Today’s Bible Reading

July 9

Old Testament I
Judges 2:6 - 3:4
Judges 2:6-3:4 describes the period of time after Joshua's death, when the Israelites began to turn away from God and follow the ways of the surrounding nations. The passage begins by stating that after Joshua died, the Israelites served the Lord as long as the elders who had known him were alive. However, after that generation passed away, the Israelites began to worship other gods and do evil in the eyes of the Lord.

As a result of their disobedience, God allowed their enemies to conquer them and oppress them. However, when the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help, He raised up judges to deliver them from their enemies.

The passage lists the names of the judges that God raised up, including Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar. Each judge delivered the Israelites from their enemies and helped them to serve the Lord.

The passage concludes by stating that the Lord left some of the nations in the land to test the Israelites, to see whether they would obey His commands or not. The Israelites intermarried with these nations and served their gods, leading to further disobedience and punishment from God.

Old Testament II
Isaiah 22:15 - 23:18
Isaiah 22:15-23:18 is a prophecy concerning the city of Jerusalem and its inhabitants. The passage can be divided into two parts: the first (Isaiah 22:15-25) describes the judgment that God will bring upon Shebna, the steward of King Hezekiah, and the second (Isaiah 23:1-18) describes the downfall of Tyre, a powerful city in Phoenicia.

In the first section, God speaks through Isaiah to condemn Shebna, who had been entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing the king's household. Shebna had become arrogant and had used his position for personal gain, rather than serving the people as he should have. God declares that He will remove Shebna from his position and replace him with Eliakim, who will be a faithful servant to the king and the people.

In the second section, Isaiah prophesies about the impending destruction of Tyre, a wealthy city that had become arrogant and prideful. The city had engaged in trade with many nations, but it had also enslaved people and oppressed others. God declares that He will bring judgment upon Tyre, and the city will be laid waste. Its inhabitants will be scattered, and its wealth will be taken away. Isaiah describes the sorrow and mourning that will follow the city's downfall.

Overall, this passage is a reminder that God is just and will judge those who are arrogant and prideful. It also shows that God is faithful to His promises and will bring about the consequences of people's actions, whether they are individuals or nations.

New Testament
1 Corinthians 2
1 Corinthians 2 is a continuation of Paul's letter to the church in Corinth. In this chapter, Paul focuses on the importance of preaching the message of the gospel through the power of the Holy Spirit, rather than relying on human wisdom or eloquence.

Paul begins by acknowledging that when he first came to the Corinthians, he did not come with lofty speech or wisdom, but instead relied on the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim the message of the cross. He explains that this was intentional, so that their faith would not rest on human wisdom, but on the power of God.

Paul goes on to contrast the wisdom of God with the wisdom of the world, saying that the wisdom of the world is foolishness in God's sight. He explains that the wisdom of God is hidden from the world, but revealed to those who have the Holy Spirit.

Paul then explains that he speaks not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Holy Spirit. He says that these spiritual truths are discerned only by those who have the Spirit, and that the natural person cannot understand them.

Finally, Paul concludes by saying that believers have the mind of Christ, and therefore are able to understand the things that God has freely given them. He urges the Corinthians to rely on the wisdom of God, rather than the wisdom of the world, and to live their lives according to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Overall, 1 Corinthians 2 emphasizes the importance of relying on the power of the Holy Spirit in preaching the gospel, and the superiority of God's wisdom over human wisdom.