spending their time building up their own homes because they had been under order not to continue.
00:03:17
Speaker
And they did not pursue it. Now, they knew that a letter had already been issued by the King Cyrus. Yeah. And he was the one who had given them the order to rebuild the temple and that it would be paid for out of Babylon's expenses.
00:03:39
Speaker
So although the people knew about that, they did not defend themselves when the enemy people ah wrote a letter to King, and let's see, King...
00:03:58
Speaker
There are so many kings.
00:04:02
Speaker
King Cyrus. and Maybe i said Cyrus a moment ago. um Yesterday. Yesterday's reading.
00:04:12
Speaker
Ah. Xerxes, King Xerxes. So when the people sent a letter to King Xerxes, ah King Xerxes stopped work on the temple and the people should have responded back with a letter saying, ah please review the records further and and find that King Cyrus had issued a decree that we would ah be given funding for this and that we have permission to be doing what we are doing.
00:04:42
Speaker
but ah And so when the people wrote the letter, they wrote the letter saying, look at how troublesome these people in Israel are. And if they're rebuilding, then you won't get any tribute. You won't get any taxes. And this they cause nothing but trouble.
00:04:56
Speaker
And they did not defend themselves. So while God knew that what would happen, that he said it would be under times of trouble, and God is always in charge, the people were not standing firm and saying, we have a right to do this.
00:05:09
Speaker
So now we're going to be hearing from Haggai, who is going to be giving them a message from God.
Message of Prioritizing Worship
00:05:18
Speaker
So Haggai chapter 1, Darius had been king of Persia for two years. And then God spoke to Haggai the prophet. And he told Haggai what to tell Zerubbabel, the leader of Judah.
00:05:32
Speaker
These were God's words. The people say it's not time to build the worship house. But I ask you this. Is it time for you to live in nice houses?
00:05:46
Speaker
Should you do that while my worship house is a pile of sticks and stones? Think about what you do. You planted a lot of seeds, but you grew just a few crops.
00:06:00
Speaker
You eat, but you never have enough food. You drink, but you never get full. You wear clothes, but you don't get warm.
00:06:13
Speaker
You get money for working, but your money bags seem to have holes in them. That is because my worship house is a pile of sticks and stones, and each of you is busy with his own house.
00:06:28
Speaker
Think about what you do. Go to the mountains, get wood there, build my worship house. That will show you care about me, says God.
00:06:42
Speaker
Then Zerubbabel and all the people obeyed God, and they treated God as the most important one. Then Haggai gave them another message from God.
00:06:55
Speaker
I am with you, says God.
00:07:01
Speaker
So God changed the people's hearts. Then they wanted to work on God's worship house. They started building it again.
00:07:11
Speaker
Isn't that wonderful that God worked in their hearts? God is always in control, isn't he? So now we're going to go to chapter five in Ezra. So we're gonna turn the page back, Jedi.
00:07:25
Speaker
And we're going to read, who told you? Now, two prophets spoke in Jerusalem and all over Judah. One was Haggai and the other was Zechariah.
00:07:38
Speaker
God talked to them and they told God's words. Zerubbabel started working to build the worship house again. The two prophets were there helping him. And the leaders of the people around there went to Zerubbabel.
00:07:52
Speaker
They said, Who told you that you could build again? Who are these men doing the work? But God was taking care of his people.
00:08:03
Speaker
So nobody stopped them just then. And the leaders from around there had to send a letter to King Darius. And then they had to wait for an answer. Here is the letter that the leader sent to King Darius.
00:08:19
Speaker
To King Darius. Hello. You should know that we went to Judah. We went to God's worship house. The people are building it again.
00:08:31
Speaker
They are using big stones and wood. They are working quickly. We asked them who told them to do that. We asked them what their names were.
00:08:45
Speaker
We wanted to let you know who was doing this. And here is what they told us. They said that they serve the God of heaven and earth. They are building his worship house again.
00:08:58
Speaker
But there be a great king of Israel built it long ago. But their people from long ago made God angry. So he gave them to Babylon's army and the army tore down the worship house and he took the people to Babylon.
00:09:14
Speaker
They told us that later King Cyrus said to build the worship house again. He even sent back the gold and silver dishes and the people brought them to Jerusalem and they started building.
00:09:30
Speaker
They have been working on it all this time, but it's not finished yet. Now, please look back at the old laws and letters of Babylon and see if King Cyrus did tell them to build this worship house and let us know what you learn about this.
King Darius' Support and Enforcement
00:09:49
Speaker
King Darius, Chapter 6, The Roll of Paper. King Darius looked at the old laws and letters. He found a roll of paper with a message on it, and it said, ah note to help everyone remember.
00:10:06
Speaker
King Cyrus made a law in his first year as king. It was about God's worship house in Jerusalem. This is what it said. Let the worship house be built again.
00:10:21
Speaker
The king's money will help pay for it. The gold and silver dishes Babylon took will be given back, and they will be put back in God's worship house.
00:10:33
Speaker
So King Darius sent a letter to the leaders who lived around God's people. I want you to stay away from the Jewish people. Don't bother them while they build God's worship house.
00:10:45
Speaker
What's more, want you to help them. Pay for the building with your land's tax money. That way the work won't stop. Give them whatever they need.
00:10:58
Speaker
Give them bulls, rams, lambs, wheat, salt, wine, and oil. Give it to them each day.
00:11:09
Speaker
Then they can give gifts to God and they can pray for the king and his sons. If anybody changes this law, he is in trouble. He will be killed and his house will be torn down.
00:11:23
Speaker
It will be left as a pile of sticks and stones. I hope God tears down anyone who changes this law. I hope he tears down anyone who hurts the worship house. i Darius, have made this a law.
00:11:41
Speaker
Let it be done. So the leaders who lived around God's people did what King Darius said.
00:11:52
Speaker
And that is the end of our reading today.
00:11:57
Speaker
Now, what's interesting is that while the kings were having turnaround there in Babylon, where we saw King Cyrus, and then we saw King Darius, or a King Xerxes, rather, and now we're back to Darius again, um the leaders there in Jerusalem were all the same people.
00:12:18
Speaker
So these men who were writing the letter to King Xerxes and then to King Darius, they knew darn good and well that that law had already been proclaimed earlier.
00:12:32
Speaker
And because they were listed by name, the king sent them a letter and told them what to do. And it was very explicit that they were supposed to be helping to build.
00:12:45
Speaker
So all this time, they were disobeying God and they were disobeying the king of Babylon. And they were taking advantage of the fact that they were having turnaround and that one management didn't know what the other king had done.
00:12:59
Speaker
So while they had asked for a record to be, ah for search to be made through the records to see that weren't these people troublemakers in Jerusalem and and you won't get any tribute if that happens.
00:13:11
Speaker
They were failing to point out the fact that there was indeed a law that had been made and they had been ordered to help and pay for it with tribute tax from their land.
00:13:25
Speaker
Isn't that interesting? So as we see once again, God was providing for the rebuilding of his temple. So we are going to go to, ah because it's a little bit more explanatory, I love the detail that is given in our big Bible. So we're actually going to look at that in the book of Ezra.
00:13:54
Speaker
Chapter six, it starts in um verse one. Darius endorses the rebuilding. King Darius then issued an order after he received the letter asking a search to be made to verify this information.
00:14:10
Speaker
So I think the people were potentially also hoping that with the turnover of the kings, that this law would not be found because again, they knew that this law had been made because they had been specifically addressed.
00:14:25
Speaker
So they were discounting on trying to slip through the cracks, but nothing slips through God's cracks. There are no cracks with God. ah God is in charge of everything and God took care of everything.
00:14:38
Speaker
And as we read today in chapter five, God took care of the people who were rebuilding. King Darius then issued an order and a search was made in the archives stored in the treasury of Babylon.
00:14:52
Speaker
A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it. Memorandum. I think it's interesting that they had memorandums clear back in this day.
00:15:06
Speaker
It was a memo.
00:15:09
Speaker
In the first year of Cyrus the king, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem. Let the house be rebuilt as a place where sacrifices are offered.
00:15:23
Speaker
Let its foundations be laid. Its height is to be 60 cubits and its width 60 cubits, with three layers of large stones and one layer of timber.
00:15:34
Speaker
Let the expense be paid from the king's house. Also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought to the temple in Jerusalem.
00:15:52
Speaker
You shall deposit them in the house of God. Now then, Tatanai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar Bezenai, and their colleagues, officials of Trans-Euphrates, all of you stay away from there.
00:16:07
Speaker
These were the same men who were writing letters to King Xerxes and King Darius. They were listed by name in this proclamation. You think they didn't know this? Leave the work of this house of God alone.
00:16:20
Speaker
Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God in its place. Moreover, I hereby issue a decree as to what you are to do for these elders of the Jews to rebuild this house of God.
00:16:36
Speaker
The complete costs. are to be paid to these men from the royal treasury, from the tribute from Trans-Euphrates, so that they are not hindered.
00:16:50
Speaker
Whatever is needed, young bulls, rams, or lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, or wheat, salt, wine, and oil as requested by the priests in Jerusalem, must be given to them daily without neglect.
00:17:08
Speaker
so that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.
00:17:17
Speaker
Furthermore, I decree that if anyone changes this edict, a beam is to be pulled out from his house and let him be lifted up and impaled on it. And because of this, his house be made a pile of refuse trash.
00:17:32
Speaker
May God who makes his name dwell there overthrow any king or people who lifts his hand to cause such change to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem.
00:17:43
Speaker
I, Darius, have issued a decree. Let it be carried out with diligence. Now we see that King Xerxes issued the order saying that the house would stop being built.
00:17:58
Speaker
He didn't stay king for very long, did he? So what King Cyrus prayed for when he said, may the God who makes his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who lifts his hand to cause such change to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem.
00:18:17
Speaker
I, Darius, have issued a decree. Let it be carried out with diligence.
Importance of Prioritizing God's Kingdom
00:18:22
Speaker
God honored that, and he did not stay king for long. So I wanted to point those things out that those were very important details.
00:18:30
Speaker
And so it's great to have the big story of what we are reading about, but sometimes there are such good details that I wanna be sure and include them in our daily reading. So we see that here God is taking care of his people.
00:18:46
Speaker
That is our first daily application. God takes care of his people. You are his people. I am his people. God takes care of us. Not only that, but God is very clear when he gives the message in Haggai that one, God is with them.
00:19:03
Speaker
God is with you. God is with us. We have Jesus, who is one of his names, is Emmanuel, which means God with us. Jesus never leaves us or forsakes us.
00:19:15
Speaker
And we, as Jesus taught, again, we've talked about this in the past, we are to seek God's kingdom first. We are to make God the most important one in our lives.
00:19:28
Speaker
And then God will take care of everything else. And he reinforces this when he tells the people that they have planted seeds, but not much has grown. In fact, they planted a lot of seeds, but not a lot grew.
00:19:42
Speaker
They worked, but their money bags had holes in them. It was like, where did the money go? How come we never seem to have enough? Not only that, but they they would eat and drink, but they never got full.
00:19:55
Speaker
They had clothes to put on, but despite the fact that they had warm clothes, they did not get warm. And God was telling them that these were consequences for the fact that they were looking after their selves, their own selves.
00:20:11
Speaker
themselves instead of making God the priority. It is very important. we We may be tempted to say, well, I would do more. I would give my tithe or what, you know, i would offer to God if I had enough, but I don't have enough.
00:20:28
Speaker
I need to take care of my own expenses because if I if i were to pay my tithe, I wouldn't have anything left over to pay for my bills. God tells us it doesn't work that way. God loves a cheerful giver and he wants us to give out of cheerfulness and out of a desire to to give back to God.
00:20:46
Speaker
And God assures us time and time and time again and gives us these examples that when we put him as the most important one, God will make sure we always have enough.
00:21:00
Speaker
As Jesus told us, God knows what we need before we even ask him. And so we need to put his kingdom first. The people needed to put his kingdom first.
00:21:11
Speaker
And so it says that God changed the people's hearts. So that is my prayer that if anybody here is listening or watching, that God change your heart and that you put God first so that you may be blessed and see that when we put God first, there will always be enough for us.
00:21:34
Speaker
And that is our daily application today.
Encouragement to Spread God's Word
00:21:37
Speaker
So thank you for joining me. I just know that you feel God has lit your light today. So please click that light button. It looks like a thumbs up. It looks like a heart, but it's really a light button.
00:21:49
Speaker
Let's let everybody know that we make God the first, the one to be the most important one first, and God will take care of everything else. We will have enough. Our purses won't seem to have holes in them.
00:22:01
Speaker
We won't need to wonder where the money is going with all of our expenses. if we make sure to honor God and to give him a tenth of what we should be giving him first.
00:22:14
Speaker
And he will take care of the rest. We want everybody to know that. And we learned about that by reading God's word. So together, let's help spread the word about reading God's word so that people will see the evidence and see God telling the people, you need to look out for and and do honor me first.
00:22:35
Speaker
and then he will make sure everything is taken care of. It's not us who are giving this message. It's not us simply proclaiming this is what you should do. This is repeating God's word. It is in God's word that we learn these things.
00:22:48
Speaker
So it's very important that we spread the word about reading God's word so that the Holy Spirit can speak to each person who is hearing that message and God will change their hearts as well.
00:22:59
Speaker
And that's what we're looking for is to change our hearts by our by being transformed by a renewing of our mind, as Paul promises will happen. So thank you for clicking that light button. Thank you for sharing.
00:23:11
Speaker
Thank you for spreading the word about reading God's word. And I hope you have a fantastic rest of your day today. And as always, will be here for everyone again tomorrow.