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!
3:1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is1 that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in2 God, who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. 13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family3 in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
[1] 3:6
[2] 3:9
[3] 3:15
(ESV)
It seems as though almost every person goes through a season in life where they feel the need to "prove themselves." In my case, I have gone through several such seasons. For instance, when I was a first year student at seminary, studying to become a pastor, I felt the need to prove myself intellectually. This sometimes meant feigning knowledge about things which I did not understand.
I can remember one evening when I, a lowly first year seminary student, was chatting with some more educated, more insightful, more erudite fourth year seminary students. They were talking to me about the centrality of the Verba in worship. What? You don't what the Verba is? That's okay, neither did I. But I pretended I did and tried my best to sound intelligent while, in the final analysis, contributing nothing of substance to the conversation because I didn't even understand what was being talked about.
The Verba is Latin for "words" and refers to the Words of Institution spoken by the pastor when the Lord's Supper is celebrated. If I would have been humble enough to admit my own ignorance, perhaps I could have learned something from that conversation that evening rather than walking away confused and bewildered.
Humility, it seems, is a lost virtue on many people. Sadly, it is regularly replaced by two other sinful dispositions - that of haughtiness on the one hand and self-hatred on the other. Haughtiness is when a person refuses to admit there is a God, and they're not it! A haughty person will not fess up to their mistakes and shortcomings. Self-hatred, although it may masquerade as humility, is really a refusal to be thankful for life. Like a haughty person, a self-hating person refuses to admit there is a God who made them "fearfully and wonderfully" (cf. Psalm 139:14). For both the haughty and the self-hating, humility is sorely needed.
The apostle Paul, in our reading for today from Ephesians 3, models what it means to live a humble life. On the one hand, Paul certainly does not hate himself. Indeed, he defends himself against those who would seek to disparage him and his ministry:
Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. (verses 2-5)
With these words, Paul claims apostolic authority and "insight into the mystery of Christ." He further asks that his words be read by the Ephesians. This does not mean that Paul asks that his words be scanned personally and silently, but that his words be read aloud publicly in the context of an Ephesian worship service. Paul, then, seems to have quite a high estimation of his words and authority. Indeed, elsewhere, he claims that his words are God's words (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:3), a claim which is defended by the Christian doctrine of the inspiration of all Scripture. Yet, Paul is no haughty egotist with false messianic delusions. For his confidence in the grace of God, not in himself, as he says just verses later:
Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. (verses 8-9)
Paul freely and fully admits that he is "less than the least of all God's people," for he once fiercely persecuted the church, "breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples" (Acts 9:1). Thus, he does not seek to minimize or marginalize his sin.
This, then, is true humility: To be confident in God and the gifts and authority which he has given you by his grace while also having a sober estimation of yourself and your sin. Humility is not haughtiness nor is it self-hatred. Rather, it is seeing yourself as God sees you: As his imperfect, yet beloved child. Do you see yourself this way?
4:1 Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel,
for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land.
There is no faithfulness or steadfast love,
and no knowledge of God in the land;
2 there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery;
they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
3 Therefore the land mourns,
and all who dwell in it languish,
and also the beasts of the field
and the birds of the heavens,
and even the fish of the sea are taken away.
4 Yet let no one contend,
and let none accuse,
for with you is my contention, O priest.1
5 You shall stumble by day;
the prophet also shall stumble with you by night;
and I will destroy your mother.
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
because you have rejected knowledge,
I reject you from being a priest to me.
And since you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.
7 The more they increased,
the more they sinned against me;
I will change their glory into shame.
8 They feed on the sin2 of my people;
they are greedy for their iniquity.
9 And it shall be like people, like priest;
I will punish them for their ways
and repay them for their deeds.
10 They shall eat, but not be satisfied;
they shall play the whore, but not multiply,
because they have forsaken the LORD
to cherish 11 whoredom, wine, and new wine,
which take away the understanding.
12 My people inquire of a piece of wood,
and their walking staff gives them oracles.
For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray,
and they have left their God to play the whore.
13 They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains
and burn offerings on the hills,
under oak, poplar, and terebinth,
because their shade is good.
Therefore your daughters play the whore,
and your brides commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore,
nor your brides when they commit adultery;
for the men themselves go aside with prostitutes
and sacrifice with cult prostitutes,
and a people without understanding shall come to ruin.
15 Though you play the whore, O Israel,
let not Judah become guilty.
Enter not into Gilgal,
nor go up to Beth-aven,
and swear not, “As the LORD lives.”
16 Like a stubborn heifer,
Israel is stubborn;
can the LORD now feed them
like a lamb in a broad pasture?
17 Ephraim is joined to idols;
leave him alone.
18 When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring;
their rulers3 dearly love shame.
19 A wind has wrapped them4 in its wings,
and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
5:1 Hear this, O priests!
Pay attention, O house of Israel!
Give ear, O house of the king!
For the judgment is for you;
for you have been a snare at Mizpah
and a net spread upon Tabor.
2 And the revolters have gone deep into slaughter,
but I will discipline all of them.
3 I know Ephraim,
and Israel is not hidden from me;
for now, O Ephraim, you have played the whore;
Israel is defiled.
4 Their deeds do not permit them
to return to their God.
For the spirit of whoredom is within them,
and they know not the LORD.
5 The pride of Israel testifies to his face;5
Israel and Ephraim shall stumble in his guilt;
Judah also shall stumble with them.
6 With their flocks and herds they shall go
to seek the LORD,
but they will not find him;
he has withdrawn from them.
7 They have dealt faithlessly with the LORD;
for they have borne alien children.
Now the new moon shall devour them with their fields.
8 Blow the horn in Gibeah,
the trumpet in Ramah.
Sound the alarm at Beth-aven;
we follow you,6 O Benjamin!
9 Ephraim shall become a desolation
in the day of punishment;
among the tribes of Israel
I make known what is sure.
10 The princes of Judah have become
like those who move the landmark;
upon them I will pour out
my wrath like water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment,
because he was determined to go after filth.7
12 But I am like a moth to Ephraim,
and like dry rot to the house of Judah.
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness,
and Judah his wound,
then Ephraim went to Assyria,
and sent to the great king.8
But he is not able to cure you
or heal your wound.
14 For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
and like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I, even I, will tear and go away;
I will carry off, and no one shall rescue.
15 I will return again to my place,
until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face,
and in their distress earnestly seek me.
[1] 4:4
[2] 4:8
[3] 4:18
[4] 4:19
[5] 5:5
[6] 5:8
[7] 5:11
[8] 5:13
(ESV)
Hosea's prophecy takes the form of the scene of a trial in which God is both the accuser and the judge. God accuses His people of unfaithfulness to him in the form of all kinds of sin, from swearing to murder and adultery. God portrays their wickedness as effecting the whole creation, just as it did when Adam and Eve first fell into sin. The priests and prophets of Israel are guilty of causing God's people to be destroyed "for lack of knowledge." God promises to not only punish Israel for their sins, but even to punish them in their sinning, so that their feasting will not satisfy, and when they play the "whore" in fertility rites, no fertility will result. God points out the foolishness of their idolatry saying: "My people inquire of a piece of wood, and their walking staff gives them oracles." Ironically, God says that He will punish the sins of both the women and the men by letting sin have free reign until they "come to ruin." This is similar to Paul's repeated refrain in Romans 1: "God gave them up." God's judgment on Israel was to serve as a warning to Judah, their brothers to the south. All of Israel's leaders from the king to the priests have failed them, becoming a "snare" to capture the "revolters" who turn against the LORD. For all of them, spiritual adultery has become a way of life from which they cannot turn. When they do insincerely attempt to seek the LORD, they will not find Him, because "He has withdrawn from them." God then warns of another form of judgment, and declares that a trumpet should sound a warning about an invader from the south, which is Judah, at the time of the conflict between Judah and Ephraim in 735 BC. Even though Israel deserves to be chastised, Judah is guilty as well of seeking to "move the landmark" and by taking Israel's territory. Instead of seeking help from the LORD, however, Ephraim turned to Assyria, who was unable to "cure your wound." God threatened to return to His place in heaven and wait until His people will confess their sins and earnestly seek His face. Only then will God restore them by His grace.
12:1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but he who hates reproof is stupid.
2 A good man obtains favor from the LORD,
but a man of evil devices he condemns.
3 No one is established by wickedness,
but the root of the righteous will never be moved.
4 An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.
5 The thoughts of the righteous are just;
the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the mouth of the upright delivers them.
7 The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
but the house of the righteous will stand.
8 A man is commended according to his good sense,
but one of twisted mind is despised.
9 Better to be lowly and have a servant
than to play the great man and lack bread.
10 Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast,
but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.
11 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.
12 Whoever is wicked covets the spoil of evildoers,
but the root of the righteous bears fruit.
13 An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,1
but the righteous escapes from trouble.
14 From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good,
and the work of a man’s hand comes back to him.
[1] 12:13
(ESV)