Daily Bible

On the Road Again

Just a quick reminder that next Monday (August 19) we will launch our third season of The Road to Somewhere. This season will take us through the short stretch of Route 66 John and Joy drive across the corner of Kansas. The corresponding biblical overview will cover the five books of Old Testament wisdom or poetry. This season will only take us five weeks to cover. If you aren’t familiar with Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon, you will get an overview of each and a link to a 45 minute lecture going into more depth. Even if you haven’t been with us so far on our journey, I hope you will jump in and join us on a short drive down Route 66 and a brief look at these five books. So let’s get on the road again! See you next Monday!

Love to all,
Bob

Pray for believers in Bangladesh.

Ancient Wisdom on its Way

According to the wisest man (besides Jesus) who ever lived, humanity can be divided into two categories: the wise person , and the fool. His name was Solomon. I think he would be dumbfounded today to see how many fools are in positions of tremendous influence and the foolish decisions they make. We live in a world that desperately needs some wisdom. If you were a Jew or a Christian in the ancient world, you knew where to go to get wisdom. You studied what was known as “wisdom literature.” We are about to get back on our way “down the road, and through the Book.” Our next season of The Road to Somewhere will begin the third Monday of August. We will be traveling through the corner of the state of Kansas where Route 66 cuts across from Missouri to Oklahoma. It is only 13 miles of road, and we need to make 5 stops. The corresponding part of the Bible that goes along with this stretch of the Mother Road contains five books that are known both as poetry and wisdom literature. Three of the five were written by Solomon. One was predominantly written by David and contains the lyrics to 150 songs filled with godly wisdom. No one knows who wrote the fifth or when it was written, but it has been grouped with this section of your Bible containing wisdom literature. The highway is in Kansas, and Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs are the five books of which I will give an overview. So are you wise, or are you a fool? It seems to me a wise man or woman would want to join us on the journey. So get ready. Ancient wisdom is on its way beginning August 19.

Love to all,
Bob

The Dead Sea Scrolls

How much do you know about the Dead Sea Scrolls? This summer I’ve been reading an English translation of the parts of the Old Testament found in the scrolls. These are scrolls that were found beginning in 1947 that date back to the first century and in some cases two to three hundred years before Jesus. Prior to this discovery, the oldest Hebrew manuscript of the Old Testament we possessed was dated 1000 AD! So in one archeological find, we bridged a thousand years of biblical scholarship. One of the complete scrolls that was discovered was of the book of Isaiah. On Wednesday, I taught an overview of Isaiah at Narrow Gate men’s group. I studied to teach it out of the Dead Sea Scroll text. Other than a few grammatical differences that took place over a thousand years of copying the book, the Dead Sea and 1000 AD texts of Isaiah were virtually identical! That is how carefully the Bible was copied through the years. Today, most of the scrolls are contained in a special section of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem called The Shrine of the Book. The roof of this part of the museum is in the shape of the lid of one of the clay jars in which the scrolls were discovered (see attached photo). I am providing a link for you to be able to listen to the talk I gave on Isaiah. You might also want to look up the scrolls on the Internet. Wikipedia has a very good article that will give you a history of how they were found and what they contain.

https://vimeo.com/989843821

Is Life Meaningless?

Imagine there is life on other planets. And imagine the day finally came when aliens landed on Earth. They ask to see the most popular and greatest selling book in human history, so someone gives them a Bible. They randomly flip the book open and land on the book of Ecclesiastes. They read the opening lines of Ecclesiastes:
“Meaningless, meaningless! Says Qoheleth. All is meaningless.”
Having used AI for millions of years, they simply ask their iWatch version 10,987 what is a Qoheleth. Being informed that this is the title of the document they are reading, and it roughly means “the one who addresses the gathered assembly.” And knowing that on their planet, “gathered assembly” refers to the entire population of the planet, they assume the same is true of Earth. Coming to the conclusion that the population of the planet is too pessimistic and exists in a state of meaninglessness, they reboard their ship and take off in search of a more optimistic place to conquer, ironically listening to the Byrds 1965 version of “Turn, turn, turn.” Ecclesiastes (Qoheleth in the original Hebrew text) has just saved Planet Earth.
But is that really the message of Ecclesiastes? Is it simply a pessimistic appraisal of human existence? No. It actually is message of the things that are really important in life subtly embedded in an example of Ancient Near East Pessimism Literature. Although we will be looking at Ecclesiastes in our next season of The Road to Somewhere, I taught an overview of the book at Narrow Gate yesterday and thought some of you might profit from listening to it. Here is a link, that had the aliens known about ,and listened to, might have led them to conquer our planet!

Bob

https://vimeo.com/969437047

Memorial Day

Glad my dad is buried at Ft. Logan here in Denver. Been able to visit his grave almost every Memorial Day.

The Greatest Song

During this time when we are taking a break from our series on "The Road to Somewhere", I am continuing to teach once a month at Narrow Gate men’s group. This last Wednesday I taught on the Old Testament book Song of Songs. I remember the first time I read this sexually erotic poem wondering how in the heck it made it into the Bible. On Wednesday I attempted to answer that question along with giving two very different ways of interpreting the book. Although we will hit the book again in our next season of "The Road to Somewhere", the teaching I did on Wednesday has a significant amount of material that is not in the Route 66 video. So, if you are in need of a little biblical input, Here is the link to the session I did at Narrow Gate. I begin teaching 4 minutes into the video.

Here’s the link to the teaching:

https://vimeo.com/949493681

Video Reminder

For those of you who missed the email about this week’s episode of "The Road to Somewhere", the links to the session are below. This was the last episode of our trip through Missouri on Rt. 66. With the combination of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther we have covered the last years of Old Testament history. Esther is a great book and I think you will enjoy the episode and the video. With what is happening in the world today, it couldn’t be more relevant!

Here’s the link for today's episode:

https://youtu.be/k4qiTq6u6j4

Here’s the link for the video on Esther:

https://youtu.be/OMuVYozhFSo

Harleys and Hot Rods

This week’s episode brings our second season of "The Road to Somewhere" to a close. After a summer break we will launch into Season Three, which will take us across thirteen short miles of Route 66 as it cuts the corner of Kansas. In today’s episode John and Joy head toward the state line that separates Missouri from Kansas. They are pleasantly surprised that the state line seems to run right through a saloon and restaurant called “Hogs and Hot Rods.” It doesn’t look like much, but on any give afternoon the parking lot might be filled with motorcycles and vintage autos heading down Route 66. This last stop in Missouri corresponds to the book of Esther, the last of the historical books of the Old Testament. In the episode you will learn how the chronology of Esther actually fits right between Ezra and Nehemiah. Since Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one book, Esther was tacked on after them. The story of Esther is one of the best in the Bible. It has it all: heroes and villains, plots and counter plots, smart women and really wicked men. The links to both the episode and the video on Esther are below.

Here’s the link for today:

https://youtu.be/k4qiTq6u6j4

Here’s the link for Esther:

https://youtu.be/OMuVYozhFSo

Video Reminder

For those of you who missed the email about this week’s episode of The Road to Somewhere, the links to the session are below. We are one episode away from finishing our trip through Missouri and the historical books of the Old Testament. With the combination of Ezra and Nehemiah, the remnant of exiles is now back in Judah and the city of Jerusalem now has a Temple and Walls. The rest of the Old Testament will fit chronologically under this history. It is important material!

Here’s the link to this week’s episode:

https://youtu.be/846w6ttg7Vc

Here’s the link for Nehemiah.

https://youtu.be/6w_AFpsZpo0

The Wall

I’m a big Pink Floyd fan. "Dark Side of the Moon" is my favorite album by the group, but I also like a rock opera they created titled "The Wall". One of the lyrics that repeats throughout the record is; “Just another brick in the wall”. In the opera, the wall is a symbol of isolation. In the book of Nehemiah, it is a symbol of freedom and liberty. This week’s episode of "The Road to Somewhere" takes us to Joplin, Missouri, and the book of Nehemiah. The book is the record of the final piece of the return to Judah of the exiles taken to Babylon after the destruction of Jerusalem. With the permission and commission of Artaxerxes, the King of Persia at the time, Nehemiah builds the Wall. Jerusalem becomes a city once again. If you haven’t seen last week’s videos on Ezra, you might want to watch them before Nehemiah since the two books were originally one and fit together. The links to this episode, and the video on Nehemiah are below.

Here’s the link to today’s episode:

https://youtu.be/846w6ttg7Vc

Here’s the link for Nehemiah.

https://youtu.be/6w_AFpsZpo0

Video Reminder

If you missed the email about this week's episode of The Road to Somewhere, the links to the episode and the Ezra video are below. On Route 66, we were in Carthage, Missouri, home of the Crapduster. The Ezra video tells the story of the return of Jews from captivity and the rebuilding of the Temple. This is a critical piece of Israel's history.

Here’s the link to today’s episode:

https://youtu.be/0C9uOSqIFAo

Here’s the link to the Ezra video:

https://youtu.be/5CQtLSXexfU

The Crapduster

What do you get when you add wings, an engine, and a propeller to a manure wagon? Obviously…the Crapduster. If you want to see one, you have to travel to Carthage, Missouri, on Alternate Route 66. While you are there you might want to take in a movie at one of the oldest functioning drive-ins in America. Episode 9, of Season Two, of The Road to Somewhere, takes us to Carthage, Missouri and one of the major turning point in the history of Israel. After seventy years in captivity, and with Jerusalem completely destroyed, the King of Persia allows the first wave of exiles to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. This story is found in the first nine chapters of the book of Ezra. It is the beginning of both the return and the rebuilding of the nation. We are five hundred years before the birth of Jesus, but what happens in this episode will eventually play a critical role in his life and ministry. The links to the episode and video on Ezra are below.

Here’s the link to today’s episode:

https://youtu.be/0C9uOSqIFAo

Here’s the link to the Ezra video:

https://youtu.be/5CQtLSXexfU

Video Reminder

For those of you who missed the email about this week’s episode of "The Road to Somewhere", the links to the session are below. We are over half-way through Missouri on Rt. 66 and at a critical point in Israel’s history with the conclusion of the books of I and II Chronicles. This week’s video covers both books of Chronicles. I also wanted to thank those of you who have sent support to help with the financial needs of The Telos Project. This is always a time of year when ministries seem to struggle financially after year-end giving runs out. Your support is always appreciated!

Here’s the link to this week’s episode:

https://youtu.be/hGZJq60ZwDI

Here’s the line to the Chronicles video:

https://youtu.be/kqXphGwAKfs

The Chronicles of Israel

Many of you are familiar with the great C.S. Lewis classic series The Chronicles of Narnia. But did you know that Israel had its own set of Chronicles? In this week’s session of The Road to Somewhere, we will head to Springfield, Missouri, one of two cities claiming to be the birthplace of Route 66, and take a look at the books of I and II Chronicles. The Chronicles of Israel cover the time period from the beginning of the human race through the beginning of the rebuilding of Jerusalem after it’s destruction by the Babylonian Empire. The first word of I Chronicles is “Adam”. The final sentences of II Chronicles tell of the command of Cyrus, ruler of the Persian Empire, to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. The books cover a lot of territory and it will be important that you not only watch this week’s episode, but also watch the video on I and II Chronicles. It is a two for one deal. The links to both are below.

Here’s the link to today’s episode:

https://youtu.be/hGZJq60ZwDI

Here’s the line to the Chronicles video:

https://youtu.be/kqXphGwAKfs

Video Reminder

For all those of you who missed the email about our return to "The Road to Somewhere", the links to the session are below. We are half-way through Missouri on Rt. 66 and about half-way through the books of the Old Testament. This is a very important session since it deals with the destruction of both the northern and southern kingdoms. You don’t want to miss this episode!

Here’s this week’s episode:

https://youtu.be/adpy7VBy2R4

Here’s the link for II Kings:

https://youtu.be/lrPtjzvDxJI

Heading Toward Catastrophe!

Perhaps no other nation has a history as strange as that of the nation of Israel. Turn on the news tonight and there will be at least one segment giving an update of all that is currently happening in Israel. Open your Bible to the Old Testament and you will read the history of ancient Israel, from the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, through the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC and the rebuilding of Israel from 538 BC till around 400 BC. Much of that history is contained in the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. In this episode of our journey down Route 66 and through the Bible, we come to the book of II Kings. If I were to give the book a theme, along with its history of the Kings of Israel and Judah, I would call it “Heading Toward Catastrophe.” As we pick up in the second half of our trip through Missouri in The Road to Somewhere, we will see the corresponding biblical text ends with the complete destruction of both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. It is bleak! But God is not finished with Israel. In coming weeks we will see the return of the Israelites to the land and the rebuilding of what is destroyed in II Kings and Chronicles. The links to both today’s episode and the teaching on II Kings are below. So let’s get back on the road and back into the Book!

Here’s today’s episode:

https://youtu.be/adpy7VBy2R4

Here’s the link for II Kings:

https://youtu.be/lrPtjzvDxJI

The Eclipse, Route 66, and the Destruction of Jerusalem

As I write this little reminder, the moon is in process of moving directly between the earth and the sun. Along a certain path, the result will be a total eclipse of the sun: a very rare phenomenon! If you were driving Route 66 today, and had just entered Missouri, you would see about 95% of the eclipse in St. Louis. The full eclipse never crosses Route 66, but it is close. I’m writing to remind you that the second half of our season in The Road to Somewhere begins next Monday. We will be continuing our journey through Missouri and through Israel’s history contained in the book of II Kings. As a spoiler, the book will end with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, and captivity of the Israelites in Babylon. It is one of the major events in Israel’s history and a turning point in their story. So if you miss the eclipse, be sure not to miss The Road to Somewhere. Links should be sent out late Monday.

The Missing Body

Tomorrow we celebrate the greatest event in human history: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Everything Jesus said, did, and claimed rested on whether his claim that he would rise from the dead in three days actually happened. There are many arguments that help validate the truth of the resurrection, but one has to do with what was contained in the tomb in which he was buried. Each of the gospels gives a little different perspective on what happened that first Easter. I like John’s gospel because he is reporting first hand information. His letter is autobiographical. John writes that the first person to arrive at the tomb that Sunday morning was Mary Magdalene. When she saw the stone sealing the tomb had been moved, she ran back to where John and Peter were staying and told them someone had removed the body of Jesus. John and Peter ran to the tomb. John was younger and arrived first, but respectfully waited for the older Peter to arrive. They entered the tomb. When people speak of the resurrection you will often hear them make reference to the “empty tomb.” That is an inaccurate statement. The tomb was not empty. The graveclothes that Jesus was buried in were empty! John is also the one who wrote that it was Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea who prepared the body of Jesus for burial. He tells us that the mixture of myrrh and aloes that were applied between the strips of linen that were wrapped around the body weighed about seventy-five pounds. I have been told that the substance mixed together had a gummy consistency to keep the linen strips in place. As those substances dried they would have hardened, creating an almost cocoon-like covering of the body. Imagine what John and Peter might have seen that morning. The tomb was not empty. The graveclothes were empty! John says, “He saw and believed.” Imagine a cocoon-like shell lying on the burial shelf without a body in it! No wonder “he believed!” If you would like to know more about the resurrection of Jesus, and all the elements surrounding it, I am including a link to a teaching I gave on the resurrection. Consider it an Easter gift! He is risen!

https://youtu.be/7CfYkXNqhHQ

Finished Business

"Tetelestai!" Just one word. In John’s gospel it is the last word Jesus speaks from the cross. Most bibles translate it “It is finished!” It comes from the Greek word telos. It is a word that could also be translated “Paid in Full”. Above Jesus’ head a sign stating the charge against Jesus had been nailed by Pilate. In three languages it said “King of the Jews”. But in the book of Colossians, Paul tells us that from God’s perspective what was written on that sign was “the written charge against us.” A Greek synonym of the words “written charge” was a word meaning “certificate of debt”. In the world of Jesus, when you owed a debt, that debt was written up as a charge against you. It was like a version of our promissory note. When that debt was paid, one word was written across the document. The word tetelestai. The debt was paid in full. That sign above Jesus consisted of every sin in our life, past, present, and future. From God’s perspective, Jesus was crucified for all of our “certificate of debts”. When he cried out “Tetelestai” he was announcing to the universe that our debt was paid in full by the giving of his life and the shedding of his blood. That’s why Good Friday is so good. Below is a link to a message I gave on the Cross. Consider it a small Good Friday gift.

https://youtu.be/Blpq5QK0Gok

Snowy Day Reminder

For those of you stuck in snowy Denver, if you missed Episode Six of The Road to Somewhere, I have it from reliable sources that Rt. 66 has been completely cleared of snow and the video for this week’s episode is up and ready for you. You will learn a bit about Solomon and also the split of a unified nation of Israel into two distinct kingdoms. This was a critical turning point in Israel’s history and a session you should not miss. And what a perfect day to spend a little time running down the road and through the Book! The links to both the episode and the book of I Kings are below. Stay warm and safe!

Here’s the link to this week's session:

https://youtu.be/ZF4RZiHT7qI

Here’s the link to I Kings:

https://youtu.be/yJJ6tA7j4rQ

The World's Richest Man

Who is the world’s richest man? In our world, it changes daily depending on what happens in the stock market. But in ancient Israel, 950 BC, there was only one and his name was Solomon. You can find his story in I Kings, which just happens to be the book we look at briefly in Episode 6 of Season Two. Solomon’s story ends with his son Rehoboam becoming King and making a huge mistake. As a result, the United Kingdom comes to an end and is replaced by two kingdoms. Ten Tribes split from two southern tribes and form the northern kingdom of Israel. Two in the south become the kingdom of Judah. Without understanding this split, this part of the Bible can become pretty confusing. Both today’s episode and the video of I Kings can help you better understand this period of Israel’s history. So, join us as we continue down the road and through the Book. The links to today’s episode are below:

Here’s the link to today’s session:

https://youtu.be/ZF4RZiHT7qI

Here’s the link to I Kings:

https://youtu.be/yJJ6tA7j4rQ

Video Reminder

If you missed the email about Episode Five of Season Two of "The Road to Somewhere" the links to the video and the teaching on II Samuel are below. Episode Five takes us down the road to Rolla, Missouri, the home of the replica of Stonehenge. Our biblical book is the book of II Samuel and the life of Davidl. I hope you will join us as we continue to head down the road (Rt. 66) and through the Book (the Bible).

Here’s the link to today’s session:

https://youtu.be/bVA-kO_R2oI

Here’s the link to II Samuel:

https://youtu.be/NUZKedXuUto

David and Bathsheba

It is probably the most notorious incident of adultery in human history. Since it took place over 3,000 years ago it has had a lot of time to gain that degree of infamy. His name was David and hers was Bathsheba. He was the King of Israel and she was the wife of one of David’s closest warriors. Their story is found in 2 Samuel, which is the book of the Bible connected to Episode Five of this season of The Road to Somewhere. We also will be traveling to Rolla, Missouri on Rt. 66 where John and Joy will film their short video in front of a replica of Stonehenge created by the students at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. I hope you will join us as we continue down the road and through the book. The links to today’s episode are below:

Here’s the link to today’s session:

https://youtu.be/bVA-kO_R2oI

Here’s the link to II Samuel:

https://youtu.be/NUZKedXuUto

A Trip to Cuba

Having checked out the Route 66 fire hydrants in Sullivan, Missouri, John and Joy head down the road to Cuba…Missouri. Just as Sullivan is known for its fire hydrants, Cuba is known for its murals. It is even called “The Mural City”. In the small town of 3,000, sixteen businesses have had murals painted on the side of their buildings giving the history of their town and of Route 66 passing through their town. Joy and John pick the mural on the side of Danny’s Gas Hole to shoot the video for Episode Four of "The Road to Somewhere". Having given a brief description of Cuba, John transitions to the biblical book that corresponds to this stop. It is the book of I Samuel and it tells the story of a major change in the nation of Israel from a tribal confederacy with God as its king to a monarchy with a human king. You will meet Samuel the prophet, Saul the first king, and a young man by the name of David who will one day become the second king of Israel. So this week is filled with great material and I hope you will join us as we continue down the road and through the book. The links to today’s episode are below:

Here’s the link to today’s session:

https://youtu.be/ieX3S7199Wg

Here’s the link to the Samuel video:

https://youtu.be/2CuvIsYfx-U

Video Reminder

If you missed the email about Episode Three of Season Two of The Road to Somewhere the links to the video and the teaching on Ruth are below. As we roll down Rt. 66 our second season takes place in Missouri. Episode Three takes us down the road to Sullivan, the home of the artistic fire hydrant. Our biblical book is the book of Ruth and love story that ultimately is tied to Jesus. I hope you will join us as we head down the road (Rt. 66) and through the Book (the Bible).

Here’s the link to this week’s session:

https://youtu.be/HqikCnAXml4

Here’s the link to the teaching on the book of Ruth:

https://youtu.be/5pa4errU2T8

A Lenten Love Story

Last Wednesday, millions of Americans celebrated Valentine’s Day. Not quite as many observed the beginning of Lent. Kind of a strange combination! In a sense, Episode Three of Season Two of The Road to Somewhere also combines the two. Lent is a forty day period of preparation for the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. Several episodes of The Road to Somewhere will be filmed during Lent. These episodes could be a tool for you to have a more meaningful Lent. Think of it as Lent on Route 66. The theme of Episode Three of this season is “A Love Story”. We will be stopping in Sullivan, Missouri (which has no connection to either Lent or Valentine’s Day), home of over sixty decorated fire hydrants. Many have Route 66 themes, and Joy and John film their short video in front of one. The “love story” piece of the episode involves the story of the book of Ruth. So this week is filled with great material and I hope you will join us as we continue down the road and through the book. The links to today’s episode are below:

Here’s the link to today’s session:

https://youtu.be/HqikCnAXml4

Here’s the link to the teaching on the book of Ruth:

https://youtu.be/5pa4errU2T8

Video Reminder

If you missed the email about Episode Two of Season Two of The Road to Somewhere the links to the video and the lecture on Judges are below. We made it into Missouri and our first stop was St. Louis. Episode Two takes us just down the road to the town that no longer exists. It is a fun story. I hope you will join us as we head down the road (Rt. 66) and through the Book (the Bible).

Here’s the link for today’s session:

https://youtu.be/VxKvlc-qbLg

Here’s the link for the Judges video:

https://youtu.be/_w8_DMaCyck