The least is the greatest

OT  5th Cycle.   NT  9th Cycle.

Mon 30Jan23
Leviticus 7:1 – 8:36 (74 verses) WEB
Luke 7:1 – 50 (50 verses) NIV

WEB — World English Bible
NIV — New International Version

In keeping pace with my plan for this year — to read 64 OT verses and 44 NT verses a day — I finished reading chapters 7 and 8 of the Book of Leviticus and the entire chapter 7 of the Gospel of Luke today.

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Passage of the Day

In my reading from the Gospel according to St Luke today, I came across a saying of our Lord that I found difficult to understand.

In Luke 7:28, the Lord told his audience that, whilst John the Baptist was the greatest among all born into this world, the "least" in the kingdom of God is greater than John.

How can this be? Who is the "least" in the kingdom of God that our Lord was referring to?

I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John,
yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
Luke 7:28  New International Version

I found my answer in a verse two chapters later, in Luke 9:48.

In this verse, the Lord Iesus used an example of a little child to teach his disciples that the least among them (in the kingdom of God) is the greatest.

It is not surprising therefore, that such a person, the "least", will also be greater than a great person like John the Baptist.

Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me;
and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
For he who is least among you all — he is the greatest.”
Luke 9:48  New International Version

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us endeavour to be among the least in the kingdom of God.

Praying alone

OT— 5th Cycle.  NT— 9th Cycle.

Mon 23Jan23
Exodus 36:1 – 37:29 (67 verses) BBE
Luke 1:1 – 80 (80 verses) WNT

Tue 24Jan23
Exodus 38:1 – 40:38 (112 verses) BBE
Luke 2:1 – 3:38 (90 verses) WNT

Sun 29Jan23
Leviticus 1:1 – 6:30 (134 verses) NIV
Luke 4:1 – 6:49 (131 verses) NIV

BBE — Bible in Basic English
WNT — Weymouth New Testament
NIV — New International Version

I managed to read the Bible only on three days this past week — Monday, Tuesday and today.

Over these three days of short readings, I finished the last five chapters of Exodus and went on with the first six chapters of Leviticus in the Old Testament.

For my New Testament reading, I covered chapters 1 to 6 of the Gospel according to St Luke.

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Passage of the Day

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Luke 5:16  New International Version

One of those days, Jesus went out into the hills to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
Luke 6:12  New International Version

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us follow the example of our Lord Iesus who often withdrew to lonely places to pray alone. Let us find time to pray alone by ourselves too.

Treasured up, dwell in mind

OT  5th Cycle.   NT  9th Cycle.

Mon 23Jan23
Exodus 36:1 – 37:29 (67 verses) BBE
Luke 1:1 – 80 (80 verses) WNT

Tue 24Jan23
Exodus 38:1 – 40:38 (112 verses) BBE
Luke 2:1 – 3:38 (90 verses) WNT

Over yesterday and today, I finished reading the last five chapters of Exodus along with the first three chapters of the Gospel of Luke.

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Passage of the Day

19 But Mary treasured up all these things, often dwelling on them in her mind.
Luke 2:19  Weymouth New Testament

51b His mother carefully treasured up all these incidents in her memory.
Luke 2:51b  Weymouth New Testament

Mary heard some strange things after her child Iesus the Son of God was born.

A group of exultant shepherds had come to see the little new-born baby in the manger where Mary had laid him, all wrapped up. They told her a strange story about the announcement made by an Angel of the birth of the Anointed Lord, born that day in Bethlehem the town of David, and signified by being wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. They told Mary that they had also seen a multitude of Angels praising and glorifying God after that.

Luke 2:19 tells us that Mary treasured up all these things, and after that she dwelled on them often.

Twelve years later, Mary heard some strange things again, this time from her son Iesus himself.

The twelve year old Iesus had stayed back in Jerusalem after attending a Feast, without his parents' knowledge. His parents had left Jerusalem with the travelling group of friends and relatives and realised it only after a day's journey. They returned to look for their son in Jerusalem and, after three days, found him engaged in a discussion with the Rabbis in the Temple.

When Mary admonished the boy for making them search in anguish, he replied that it was his duty to be engaged in "his Father's business" (Luke 2:49).

Luke 2:51b tells us that again Mary treasured up all these in her memory.

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I have made several observations about these accounts of Mary keeping these incidences "treasured up" in her heart twelve years ago, back in Dec2009 and Jan2010, and briefly again in April last year, links below —

• What Mary kept in her heart, Part One (Dec2009)
• What Mary kept in her heart, Part Two (Jan2010)
• What Mary kept in her heart, Part Three (Jan2010)
• Mary pondered in her heart while the shepherds glorified God (Apr2021)

The Name of God . . .

OT  5th Cycle.   NT  9th Cycle.

Sun 08Jan23
Genesis 36:1 – 40:23 (155 verses) NIV
Mark 1:1 – 3:35 (108 verses) NIV

Thu 12Jan23
Genesis 41:1 – 50:26 (337 verses) WEB

Fri 13Jan23
Mark 4:1 – 5:43 (84 verses) RBV

Sat 14Jan23
Exodus 1:1 – 12:51 (335 verses) WEB
Mark 6:1 – 8:38 (131 verses) RBV

Sun 15Jan23
Exodus 13:1 – 19:25 (184 verses) WEB
Mark 9:1 – 10:52 (102 verses) KJV

Fri 20Jan23
Exodus 20:1 – 29:46 (331 verses) WEB
Mark 11:1 – 12:44 (77 verses) JND

Sat 21Jan23
Exodus 30:1 – 35:35 (183 verses) WEB
Mark 13:1 – 16:20 (176 verses) JND

NIV – New International Version
WEB – World English Bible
RBV – Revised Berkeley Version
KJV – King James Version
JND – J.N.Darby's Translation

Through these second and third weeks of January, I finished reading the last five chapters of Genesis and went on to read the first thirty-five chapters of Exodus. In the New Testament, I finished reading all sixteen chapters of the Gospel according to St Mark.

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Passage of the Day

20 Behold, I send an angel before you, to keep you by the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
21 Pay attention to him, and listen to his voice. Don’t provoke him, for he will not pardon your disobedience, for my name is in him.
Exodus 23:20–21  World English Bible

Today I learned that the Angel of the LORD, sent ahead of Moses and the Children of Israel as they sojourn in the wilderness, carried the Name of the LORD (Yehovah). This implies that the Angel carried the power and authority of the LORD Himself. In other words, wherever the Angel went, the Presence of the LORD was with him, even in him. One can say that the Angel of the LORD represented the LORD Himself.

This passage also reminds me of the words of our Lord Iesus in his High-priestly Prayer recorded in John 17:11 – 12a:

11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.
12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me.
Exodus 23:20–21  World English Bible

I can observe that just as the Name of the LORD was given to His Angel who accompanied the Children of Israel in their wandering in the wilderness, the same Name of God was also given to His Messiah. It was by the power of "that Name you gave me" (Jn 17:12a), that our Lord Iesus kept his disciples safe throughout his ministry on earth. Our Lord also prayed for his disciples, and for all who would believe in him (see John 17:20), that the Father will protect all believers by the power of His Name.

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us remind ourselves — that we who have put our faith in the Lord Iesus are protected by the power of the Name of God. Thanks be to God.

An early start to the next cycle of Bible Reading

OT  5th Cycle.   NT  9th Cycle.

Fri 23Dec22
Matthew 1:1 – 2:23 (48 verses) WNT

Sun 25Dec22
Genesis 1:1 – 3:24 (80 verses) WEB
Matthew 3:1 – 5:48 (90 verses) WNT

Mon 26Dec22
Genesis 4:1 – 7:24 (104 verses) WEB
Matthew 6:1 – 8:34 (97 verses) YLT

Tue 27Dec22
Genesis 8:1 – 10:32 (82 verses) WEB

Wed 28Dec22
Genesis 11:1 – 12:20 (52 verses) LXX
Matthew 9:1 – 11:30 (110 verses) YLT

Fri 30Dec22
Genesis 13:1 – 17:27 (106 verses) LXX
Matthew 12:1 – 13:58 (108 verses) YLT

Sat 31Dec22
Genesis 18:1 – 19:38 (71 verses) NWB
Matthew 14:1 – 15:39 (75 verses) WNT

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Sun 01Jan23
Genesis 20:1 – 24:67 (163 verses) ASV
Matthew 16:1 – 19:30 (120 verses) BBE

Tue 03Jan23
Genesis 25:1 – 26:35 (69 verses) BBE
Matthew 20:1 – 21:46 (80 verses) JND

Wed 04Jan23
Genesis 27:1 – 29:35 (103 verses) JND
Matthew 22:1 – 23:39 (85 verses) KJV

Thu 05Jan23
Genesis 30:1 – 31:55 (98 verses) KJV
Matthew 24:1 – 25:46 (97 verses) WEB

Fri 06Jan23
Genesis 32:1 – 35:29 (112 verses) WEB
Matthew 26:1 – 75 (75 verses) NWB

Sat 07Jan23
Matthew 27:1 – 28:20 (86 verses) NWB

Sun 08Jan23
Genesis 36:1 – 40:23 (155 verses) NIV
Mark 1:1 – 3:35 (108 verses) NIV

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WNT — Weymouth New Testament
YLT — Young's Literal Translation
WEB — World English Bible
LXX — Septuagint Brenton
NWB — Noah Webster's Bible
BBE — Bible in Basic English
JND — J.N.Darby's Translation
KJV — King James Version
NIV — New International Version

I got a head start in my 5th Cycle of Old Testament and my 9th Cycle of New Testament Readings by making use of some free time in December 2022 after I had finished my previous reading cycles a little early before the year was over.

I began reading Matthew chapter 1 on 23Dec22, followed by Genesis chapter 1 two days later. By 31Dec22, I had finished reading 15 chapters of Matthew and 19 chapters of Genesis.

The New Year saw me continuing with Genesis 20 and Matthew 16, and today I am embarking on the Gospel of Mark.

This year I will go slower with my daily Bible Readings. Instead of trying to read the Old Testament in six months (covering 128 verses a day), I will read it in 12 months (64 verses a day). Similarly, instead of reading the New Testament in three months (88 verses a day), I will read it in six months (44 verses a day).

There are 23,145 verses in the Old Testament and 7,957 verses in the New Testament