Reading for October 8th

Read Joshua 9.16-27
In 9.16-27: Discovery and punishment.
In verse 16: The fears of v. 7 are realized; the Gibeonites indeed are living among them.
In verses 20-21: The sanctity of the oath must be preserved, but this deception has endangered the community and must be punished.
The expression hewers of wood and drawers of water indicates a subservient class (Deut 29.11).
In verse 22: Joshua summarizes their deceit by contrasting very far (see vv. 6, 9) with living among us (see vv. 7, 16).
In verse 23: Some Gibeonites are to be servants of the house of my God that is, the Temple.
Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 7th

Read Joshua 9.1-15
In 9.1-15: The Gibeonite deception.
In verses 1-4: There are two contrasting reactions to the news about Israel's victories.
The kings of the various peoples gathered ... to fight (v. 2).
But the citizens of Gibeon acted with cunning (v. 4).
In verse 6: Their argument rests on being from a far country (also v. 9), exempting them from the extermination required by Deut 20.16-18.
In verse 7: In reality they are Hivites, one of the nations to be destroyed (9.1; Deut 20.17).
A treaty with any who live among Israel was forbidden (Deut 7.2).
In verse 8: Their language about being servants is respectful, but it is also ironic in light of vv. 21, 23, 27.
In verses 9-10: Their speech is similar to Rahab's confession (2.10-11), but is hypocritical.
In verse 15: All three Israelite parties fall for the ruse.
The ordinary Israelites of vv. 6 and 7 ("men" is the better reading) taste the evidence.
Joshua makes peace.
The leaders of the congregation swear an oath.
Gibeonites retained their special status as a foreign enclave down to the reign of David (2 Sam 21.1-6).
Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 6th

Read Joshua 8.30-35
In 8.30-35: Building an altar, reading the law.
In verses 30-31: Joshua obeys Mosaic ordinance (Deut 11.29-30; 27.2-13) by building an altar for sacrifice, writing on stones (v. 32), and arranging the people for blessing and cursing (v. 33).
In verse 32: These are not the altar stones, but others set up in accordance with Deut 27.4.
In verses 34-35: In obedience to Deut 31.10-12, Joshua reads the book of the law (Deuteronomy), including the blessings and curses of Deut 28.
There is an emphasis on totality: All the words and all that is written are read to all the assembly.
Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 5th

Read Joshua 8.14-29
In 8.14-29: Victory at Ai.
In verses 14-15: The sight of Israel's main army draws the forces of Ai out to the north.
Israel's withdrawal pulls them further away from the city in the direction of the wilderness, that is eastward away from  the ambush on the west (vv. 12-13).
In verse 19: Joshua's extended sword signals the ambush to overrun the undefended (v. 17) city.
in verses 20-21: The smoke of the city both disheartens the defenders and signals the Israelite main body to turn and attack.
Biblical narratives are not always in strict chronological order: v. 21 overlaps with the last part of v. 20.
In verse 22: The Israelite ambush comes out of Ai to attack the enemy's rear, so they were surrounded by Israelites.
In verses 25-27: Devoting the enemy population to destruction (utterly destroyed; v. 26) but sparing the booty follows the pattern set in v. 2.
In verse 28: Joshua's action explains the name Ai, which means "the ruin."
In verse 29: Exposing an enemy's body was a great insult (1 Sam 31.10).
Joshua is careful not to violate Deut 21.22-23.
This great heap of stones was presumably a well-known landmark (compare 7.26; 10.27).
Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 4th

Read Joshua 8.1-13

In 8.1-13: Setting a trap at Ai.

In verse 2: From now on, Israel is to follow the more usual pattern of killing all potential slaves, but keeping the other spoils of war.

Even though ultimate victory is given by the Lord (vv. 1, 7, 18), human strategy (an ambush) is still required.

In verse 3; Here the ambush is thirty thousand strong; in v. 12 it will number only five thousand.

Such irregularities result when narrative versions were blended together.

In verse 8: The tactical purpose of setting the city on fire is not revealed until v. 20.

Unanswered questions boost the readers interest.

Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 3rd

Read Joshua 7.16-26
In 7.16-26: Discovery and punishment.
In verses 16-18: That Joshua rose early in the morning signals obedient zeal (3.1; 6.12).
The sacred lot gave only a yes or no answer, so the discovery process moves down through smaller and smaller social units: tribe, clan, family (household).
In verse 19: Because confession acknowledges God's justice, it is the equivalent of giving glory to the Lord.
In verse 21: Cloth, silver, and gold are typical items of plunder (2 Kings 7.8).
The mantle from Shinar would be a costly outer robe imported from Babylon.
In verse 22: Discovery of the silver underneath (v. 21) communicates the complete accuracy of Achan's confession.
In verses 25-26: The trouble (better: "state of ritual isolation": 6.18) brought on by Achan connects to the Valley of Achor where later generations could view the stone pile that marked his grave.
Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 2nd

Read Joshua 7.1-15
In 7.1-15: The consequence of Achan's sin.
In verse 1: Achan, a man of impeccable ancestry, has ignored Joshua's explicit warning concerning the ban (6.18).
He acted alone, that all the Isrealites broke faith (also v. 11).
Thus the anger of the Lord is directed against the entire nation.
In verse 2; Sending spies was a typically first step in a campaign (2.1; Judges 1.23).
In verse 5; Such a great panic associated with only thirty-six deaths indicates something seriously amiss.
Israel experiences the fear their enemies have felt: The hearts of the people melted (contrast 2.11;5.1).
In verses 7-9: Joshua follows the pattern of typical lament prayers such as Ps 44 or 74.
He questions the Lord's motives and seeks to provoke a response by highlighting the potential damage to the Lord's reputation (great name).
In verse 11: As a violation of the covenant (also v. 15), Achan's crime endangers Israel's relationship with the Lord in a fundamental way.
In verse 12: The contagious effect of items devoted for destruction (compare (6.18) means that the entire nation has fallen under the ban.
In verse 13: The people must engage in a ceremony to make themselves holy in order to prepare for contact with God's action (compare 3.5).
In verse 14: The procedure for discovering the culprit involves the use of the sacred lot (1 Sam 14.40-42).
In verse 15: An outrageous thing in Israel means a heinous crime against society that endangers the whole nation.
Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 1st

Read Joshua 6.22-27
In 6.22-27: The aftermath of Jericho's fall.
In verse 23: Rahab's family stays outside the camp because the holy war encampment must remain ritually clean (Deut 23.9-14).
In verse 25: The Rahab story explains and justifies the existence of a foreign group still living in Israel.
In verse 26: Joshua caps Jericho's state of being banned (devoted to destruction; v. 21) with a curse blocking its reconstruction (compare Deut 13.16).
1 Kings 16.34 reports the consequences of this curse.
Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 30th

Read Joshua 6.1-21
In 6.1-21: the capture of Jericho.
In verse 1: The problem facing Israel is Jericho's impregnable defensive wall.
In verse 2: An assurance of victory was part of holy war tradition (8.1; 10.8).
In verse 3: Israel is to engage in a ceremonial siege.
In verse 5: A long blast on a trumpet will signal the attack, and a great shout will initiate it (vv. 16, 20).
Both are part of the holy war tradition.
In verses 8-9: The order of march is armed men followed by seven priests with trumpets, then the ark, and finally a rear guard.
In verse 18: To take any of the devoted things would have put Israel itself under the ban (an object for destruction) by the principle of contagion.
This will be Achan's crime (7.21).
In verse 20: Israel makes an assault from all sides at once.
Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 29th

Read Joshua 5.13-15
In 5.13-15: The commander of the Lord's army.
In verse 13: By Jericho must be understood as "in the general vicinity of Jericho."
The drawn sword indicates that war is imminent.
Apparently assuming that the man is a human soldier.
Joshua challenges him.
In verse 14: The commander is not part of either human army but a visible sign that the Lord's supernatural forces will be fighting for Israel.
In verse 15: A quotation from Ex 3.5 draws a parallel between Joshua and Moses.
Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 28th

Read Joshua 5.1-12
In 5.1-12: A new start in a new land.
In verse 1: Enemy fear repeats Rahab's observations (2.9-11) and will motivate enemy strategy (9.1-2; 10.1-5; 11.1-5).
In verse 2: The use of flint knives demonstrates the conservatism of ritual.
Israel's circumcised generation had died in the wilderness.
Circumcision a second time applies to the men of the post-exodus generation.
In verse 3: Apparently this explains the name of a hill near Gilgal.
In verse 9: The disgrace of Egypt may refer to Israel's former status as slaves or insults suffered from the Egyptians.
Probably Gilgal originally referred to a circle of stones, but here it is explained by reference to Joshua's circumcision.
In verses 11-12: The end of manna coordinates with the first Passover in the land.
It signifies that Israel has moved from the wilderness into an agriculturally productive land.
Unleavened cakes and parched grain could be prepared quickly and would be appropriate foods for the first day of this new situation.
Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 27th

Read Joshua 4.10-24

In 4.10-24: The crossing completed.

In verse 11: The action of crossing is picked up again from v. 1.

In verses 12--13: Particular mention of the eastern tribes emphasizes that all Israel engaged in the conquest together, a motif also present in Deut 3.18-20.

In verse 14: This exaltation fulfills the pledge of 3.7.

In verse 18: The events of 3.15-16 are reversed item by item.

In verse 19: The date points forward to Passover in 5.10.

In verses 22-24: This answer (in contrast to vv. 6-7) focuses on similarities to crossing the Red Sea on dry ground (Ex 14.22).

Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 26th

Read Joshua 4.1-9

In 4.1-9: Commemorative stones.

In verse 1: Verse 11 repeats words from this verse and 3.17 to indicate that vv. 2-10 happened while the crossing was still going on.

In verse 3: The stones are temporarily deposited in the camp, but will be set up permanently at Gilgal (v. 20).

In verses 6-7: The stones memorialize the crossing for future generations (compare Deut 6.20-25).

This answer high-lights the role of the ark and the water was cut off (in contrast to vv. 22-24).

In verse 9: What was apparently a second group of stones is installed in the river itself.

Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 25th

Read Joshua 3.1-17.

I 3.1-17: Crossing the Jordan.

In verse 3: The crossing is described as a religious procession led by the ark.

In verse 4: Because the ark is dangerously holy (compare 2 Sam 6.6-7), the people must keep their distance.

In verse 5: To be ready for a miraculous event, the people are to perform a ceremony to make themselves holy.

In verse 7: The concern raised by 1.17 is resolved here and in 6.27: The Lord is indeed with Joshua.

In verse 10: As the living God, the Lord will be alive and active in the upcoming conquest.

In verse 12: The selection of twelve men anticipates 4.2.

In verse 15: That the Jordan overflows all its banks increases the wonder of the miracle and makes it possible for the priests feet to touch the edge of the water.

In verse 16: Because the flow stood still sixteen miles (twenty-five kilometers) upstream at Adam, the water that would have flowed downstream was cut off.

Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 24th

Read Joshua 2.15-24
In 2.15-24: the spies renegotiate.
In verse 15: It is difficult to reconcile the location of Rahab's house with the collapse of Jericho's wall in Josh 6.
In verse 16: She is still in charge.
These three days are difficult to correlate with the three days of 1.11 and 3.2.
In verse 17-20: Once they are safely out of Rahab's trap, the spies seek to clarify their obligations in order to avoid violating them unintentionally.
They insist on a conspicuous means of identification, strict concentration of Rahab's family in one place, and their secret if kept.
In verse 24: The spies report only what Rahab has told them (vv. 9, 11).
Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 23rd

Read Joshua 2.1-14
In 2.1-14: Rahab outsmarts the spies.
In verse 1; Rahab is a legally independent woman with her own house, where the presence of strangers would not be questioned.
The spies think this is a good place to gather information.
In verse 3: Come to you (also see v. 4) has a double meaning.
Understood as "come into you" it  can imply sexual intercourse.
In verses 6-7: Although she saves them from the king, they find themselves trapped on her roof with the city gate shut.
Their situation gives her leverage to negotiate an agreement.
The pursuers block their rout back, deepening their predicament.
In verse 8: Rahab takes the initiative in the negotiations.
In verses 9-11: She provides the content of the spies' eventual report (v. 24) and confesses that the Lord is the universal God.
Sihon and Og were utterly destroyed (v. 10), that is, devoted to destruction in holy war.
This is the fate Rahab seeks to avoid.
In verses 12-14: She suggests a pact of reciprocal protection, and the spies agree.
She has dealt kindly (v. 12) by showing faithfulness tot he relationship between host and guest.
In return they are to deal kindly by honoring an agreement to protect her extended family.
Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 22nd

Read Joshua 1.10-18

In verses 10-18: Joshua commands the people.

In verse 11: These three days are concluded by 3.2.

In verses 12-15: These tribes have already occupied land east of the Jordan.

The command of Moses is reported in Deut 3.18-20.

Rest (vv. 13, 15) is security in the land established by defeat of the enemy (21.44, 23.1).

In verses 17-18: The eastern tribes agree with enthusiasm, but their double use of only introduces some tension into the plot.

Will the Lord be with Joshua?

Will Joshua be strong and courageous?

Comments or Questions... 

Reading for September 21st

Read Joshua 1.1-9

In 1.1-9: The Lord commissions Joshua.

In verse 2: Joshua is to move westward across the river in order to give Israel possession of the Land (v. 6).

In verse 3: To walk over land was a way of legally claiming it.

In verse 4: The idea that the land of promise extends to the river Euphrates reflects Deut 11.24 and royal ideology (Ps 72.8).

In verse 5: The Lord as divine warrior promises Joshua military success (see v. 3) and a supportive presence (v. 9).

In verses 7-8: The theology reflects Deuteronomy: Undeviating obedience to the book of the law produces prosperity and success.

Joshua is to be like the ideal king of Deut 17.18-20.

Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 20th

Read Romans 16.17-27

In verses 17-20: warnings against trouble makers.

In verse 18: Their own appetites, literally "their own belly," are their own desires (Phil 3.19).

Smooth talk and flattery: False teachers have their own way with words (Eph 5.6; Col 2.4).

In verse 19: Paul's advice echoes Jesus' teaching ( Mt 10.16).

In verse 20: Paul expects God's final triumph soon (1 Cor 15.24).

In verses 21-23: Paul's co-workers send greetings,

In verse 21: Timothy was Paul's long-time co-worker (Acts 16.1; 1 Cor 16.10-11).

In verse 22: Teritius was Paul's secretary.

In verse 23: Most likely, this is the Gaius of Corinth whom Paul baptized (1 Cor 1.14).

In verses 25-27:Benediction.

How the letter originally ended is unclear.

In verses 25-26; The mystery ... kept secret for long ages is God's vision of a universal community composed of both Jews and gentiles who live in obedient faith (Eph 3.1-6).

Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 19th

Read Romans 16.1-16
In 16.1-23: Concluding personal greetings and exhortations.
In verses 1-2: Phoebe commended.
In verse 1: Deacon (Gk., "diakonos"), or minister, is the same term used of Christ (15.8) and Paul (1 Cor 3.5).
Cenchreae was a suburb of Corinth (Acts 18.18).
In 3- 16: Paul sends his greetings.
In verses 3-5: Priscilla and Aquila: Acts 18.2-3; 1 Cor 16.19.
In verse 5: Asia: western Asia Minor.
In verse 7: The feminine form Junia is preferred over the masculine form Junias.
She is the only woman among the apostles in the New Testament.
My relatives probably means fellow Jews.
In verses 8-16: All the names listed are mentioned only here in the New Testament.
Another Rufus is mentioned in Mk 15.21.
The number of people Paul knows by name in the Roman church is remarkable.
In verse 16:  The holy kiss possibly originated in early Christian circles (1 Cor 16.20; 2 Cor 13.12).
The churches of Christ in Achaia, where Paul was writing, are meant.
Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 18th

Read Romans 15.14-33
In 15.14-33: Paul's plans and anxieties.
In verses 14-29: Paul reflects on his own ministry.
In verse 14: Paul reaffirms his confidence in the Roman church (1.8; 1 Cor 1.5).
In verses 15-16: Grace given me refers to Paul's call to be an apostle to the gentiles (1 Cor 15.10-11).
Referring to his ministry as priestly service is unusual.
In verse 19: Signs and wonders accompanied Paul's ministry (2 Cor 12.12).
Illyricum was a Roman province across the Adriatic Sea from Italy.
In verse 21: Isa 52.15.
In verse 22: What hindered Paul was not known (1.13).
In verse 23: These regions were probably the areas bordering the Aegean Sea.
In verse 24: Hospitality would also include financial provision for his mission to Spain (see v. 28: 1 Cor 16.6).
In verses 25-26: Ministry to the saints refers to the financial collecting Paul had gathered for the poor Christians in Jerusalem (1 Cor 16.1-4; 2 Cor 8-9).
In verse 27: Paul applies the principle of reciprocity stated in Gal 6.6.
In verses 30-33: Paul's anxiety about the collection.
In verse 31: Unbelievers in Judea are probably non-Christian Jews (1 Thess 2.15).
Acts 21.17-36 relates Paul's arrival in Jerusalem and the controversy it causes among Jews, but omits the collection.
Comments or Questions...

Reading for September 17th

Read Romans 15.1-13

In verses 1-6: Helping the weak.

In verses 1-2: The previous discussion is summarized well here.

In verse 3: Ps 69.9.

In verse 4: Whatever was written in former days refers to the previously quoted psalm, but applies to the Old Testament scriptures generally (1 Cor 10.11).

In verse 5: The concluding prayer for harmony echoes earlier advice (12.16, Phil 2.2).

In verses 7-13: Concluding appeal.

In verses 7-8: Christ's example influences Christian behavior 3.26; 2 Cor 8.9).

In verse 8: Servant of the circumcised indicates Christ's service to Jews (Gal 4.4-5), whose patriarchs received the promises that gentiles would receive God's blessing (4.13; 9.4).

The following Old Testament quotations include gentiles in God's purpose.

In verse 9; Ps 18.49; 2 Sam 22.50.

In verse 10: Deut 32.43 (Hebrew text).

In verse 11: Ps 117.1.

In verse 12 Isa 11.10.

In verse 13: Paul prays for the vision of 14.17 to be realized.

Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 16th

Read Romans 14.10-23.
In verses 10-23: learning not to judge each other.
In verse 10: To judge others is to assume God's unique role (2 Cor 5.10).
In verse 11: Isa 49.18: Jer 22.24; Ezek 5.11; Isa 45.23.
In verse 13: This conclusion follows from vv. 11-12; see Mt 18.6-7.
In verses 14: In the Lord Jesus may mean fidelity to Jesus' teaching (Mt 15.11; Acts 10.15).
In verse 15: Paul echoes the advice he gives in 1 Cor 8.11-15.
In verse 17b: These characterize life in the Spirit (ch 8).
In verse 19: Peace and mutual upbuilding: 1 Cor 14.12, 26.
In verses 20-22: Paul consistently advises placing limit on personal liberty for the sake of others (1 Cor 8.9-13).
In verses 22-23: Acting from lingering doubts and feelings of self-condemnation.
A right act wrongly felt is wrong.
Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 15th

Read Romans 14.1-9
In 14.1-15.13: Dealing with differences.
Here Paul offers instructions about what is required when people from different backgrounds with strongly held opinions try to live together as a community of faith (1 Cor 8-10).
In verses 1-6: What to eat and what holidays to observe.
In verses 1-2: The weak, those with stricter views about what to eat, may be Jews or gentiles.
In verse 2: Those willing to eat anything reflect Paul's more open view about food laws (14.4; 1 Cor 8.8).
In verse 3; God's acceptance of weak and strong requires mutual respect from both.
In verse 4: Their own lord may be the principle they hold dear, or the way they understand what God requires.
In verses 5-6: The day may be the sabbath or other Jewish holidays gentiles do not observe (Gal 4.10; Col 2.15).
For gentiles who did not observe the sabbath, all days were alike.
Every day was a work day.
In verse 6: devotion to God can produce opposite religious practices.
In verses 7-9: Living for the Lord not ourselves.
Being the Lord's makes living in isolation impossible.
Christ's death and resurrection is a shared reality linking all Christians together, both dead and living (1 Cor 12.27).
Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 14th

Read Romans 13.1-14
in verses 1-7: Duties to governing authorities.
Paul's positive view of civil authority is paralleled in 1 Pet 2.13-17.
In verses 1-4: In Jewish teaching, rulers ultimately derive their authority from God (Wis 6.1-3).
In verses 6-7: Taxes: Mt 22.15-22.
In verses 8-10: Love's obligation.
In verse 8: Following the Decalogue's commands express love (Gal 5.14).
In verse 9: Deut 5.17-21; Ex 20.13-17.
In verse 9b: Lev 19.18; Mt 22.34-40.
In verses 1-14: Being alert.
Such advice is usually given when the Lord's coming is expected soon.
In verse 11: Time: 1 Cor 7.29: 1 Thess 5.6.
In verse 12: In apocalyptic thought, darkness and light define types of behavior (1 Thess 5.1-5; Eph 5.8-11).
In verses 13-14: Preparation for the end requires moral living.
Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 13th

Read Romans 12.9-21
In verses 9-13: Building Community.
These pieces of moral advice sketch a profile of sincere behavior tempered by genuine concern for others, both saints and strangers (1 Thess 4.9-12).
In verse 9: Am 5.15.
In verse 12: Hope and suffering: 5.1-5.
In verse 13: Heb 13.2, 1 Pet 4.9.
In verses 14-21: Controlling our impulses.
This advice echoes Jewish morality and Jesus' teaching.
In verse 14: Mt 5.44.
In verse 15: Sir 7.34.
In verse 16: Living in harmony is threatened by haughty attitudes; it ultimately occurs as a gift from God (15.5).
In verse 19: Deut 32.35.
In verse 20: Prov 25.21-22.
In verse 21: Mt 5.39-41.
Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 12th

Read Romans 12.1-8
In 12.1-15.13: Moral exhortation: living by faith.
In 12.1-2: Renewed minds.
In verse 1: Living sacrifice recalls Christ's example (3.25; 8.3).
In verse 2: A changed outlook makes for clear vision (Col 3.1-4).
In verses 3-8: Viewing ourselves properly.
In verse 3: This caution against pride recalls earlier warnings (2.17; 3.27; 1 Cor 4.6).
In verses 4-7: Now Paul suggests a remedy: An inflated self-image is offset be recognizing mutual need of each other's gifts (1 Cor 12.4-11).
Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 11th

Read Romans 11.25-36
In verses 25-32: How Israel will be  saved.
In verse 25: Part of Israel implies the obedience of some Jews (11.5).
In verse 26: The gentiles's acceptance will prompt the full response of Israel.
In verses 26-27: Isa 59.20-21; 27.9; Jer 31.33-34.
In verse 28: Enemies: By refusing to submit to God's righteousness, Israel is at cross purposes with God (10.3-4).
Beloved recalls the language of Hosea (9.25).
In verse 30: Just as gentiles benefited from Israel's bad fortune, now Israel should benefit from the gentiles' good fortune.
In verse 32: 3.9.
In verses 33-36: Concluding prayer: God's wisdom.
The mystery of God's workings (11.25) prompts this exuberant prayer acknowledging the depth of God's wisdom (1 Cor 2.7).
In verse 34: Isa 40.13.
In verse 35: See Job 41.11.
In verse 36: 1 Cor 8.6; Col 1.16.
Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 10th

Read Romans 11.13-24

In verses 13-32: Paul speaks to gentiles.

The previous discussion has been an ongoing conversation with Israel about Israel.

In verses 13-16: Effect of Paul's ministry on Israel.

In verse 13: Apostle to the Gentiles: Paul so defines himself (1.5; Gal 2.8).

In verse 14: Provoking Israel to jealousy fulfills Deut 32.2 (10.19).

In verse 15: Israel's rejection can become the occasion for universal reconciliation.

Israel's acceptance would show God's creative power (4.17).

In verse 16: Both images emphasize the solidarity between Israel and the gentiles.

In verses 17-24: Lessons from the olive tree.

In verse 17 Gentiles are the wild olive shoot, Israel the root.

In verse 18: Jews earlier, now gentiles are for bidden to boast (2.17-21.

In verse 20: Unbelief is refusal to acknowledge Jesus as messiah.

In verse 21: Both, Jews and gentiles can experience God's wrath (2.9-10).

In verse 22; Kindness and severity represent God's two sides (9.22-24).

In verse 23: Of Israel is an acceptable expansion since Israel's unbelief is clearly in view.

In verse 24: Paul holds out hope for Israel.

Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 9th

Read Romans 11.1-12
In verses 1-6: A remnant chosen by grace.
In verse 1. The objection of 3.1 is stated more emphatically.
Paul offers himself as an example of an obedient Israelite (2 Cor 11.22).
In verse 2: 1 Sam 12.22.
In verse 3: 1 Kings 19.10, 14.
In verse 4: 1 Kings 19.18.
In verse 5: A portion of Israel has experienced God's righteousness as a gift (5.15; 11.27).
In verses 7-12: Israel's refusal enables gentiles' obedience.
In verse 7: The elect are the faithful remnant of responsive Jewish Christians.
In verse 8: Deut 29.4: Isa 29.9-10.
In verses 9-10: Ps 69.22-23.
In verse 10: Backs forever bent: The blind walk stooped.
Comments or Questions..