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!
22:1 “Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.”
2 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language,1 they became even more quiet. And he said:
3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel2 according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. 4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, 5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. 7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ 9 Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand3 the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10 And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ 11 And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.
12 “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13 came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. 14 And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; 15 for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. 20 And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ 21 And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
22 Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” 23 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. 25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips,4 Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” 27 So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” 29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.
30 But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.
[1] 22:2
[2] 22:3
[3] 22:9
[4] 22:25
(ESV)
I am a news junkie. CNN, MSNBC, Fox News - I watch them all. In my truck, I can often be found listening to WOAI, San Antonio's news-talk radio station. My wife Melody, however, does not share in my affinity for the talking heads of television and radio news. For instance, we'll be riding in my truck, and I'll be hanging on every word doled out by some radio commentator. After several minutes of begrudgingly enduring what are usually nothing more than pearls of polemics, Melody's patience will run out. "This is so boring!" she will exclaim, and then proceed to change the radio to a music station. Melody can listen to the news up to a point. But when that said point arrives, she moves me on to listening to other things.
In our reading for today from Acts 22, Paul speaks to an enraged Jewish mob, eager to condemn him to prison for fraternizing too closely with Gentiles (cf. Acts 21:29-36). In response to this charge, Paul defends himself: "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as many of you are today" (verse 3). Paul continues by recounting how he encountered Jesus of Nazareth as he was riding a road to Damascus, and how Christ commissioned him: "Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles" (verse 21).
"The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, 'Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live" (verse 22)! The crowd, it seems, was fine with Paul's speech until he spoke of God's gospel being carried to the Gentiles. For portraying their God as the God of the Gentiles was more than they could stomach. They demand Paul's life in repayment for his grossly offensive statement.
I appreciate the ESV translation of the beginning of verse 22 as it comports more closely to the Greek text: "Up to this word they listened to Paul." Up to this word concerning God's will for the Gentiles, they were willing to give Paul a hearing. But then Paul went a word too far. And they could not receive it. They could not believe it. They could only go up to a certain word.
I wonder how often we do the same thing with God's Word even today. We will listen to his Word up to this word or that word, but sometimes, God seems to go a word too far. And, like my wife, we move to change the channel. We move to turn the radio dial - not out of boredom at talking heads, but out of fury at the proclamations of the Almighty. Like when God gives us guidance concerning our sexual ethics. Or when he prompts us to be generous with our money toward his work in the world. Or when he encourages us to be selfless even when we feel like selfishly taking time for ourselves. Sure, we have our excuses - our minimizations, rationalizations, and justifications. But in reality, we simply don't care to listen to God's Word - at least not all of it. We, with the Jewish mob, are willing to listen and obey only up to this word.
In the twilight of the exodus, Moses reminds the Israelites: "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD" (Deuteronomy 8:3). Did you catch the adjective? It's not just some of the words, or even most of the words that are our life, it's every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. We are to listen, ponder, and take seriously and responsibly every word of God.
So, is there an area in your life in which you are only listening to God up to this word or that word? If so, will you take him at his every word? Remember the promise of Moses: God's Word is not here to oppress, suppress, repress us. It is here to give us life. In other words, these are words that we not only live by, these are words that we live on. For these words are the very words of eternal life. I hope you listen to them. I hope you believe them.
8:1 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. 2 And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the citadel, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal. 3 I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. 4 I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.
5 As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 6 He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. 7 I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. 8 Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.
9 Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. 10 It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some1 of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them. 11 It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. 12 And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression,2 and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper. 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?” 14 And he said to me,3 “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”
15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 17 So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”
18 And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up. 19 He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end. 20 As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the goat4 is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king. 22 As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his5 nation, but not with his power. 23 And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. 24 His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. 25 By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but by no human hand. 26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”
27 And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king’s business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it.
[1] 8:10
[2] 8:12
[3] 8:14
[4] 8:21
[5] 8:22
(ESV)
Yet another vision came to Daniel in 551 BC. Daniel was spiritually transported to Susa, where he saw the vision of a ram standing on the banks of the Ulai canal. The ram had two horns, one higher than the other, and charged powerfully and unchallenged to the west, north and south, becoming great in power. The ram represented the Medo-Persian Empire, under which Daniel was in exile. Then Daniel saw a goat with a single horn charging the ram without ever touching the ground. The goat broke the horns of the ram. Powerless, the ram was thrown down and trampled. The goat became even greater than the ram had been, but his horn too was broken, and was replaced by four horns. This represented the kingdom of Alexander the Great, which was divided among four of his generals when he died suddenly at the age of 33 in 323 BC. A little horn grew out of one of the four, and grew in power to the south, over "the glorious land," that is, Israel. This little horn was Antiochus Epiphanes, who set himself up as "Prince of the host," that is, ruler over Israel, and he trampled on God's people, the "host of heaven." Antiochus took away the burnt offerings of Israel and desecrated the Temple of the LORD, removing the altar of the LORD, and two months later setting up a pagan altar, which remained for three years ("2300 evenings and mornings").
Then, the angel Gabriel appeared to Daniel and was commanded by God to explain the vision to Daniel, who fell on his face in fear before Gabriel. The angel explained that the vision was for the future, more than 200 years from Daniel's time. These kinds of detailed prophecies are powerful testimony to the truthfulness of God's Word! Arousing Daniel from a deep sleep, Gabriel explained that just as God's indignation with Israel that led to the exile was limited to 70 years, so too "the latter end of the indignation" of God with His people would be limited as well. Antiochus Epiphanes severely persecuted Israel but only for a brief time, as God prepared His people for the gift of the Messiah, His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Thus, that time was referred to as "the time of the end" because it marked the end of the Old Covenant and the beginning of the New Covenant. Although Antiochus' power was great, it was "not by his own power" and although he would cause "fearful destruction" he would be broken, "but by no human hand"—instead by the power of God who gave him his power only briefly. In response to the powerful visions Daniel received, he was overcome and lay sick for some time. In spite of it being interpreted, Daniel "did not understand it" because it had not yet taken place. We can only fully appreciate the vision in light of its fulfillment in history.
24 And now, O sons, listen to me,
and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;
do not stray into her paths,
26 for many a victim has she laid low,
and all her slain are a mighty throng.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol,
going down to the chambers of death.
8:1 Does not wisdom call?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 On the heights beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
4 “To you, O men, I call,
and my cry is to the children of man.
5 O simple ones, learn prudence;
O fools, learn sense.
6 Hear, for I will speak noble things,
and from my lips will come what is right,
7 for my mouth will utter truth;
wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous;
there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
9 They are all straight to him who understands,
and right to those who find knowledge.
10 Take my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is better than jewels,
and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
(ESV)