Day 143 One Year Bible Read Along

1 Chronicles 19-21

These chapters of 1 Chronicles present the further military campaigns of King David and a consequential event of his reign.

Chapter 19 narrates the war between David's forces and the Ammonites and Syrians. David's troops achieve victory, reinforcing David's military prowess and God's favor upon him.

Chapter 20 recounts the capture of Rabbah, the royal city of the Ammonites, and the defeat of a remnant of the giants in the Philistine wars. The successes consolidate David's reign and demonstrate God's continued blessing on Israel.

However, Chapter 21 presents a dramatic shift with David's decision to conduct a census, considered a grave sin in Israel as it indicated reliance on human strength rather than God's protection. This act incurs God's wrath, and David is given three punishment options: three years of famine, three months of destruction by his enemies, or three days of plague. David chooses the plague, resulting in the death of 70,000 men. The chapter ends with David's repentance and his purchase of the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, which later becomes the site for the temple.

Key People/Places/Events: David, the Ammonites, the Syrians, Rabbah, census, Ornan the Jebusite, the future temple site.

Questions to Consider:

1. How do David's military victories in these chapters reflect his leadership and the role of divine intervention?

2. Why was the census considered a sin, and what does this reveal about Israel's reliance on God versus human strength?

3. How does David's choice of punishment reveal his understanding of God's justice and mercy?

4. Why is the purchase of Ornan's threshing floor significant, and what does it symbolize in the context of Israel's future?

John 8:1-27

This passage from John's Gospel features the account of a woman caught in adultery and Jesus's teachings about his divine identity.

The story begins with the Pharisees bringing a woman caught in adultery to Jesus, testing him to see if he would uphold the law of Moses that mandates stoning such women. Jesus responds, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." This response confounds the accusers, and they leave one by one. Jesus forgives the woman and instructs her to sin no more, demonstrating his authority to forgive sin and his stance on judgment and mercy.

Jesus then proceeds to teach about his relationship with God the Father. He states, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." This metaphor emphasizes his divine role as the source of spiritual illumination and salvation.

Despite facing skepticism and hostility from the Pharisees, Jesus maintains that he is not alone but stands with the Father who sent him. He asserts his divine origin and mission, deepening the controversy surrounding his identity.

Key People/Places/Events: Jesus, the Pharisees, the woman caught in adultery, God the Father.

Questions to Consider:

1. How does Jesus's response to the woman caught in adultery reveal his perspective on sin, judgment, and mercy?

2. What does Jesus's claim of being the "light of the world" signify about his mission and identity?

3. How does Jesus's discourse with the Pharisees reveal the growing tension between his teachings and the religious authorities' expectations?

4. How does Jesus's assertion of his relationship with the Father challenge the listeners' understanding of God and divine authority?

Release date

Lydbog: 24. maj 2024