Today’s Bible Reading

November 5

Old Testament I
1 Chronicles 19, 20
1 Chronicles 19 and 20 contain the account of the war between Israel and the Ammonites during the reign of David.

In chapter 19, David sends messengers to the king of the Ammonites to express his condolences over the death of the king's father. However, the Ammonite princes suspect that David's intentions are not sincere, and they humiliate his messengers. This leads to a war between Israel and the Ammonites, with the latter receiving help from the Syrians. Despite the odds against them, Israel emerges victorious, and the Syrians are also defeated.

Chapter 20 describes another battle in which David and his army fight against the Philistines. During the battle, one of David's men, named Elhanan, kills a giant Philistine named Lahmi, who was the brother of the famous Goliath. The chapter also mentions that David's army conquers several Philistine cities and takes a large amount of plunder.

Overall, these two chapters emphasize David's military prowess and God's provision of victory for Israel, despite the challenges they faced. It also highlights the importance of maintaining good diplomatic relations with neighboring nations, as seen in David's attempt to express sympathy to the Ammonites before the conflict began.

Old Testament II
Ezekiel 18, 19
Ezekiel 18 is a chapter that emphasizes individual responsibility for sin and righteousness. In the beginning of the chapter, God challenges the people of Israel who were saying that they were suffering for the sins of their ancestors. God tells them that each person is responsible for their own actions and will be judged accordingly. The chapter then goes on to list various scenarios of righteous and wicked behavior, emphasizing that the person who does what is right will live, but the person who does what is wrong will die.

Ezekiel 19 is a lamentation over the kings of Israel and their failure to lead the people in righteousness. The chapter uses the metaphor of two lion cubs to describe the kings of Israel, and how they were raised up to be strong and powerful leaders. However, they ultimately failed to live up to their potential and brought destruction upon themselves and the people. The chapter ends with a somber warning that unless the people repent and turn back to God, they too will face destruction.

New Testament
John 6:41 - 7:1
In John 6:41-7:1, Jesus continues to teach and perform miracles, but some people are skeptical of him. The passage begins with the Jews murmuring against Jesus because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven" (6:41). They know Jesus' parents and do not believe that he could have come down from heaven.

Jesus responds by telling them that no one can come to him unless it is granted to them by the Father. He goes on to say that he is the living bread that came down from heaven, and whoever eats this bread will live forever (6:51). This is a metaphor for belief in Jesus and acceptance of his teachings.

The Jews continue to argue among themselves about Jesus' claims, with some saying that he is a prophet and others saying that he is the Messiah. Jesus responds by saying that he is the bread of life and that those who believe in him will have eternal life (6:53-54).

Some of Jesus' followers are offended by his teachings and turn away from him. Jesus turns to the twelve disciples and asks if they too will leave him. Peter responds by saying, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (6:68).

In chapter 7, Jesus travels to Galilee but does not want to go to Judea because the Jews are seeking to kill him. His brothers encourage him to go to Judea and show his works to the world, but Jesus says that his time has not yet come (7:1-9).

Overall, this passage emphasizes Jesus' divinity and the importance of belief in him for eternal life. It also highlights the skepticism and division that his teachings cause among people, even among his own followers.