Reading for Today:

• Job 26:1 Chapter 26 1 Then Job answered and said, –14
• Psalms 96:11-13 11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; 12 Let the field exult, and all that is therein; Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy 13 Before Jehovah; for he cometh, For he cometh to judge the earth: He will judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with his truth.
• Proverbs 23:10-12 10 Remove not the ancient landmark; And enter not into the fields of the fatherless: 11 For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their cause against thee. 12 Apply thy heart unto instruction, And thine ears to the words of knowledge.
• Romans 15:25-33 25 but now, I `say', I go unto Jerusalem, ministering unto the saints. 26 For it hath been the good pleasure of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints that are at Jerusalem. 27 Yea, it hath been their good pleasure; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they owe it `to them' also to minister unto them in carnal things. 28 When therefore I have accomplished this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will go on by you unto Spain. 29 And I know that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of Christ. 30 Now I beseech you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; 31 that I may be delivered from them that are disobedient in Judaea, and `that' my ministration which `I have' for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints; 32 that I may come unto you in joy through the will of God, and together with you find rest. 33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Notes:

Job 26:7 hangs the earth on nothing. A statement that is accurate, given in ancient time, before scientific verification. This indicates the divine authorship of Scripture.

Job 26:10 a circular horizon. This describes the earth as a circular globe, another scientifically accurate statement at a time when many thought the world was flat.

Job 26:13 His Spirit. Job 33:4 4 The Spirit of God hath made me, And the breath of the Almighty giveth me life. . The Holy Spirit worked mightily in creation (Gen.1:2).the fleeing serpent. This is figurative language for the idea that God brought all constellations into subjection under His authority (26:12). “Serpent” could be translated “crooked” and refer to any wayward stars or planets being brought under control by His mighty power.

Psalm 96:13 He is coming. The rule of the Lord described in this psalm is not the present universal kingdom (Ps. 93), but one which will be established when Christ returns to earth.

Proverbs 23:11 Redeemer. In a normal situation the near kinsman would rescue the one who had fallen upon hard times (Lev. 25:25; Ruth 2:20 20 And Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of Jehovah, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is nigh of kin unto us, one of our near kinsmen. ; 3:12, 13; 4:1–12) or avenge in the case of a murder (Num. 35:19).“Redeemer” is applied to God as the Savior of His people (e.g., Gen. 48:16; Ex. 6:6; Job 19:25 25 But as for me I know that my Redeemer liveth, And at last he will stand up upon the earth: ; Ps. 19:14; Is. 41:14; 43:14; 44:24) since the helpless had no voice.

DAY 17: Who was Paul the apostle, and why does he seem to have two names?

Paul (Greek name) the apostle was also known as Saul, which was his Hebrew name. Along with his double name, Paul was also able to exercise dual citizenship as a Jewish descendant from the tribe of Benjamin (Phil. 3:5) and as a Roman ( Acts 16:37 37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men that are Romans, and have cast us into prison; and do they now cast us out privily? Nay verily; but let them come themselves and bring us out. ; 22:25). Paul was born about the time of Christ’s birth, in Tarsus, located in modern Turkey ( Acts 9:11 11 And the Lord `said' unto him, Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus: for behold, he prayeth; ).

Young Saul spent much of his early life in Jerusalem as a student of the celebrated rabbi (teacher) Gamaliel ( Acts 22:3 3 I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as ye all are this day: ). Like his father before him, Paul was a Pharisee ( Acts 23:6 6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees: touching the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. ), a member of the strictest Jewish sect (Phil. 3:5). He actively resisted those who followed Jesus. His first appearance in Scripture occurs in Acts 7:58 58 and they cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. as he observed the martyrdom of Stephen.

Miraculously converted while on his way to Damascus (about A.D. 33–34) to persecute Christians, Paul immediately began proclaiming the gospel ( Acts 9:20 20 And straightway in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God. ). After narrowly escaping Damascus ( Acts 9:23 23 And when many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel together to kill him: –25; 2 Cor. 11:32, 33), Paul spent three years in the wilderness (Gal. 1:17, 18). During those years, he received much of his doctrine as direct revelation from the Lord (Gal. 1:11, 12).

More than any other individual, Paul was responsible for the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. He made three missionary journeys along the north side of the Mediterranean Sea, tirelessly preaching the gospel he had once tried to destroy ( Acts 26:9 9 I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ). Eventually he was arrested in Jerusalem ( Acts 21:27 27 And when the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the multitude and laid hands on him, –31), appealed for a hearing before Caesar, and finally reached Rome (chaps. 27; 28). Later, he was released for a short time of ministry then arrested again and martyred at Rome in about A.D. 65–67.

Though physically unimpressive (2 Cor. 10:10; Gal. 4:14), Paul possessed an inner strength granted him through the Holy Spirit’s power (Phil. 4:13).The grace of God proved sufficient to provide for his every need (2 Cor. 12:9, 10), enabling this noble servant of Christ to successfully finish his spiritual race (2 Tim. 4:7).

From The MacArthur Daily Bible Copyright © 2003. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson Bibles, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc, Nashville, TN 37214, www.thomasnelson.com.

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