This Bible reading plan takes you through most of the Holy Scriptures each weekday of the year. Each day has three Bible readings:
You're welcome to read one, two, or all three of the readings every weekday. And if you fall behind, don't worry! You can either use the weekends to catch up or you can simply dive in to the reading for that day, even if you've missed a few days, weeks, or even months!
14:1 Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.1 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. 5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel.
8 Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well,2 10 said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking. 11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, 15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” 18 Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.
19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, 26 and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. 27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they remained no little time with the disciples.
(ESV)
One afternoon, a long time ago, I was planning to host a night of food and football with some friends. After thinking about what dish I could prepare for what was to be a television watching, small talk making, male-bonding event, I finally settled on the perfect cuisine for any and every gathering of carnivorous males: pizza. I would make a pizza - with lots of pepperoni, beef, Italian sausage, and ham, of course. After carefully preparing and baking my cholesterol laden, artery clogging masterpiece, I proudly pulled it from the oven. But then, it happened. As I removed my pizza, my finger slipped off the potholder right into the middle of a bubbling, skin-searing mound of cheese. "Ouch!" I yelped, as I began to lose my grip on the pizza. And before I knew it, my culinary tour de force was lying toppings-down on the kitchen floor.
Immediately, my mind began to race: "What do I do? I don't have time to make another pizza. But I can't serve my buddies a pizza I just dropped on the floor. Wait! The five second rule! But it's already been ten seconds. Okay, the ten second rule! It'll be fine. After all, what they don't know won't hurt them."
"What they don't know won't hurt them." Maybe you've said these words before too. You made a mistake that no one knows about. You received credit for something that really wasn't due you. Sure, you could say something, but what people don't know won't hurt them. Right?
Our reading for today from Acts 14 relays what is one of the most peculiar encounters that Paul and Barnabas have in all their travels. It takes place in Lystra after Paul has healed a crippled man in front of a large crowd: This crowd's bazaar actions, it seems, stem from an ancient legend, told by the Roman poet Ovid that, once upon a time, the gods Zeus and Hermes visited the Phrygian hill country, disguised as mortals, looking for a place to stay. After asking at a thousand homes, and being rejected by all of them, they came to the shack of an elderly husband and wife, Pilemon and Baucis, meagerly cobbled out of straw and reeds. This tender couple welcomed the gods. In gratitude, Zeus and Hermes transformed their shack into a temple with a golden roof and marble columns. Lystra's current residents, seeing Paul's miraculous healing, seem to think that, once again, "the gods have come down in human form," and seem determined not to miss their chance to be hospitable to them. It is at this point that Paul and Barnabas have a decision to make. Do they tell these misguided superstitionists that they're not really divine or do they just keep quiet and receive their frenzied adoration and adulation? After all, what they don't know won't hurt them. Right? Paul and Barnabas opt for honesty over accolades: Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. (verse 15) Shortly thereafter, Luke tells us: "Some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city" (verse 19). From acclaim to attempted execution, all in four verses - that's what Paul gets for telling the truth. Do you ever withhold the truth and simply receive what comes your way, even when you know it is not rightfully yours? When the grocery store cashier inadvertently forgets to charge you for an item, do you point out the oversight? When the ticket office at the brand new Cowboys Stadium accidently gives you much better seats to the game than you paid for, do you mention it to the attendant? Or, do you simply excuse yourself from any culpability by whispering under your breath, "What they don't know won't hurt them." One of the great calls to Christianity is its call to honesty. In the gospels, Jesus says, "I tell you the truth" some seventy eight times. Clearly, Christianity is obsessed with the truth and with telling the truth. For, in the final analysis, Christianity teaches that what people don't know can hurt them. As Paul later says to those in Athens, "In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). What you don't know can not only hurt you, it can damn you. Thus, we are called to tell the truth, especially the truth about God. So share the truth - about yourself, about others, and about God - today and every day. 3:1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits1 and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” 7 Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 9 They declared2 to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. 11 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good.3 But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.4 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics,5 their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” [1] 3:1 (ESV)
Old Testament Reading
Daniel 3:1–25
Nebuchadnezzar’s Golden Image
The Fiery Furnace
Footnotes
[2] 3:9
[3] 3:15
[4] 3:17
[5] 3:21
Perhaps inspired by his dream of an image, King Nebuchadnezzar had a 90-foot tall image of himself constructed, covered in gold. He summoned all of the leading officials of his empire to attend the dedication. The proclamation was issued that at the sound of the orchestra everyone was to fall down and worship the king's image. The penalty for refusing to do so was a trip to the fiery furnace (sometimes used as a means of execution). Jealous advisors among the Chaldeans came to Nebuchadnezzar making the malicious charge against the Jewish administrators under Daniel that they "pay no attention to you." This was certainly not true, nevertheless, they did refuse to engage in idolatrous worship of a golden image. Nebuchadnezzar summoned the men and questioned them, boasting "who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?" In reply, they argued that they had no need to defend their actions. They trusted God to deliver them from the king and from the fiery furnace, but their faith was so firm that they confessed, "even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." That kind of courage of conviction is rare indeed! In a furious rage Nebuchadnezzar ordered the furnace to be stoked seven times hotter than usual, and ordered the men bound and thrown in the fire. The inferno was so hot it consumed the soldiers who threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into it. Staring into the fire from a safe distance, the king was shocked to see a fourth figure with the other three in the furnace. Amazed, Nebuchadnezzar announced, "the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods." Later (v. 28), the king proclaimed the fourth figure to be an angel sent by God to deliver them. Some believers have interpreted this to be the pre-incarnate Christ. In any case, this was God's fulfillment of His promise in Psalm 34:7: "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them."
4:1 Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
and be attentive, that you may gain1 insight,
2 for I give you good precepts;
do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a son with my father,
tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments, and live.
5 Get wisdom; get insight;
do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
love her, and she will guard you.
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.
8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head a graceful garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
[1] 4:1
(ESV)