M’Cheyne’s Daily Readings for June 29, 2018

 

Joshua 1: The Lord charges Joshua to be strong and courageous and to lead the people of Israel into the promised land.

Psalms 120-122: The fifteen Psalms following Psalm 119 comprise the “Psalms of ascent,” Psalms either written for or used by Jewish pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem and the temple for the great feasts. Psalm 120 reflects the experience of the Psalmist living among God’s enemies. Psalm 121 praises the Lord for his strength and protection. Psalm 122 reflects the joyful experience of a Jewish pilgrim preparing to worship the Lord in the temple.

Isaiah 61: Isaiah 61 sets forth the Spirit-anointed Messiah as the one who will usher in freedom for God’s people. Jesus quotes verses 1 and 2 of Isaiah 61 as being fulfilled in His person.

Matthew 9: The group of miracles recounted in chapter 9 emphasize Jesus’ power to save and the necessity of faith. Nearly every encounter emphasizes the need for a believing response. Christ says to all those who look to him by faith alone, just as he said to the paralytic, “Take heart my son, your sins are forgiven” (v. 2).

M’Cheyne’s Daily Readings for June 28, 2018

Deuteronomy 33-34: Moses pronounces the Lord’s blessing upon the 12 tribes of Israel. He ascends Mount Nebo where he views the promised land and then dies and is buried by the Lord. The author of the chapter, presumably writing many years after Moses’ death, tells us that “there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants in the land, and for all the mighty power and great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.” (v. 10-12).

Psalm 119:145-176: The Psalmist concludes the Psalm by appealing to God for help in the midst of his affliction. He speaks of his obedience to and love for God’s law in spite of his circumstances (v. 167).  The Lord sovereignly tries His people so that they might bring forth the fruit of obedience to His law.  Our response to afflictions visibly reveals what it is we treasure most.  When we trust in the Lord and obey His commandments as the dark storm clouds of affliction loom over us, we visibly testify to the fact that God is our greatest treasure and that nothing is more precious to us than His saving presence.

Isaiah 60: The Lord, speaking through Isaiah, foretells the future glory of Israel. The nations will be saved and Israel will experience peace, abundance, and joy.

Matthew 8:  In v. 1-18, three of Jesus’ healing miracles are recounted. Those healed all have one thing in common, namely that each is a social outcast- a leper, a Gentile, and a woman. The text culminates with Matthew’s statement in v. 18 that these miracles fulfill Isaiah 53:4. Jesus is the great physician who took upon Himself our illnesses and diseases so that we might enjoy resurrection joy in his presence, world without end. Key verse: “This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases” (8:18).

M’Cheyne’s Daily Readings for June 27, 2018

Deuteronomy 32: Deuteronomy 32 records the song of Moses which predicts the apostasy of Israel, the judgment of God, and the merciful purposes of the Lord for his people. The Lord then commands Moses to ascend Mount Nebo to view the promised land. The Lord will not allow Moses to enter into the land because he broke faith with the Lord and did not treat Him as holy in the midst of the people of Israel (v. 51).

Psalm 119:121-144- It’s often forgotten that the author of Psalm 119 writes this “love letter to God’s law” in the midst of profound affliction. In the reading for today, the Psalmist asks the Lord to deliver him from oppressors (v. 121, 134); speaks of the disobedience which surrounds him (v. 126); describes his grief and sadness because God’s law is not kept (v. 136); the foes which forget God’s words (v. 139); his small and despised position (v. 141); and the trouble and anguish which characterize his life (v. 144). What we learn from these verses is that our only hope for wisdom, safety, and comfort in the midst of dark providences is the self-revelation of God in His Word. Spurning God’s Word when afflictions abound (as at any other time in our lives) is a recipe for spiritual disaster. Receiving, delighting in, and obeying God’s Word- revealed supremely in our law-keeping Savior Jesus Christ- is the key to steadfastness when troubles assail us.

Isaiah 59: The 17th century English philosopher Thomas Hobbes once described human life as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Hobbes’ description of life in a fallen world echoes Isaiah’s description of the consequences of sin within the nation of Israel. Sin is the great, beguiling enemy of all that is good and its end is separation from the gracious presence of God (v. 2). Sinners stand in desperate need of a Savior who can bear the covenant curses of God which the Lord pronounces through the prophet Isaiah. Only an infinitely great Savior- a Savior who wears “righteousness as a breastplate and a helmet of salvation on his head” (v. 17)- can save us from this greatest of all enemies. In Jesus Christ, a Redeemer has come to Zion, “to those in Jacob who turn from transgression” (v. 20). In Jesus Christ, the most glorious administration of God’s covenant of grace has been ushered in, a covenant which includes- not only believers- but their children as well (v. 21).

Matthew 7: Jesus concludes His sermon and the crowds are astonished, “for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes” (7:28). Jesus is no ordinary human prophet, but the Son of God made flesh. He is the full and final revelation of God.

M’Cheyne’s Daily Readings for June 26, 2018

Deuteronomy 31: Moses assures Israel of God’s presence and power. He instructs the people to be strong and courageous, promising victory over the inhabitants of the land. Moses also charges Joshua to be strong and courageous as he begins to lead the nation. The Lord’s presence with his people provides confidence in the face of their enemies. In the Lord’s final words to Moses, he speaks of the inevitable apostasy which Israel will fall into. The song of Moses is a witness for the Lord against the people of Israel.

Psalm 119:97-120: The Psalmist loves and delights in God’s law because it provides divine wisdom.  This wisdom is accessible only to the one who keeps God’s law.

Isaiah 58: The Lord condemns the meticulous religious observance of the people because it is motivated by the pursuit of selfish pleasure and results in “social ruthlessness” (IVP New Bible Commentary). The chapter concludes with a call to faithful observance of the fourth commandment. The Lord will richly bless those who honor and delight in the Sabbath. Specifically, the Lord will richly bless those who refrain from seeking their own pleasure on the Sabbath day.

Matthew 6: The obedience of Christ’s disciples ought not to be motivated by the prospect of human praise but by the gracious favor of the Father. He will openly reward those who humbly seek His glory rather than their own praise.

M’Cheyne’s Daily Readings for June 25, 2018

Deuteronomy 30:  In chapter 30, Moses speaks of a time when Israel will live in exile and call upon the Lord for deliverance. The Lord will restore the fortunes of Israel when she repents. Since Israel’s greatest problem is an uncircumcised heart (v. 6), her only hope is a faithful Israelite who will vicariously bear the covenant curses and turn to the Lord in obedience on her behalf, securing the inward circumcision of heart needed to repent, believe, and obey. In Jesus Christ- the true and faithful Israel- all of God’s people have been set free from the exile of sin, death, and Satan. Through the circumcision of Jesus Christ and His substitutionary cross-exile on behalf of His people, the long-awaited circumcision of heart leading to obedience has taken place. Key verse: “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live” (v. 6).

Psalm 119:73-96:  The God of the Bible is a God who speaks. All things were brought forth by His Word (John 1:3); all things are sustained by his Word (Heb. 1:3); his covenant promises are enacted and ensured by His Word (Heb. 6:13); and He reveals Himself to us AS Word- the Son of God is the eternal speech of the Father, revealing his perfect character (John 1:14). It’s no surprise then, given the emphasis in Scripture upon the Word of God, that the Psalmist, in v. 89, ascribes eternal permanence to that Word, a Word which is “firmly fixed in the heavens.” God’s “word” here is synonymous with God’s “law” and refers to the written revelation of God in the Hebrew Scriptures, particularly the moral law or the ten commandments. According to the Psalmist, the law provides a clear expression of God’s character and is therefore righteous (v. 75, 137, 144); trustworthy (v. 86; 138); everlasting (v. 89, 152, 160); and true (v. 142, 151, 130). Contrary to many Christians today who think of the law in exclusively negative terms, the Psalmist possesses a high regard for God’s law, expresses his deep love for God’s law, and teaches us that keeping God’s law, for those who have been redeemed, brings life and blessing. As chapter 19 of the Westminster Confession of Faith states so beautifully, the uses of God’s law for the believer are not “contrary to the grace of the gospel, but do sweetly comply with it; the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely, and cheerfully, which the will of God, revealed in the law, requires to be done” (WCF 19:7).

While uncertainties, questions, and restlessness abound in our ever-changing world, there is one reality that remains forever sure- the unfailing and unchanging law of Almighty God. Those who seek to know and experience the faithfulness of God find that faithfulness shining most brightly in his infallible revelation (v. 90). Those who suffer and groan under affliction find life and strength in the precepts of God’s moral law (v. 93). For those who are redeemed by the One who embodies the Law in his very flesh, the One who came not to destroy but to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, the law is no longer an enemy but a friend, a gracious guide to life in the midst of hardship. The true believer who has come to know and love the Word and law of God can say with Charles Spurgeon:

“The pleasures arising from a right understanding of the divine testimonies are of the most delightful order; earthly enjoyments are utterly contemptible if compared with them. The sweetest joys, yea, the sweetest of the sweetest falls to his portion who has God’s truth to be his heritage.”  -Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David (Psalm 119)

Isaiah 57: The Lord sets forth a contrast between the righteous and the wicked. Israel is condemned for her persistent idolatry. The Lord promises to heal, restore, and comfort those who have sinned against Him.

Matthew 5: Jesus Christ is the new and greater Moses who fulfills the law and explains its true intent. The coming of Jesus Christ does not abrogate the moral law but fulfills the purpose of the law, namely to point away from itself to the holy and righteous God revealed in the person of Jesus. Key verses: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (5:17-18).

M’Cheyne’s Daily Readings for June 24, 2018

My apologies for not posting the M’Cheyne readings this past month.  It’s been quite a busy month and I haven’t been able to transfer all my notes onto the blog.  If you’d like the summaries for the past month, I can scan a copy of my  notes and send them to you.  Now that things are quieting down a bit, I hope to be able to post more regularly.  Since we’ve finished the New Testament and are starting it again, I’ll post the same reflections which I posted a few months ago when we covered the same passage.  Thanks for your patience and let me know if you’d like a scanned copy of the notes for June!

Deuteronomy 29: Deuteronomy 29 begins Moses’ third address. Moses describes God’s past care for his people; provides a brief summary of Israel’s journey to the edge of the promised land; issues a call to obedience and a word of caution lest Israel disobey. Moses speaks of disobedience in terms of a wayward heart. The disobedient person will say, “I will be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my own heart” (v. 19). The reason for Israel’s past disobedience lies in the fact that “to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear” (v. 4). Israel’s problem is not the law and its commands. The problem consists in the fact that her heart is hardened against the law and its good commands. A New Covenant, in which the law of God is written upon the hearts of all God’s people, is needed to overcome this greatest of all problems.

Psalm 119:49-72: Twice in these verses the Psalmist refers to the comfort which God’s revelation provides:

“This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life” (v. 50).

“When I think of your rules from of old, I take comfort, O Lord” (v. 52).

No matter what our lot in life may be, we can experience and enjoy true comfort. But this comfort can only be found in a saving relationship with the Lord who reveals Himself to us in His Incarnate and written Word.

Isaiah 56: The Lord will provide salvation for foreigners. Isaiah 56 anticipates the great salvation which Jesus Christ would bring to all nations through his obedient life, sacrificial death, and life-giving resurrection from the dead. Emphasis is placed throughout on obedience to the fourth commandment, a commandment which Israel had spurned but which the redeemed foreigners will keep.  The inescapable implication of these verses is that the fourth commandment is not set aside by the coming of Jesus Christ to inaugurate the New Covenant.  The redeemed remnant living under the New Covenant will sanctify the Sabbath day, offering up the necessary heart-obedience which only the blood of the New Covenant, shed by Jesus Christ on behalf of the nations, can secure.

Matthew 4: Jesus is tempted in the wilderness as the faithful last Adam and the obedient true Israel. The long-awaited kingdom of God, forfeited through Adam’s disobedience, has now arrived in Jesus’ person, a reality visibly manifested through his healing miracles. Key verse: “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (4:17).