Tag Archives: Babylon

Sep 22 2013

Major Prophets (part 3) Book of Jeremiah

Prophet Jeremiah, Russian icon from first quar...

Prophet Jeremiah, Russian icon from first quarter of 18th cen. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Book of Jeremiah is one of the books of the “major prophets,” which are so called not because they are more important than those that we know as the “minor prophets,” but because of their length. There are 5 books of major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel) compared to twelve of minor prophets. Jeremiah is 52 chapters in length.

Jeremiah was a preacher of God’s word – a priest. He was called to be a prophet about 627 B.C. as a youth (Jeremiah 1:6), and served as such for 40 years (Jeremiah 1:2-3), making it likely that he was born ~650-645 B.C. He became a priest living in Anathoth – the land of Benjamin (Jeremiah 1:1). This was where Abiathar, the high priest during David’s reign, lived. But Jeremiah’s ancestral heritage is unknown. Abiathar was removed as priest by Solomon for his part in support of Adonijah (1 Kings 2:12-27), which fulfilled the Lord’s prophecy of the end of the house of Eli as priests way back in 1 Samuel 2:27-36.

Jeremiah is referred to by many as “the weeping prophet” (see this previous post on Lamentations). But this tends to convey a mistaken image of him as weak. Jeremiah was anything but weak. He lived a very difficult life, and was imprisoned, nearly put to death (Jeremiah 26), and even banned from the Temple for preaching the truth as God told Him (Jeremiah 36:5).

At least part of the Book of Jeremiah was dictated to his scribe, Baruch, to write on scroll (Jeremiah 36:1-4). Some scholars have referred to the book by such descriptions as a “scrapbook” or diary that was pieced together by topic or content. The book is not in chronological order, and remembering that as one reads it helps put things in context. For that reason, we have included an approximate chronological order for the book at the end of this blog.

English: "Jeremiah Dictating His Prophecy...

English: “Jeremiah Dictating His Prophecy of the Destruction of Jerusalem to Baruch the Scribe,” oil on canvas, by the American artist Washington Allston. 89 3/8 in. x 74 3/4 in. Yale University Art Gallery, gift of Samuel Finley Breese Morse, B.A. 1810. Courtesy of Yale University, New Haven, Conn. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The book is set in the time after the fall of the Assyrians and the rise of the Babylonians to power. Jeremiah witnessed the capture and removal of multiple groups of the people of Judah to Babylon, as well as the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. He was called to speak to God’s people during the times of revival under king Josiah, and continued on past the final fall to Babylon.

Summary of Jeremiah

Approximate Chronolgical Order

  • During the reign of Josiah
    • In the 13th year – Chapter 1
    • Later years of Josiah’s reign – Chapters 2-6 and probably a great deal of chapters 7-20
  • During the reign of Jehoiakim
    • Early in his reign – Chapter 26 and probably 7:1-8:3; 22:1-23
    • During the 4th year Chapters 25; 36; 45; 46:1-12
    • After the 4th year – Chapter 35
  • During the reign of Jehoiachin
    • Chapters 22:24-30 and probably ch. 14
  • During the reign of Zedekiah
    • At beginning – Chapters 24 and 49:34-39
    • In the fourth year – Chapters 27-28; 51:59-64
    • In other years – Chapters 21 and 29
    • In early seige, pause, and resumption of seige – Chapters 34, 37, 32; 33; 38; 39:15-18
  • In Judah after Jerusalem’s fall – Chapters 39:1-4; 40:1-43:7
  • In Egypt, after Jeremiah taken there – Chapters 43:8-44:30
/Bob’s boy
___________________
image © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

All of my comments in this blog are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  

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Sep 1 2013

Book of Ezra – Rebuilding the Temple

English: The Jews Return to Jerusalem in the T...

English: The Jews Return to Jerusalem in the Time of Cyrus; as in Ezra 1:1-11; illustration from a Bible card published by the Providence Lithograph Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Book of Ezra is one of the books of the Old Testament that is generally classified as one of the books of history. The book is only 10 chapters long; and the first 6 chapters are written about events that occurred before Ezra came on the scene, beginning in 539 B.C. (Ezra did not arrive until 458 B.C.). Although Ezra 7:27 – 9:15 is written in the first person, indicating that Ezra wrote them, the first six chapters (as well as chapter 10) are written in the third person, leaving open the possibility of a different author for those chapters.

Ezra 7:27 – 9:15 is often called the Ezra Memoir. It hardly matters, but the reader should keep in mind the possibility that Ezra wrote that portion in that voice to differentiate the time periods, pointing out that the first six chapters predated him. Chapter 10 is largely a historical record. It documented those who had “broken faith,” taking foreign wives and having children with them. It is thought by some that the author of Ezra wrote the book of Nehemiah. Early rabbinical writings indicate that the two books were counted together as one book. Ezra’s arrival in 458 B.C., over 80 years after the book began, preceded the arrival of Nehemiah (445 B.C.) by 13 years.

English: Ezra Reads the Law to the People (Neh...

English: Ezra Reads the Law to the People (Neh. 8:1-12) Русский: Священник Ездра читает народу Закон (Неем. 8:1-12) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As the first verse of the book tells us, “that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled,” the book begins with the time of captivity coming to an end. Ezra begins the story of the small remnant of Jews that returned to their ravaged land, including the building and dedication of the second temple . Ezra 2:64, following a more detailed account, tells us that their number “together was 42,360, 65 besides their male and female servants, of whom there were 7,337, and they had 200 male and female singers. Their horses were 736, their mules were 245, their camels were 435, and their donkeys were 6,720.” The book tells of the remnant’s struggle to regain and retain their identity as a chosen people.

For more information on the Proclamation of Cyrus and a link to the archaeological artifact known as the Cyrus Cylinder, which was found in the ruins of Babylon in 1879, see this previous post.

Key Events

  • Cyrus king of Persia captures Babylon     (539 B.C.)     Dan. 5:30–31
  • King Cyrus issues a decree freeing Jewish exiles to return     (538–537 B.C.)     Ezra 1–2
    • The remnant of Jewish exiles, led by Sheshbazzar, return  Jerusalem     (~537 B.C.)     Ezra 1:11
  • The rebuilding of the altar     (537 B.C.)      Ezra 3:1–2
  • The remnant rebuilds the Temple at its original location      (536 B.C. – 516 B. C.)     Ezra 3:8–6:22
    • Opposition and conspiracies against rebuilding / rebuilding ceases      (530-5B.C.)      Ezra 4:24
    • Rebuilding resumes (2nd year of the reign of Darius)     (520 B.C.)     Ezra 5:2; Hag. 1:14
    • Construction completed      (516 B.C.)       Ezra 6:15
  • Ezra the Priest leaves Babylon and comes to Jerusalem to teach the people and establish Mosaic Law (arrives in the 7th year of the reign of Artaxerxes)    (Ezra 7–8)
    • King Artaxerxes gives Ezra the authority to establish the law of Moses     Ezra 7
    • Ezra sets out for Jerusalem with more remnants, bringing royal gifts for the temple      Ezra 8
  • Ezra confronts the issue of Intermarriage / marriage to idolaters      Ezra 9–10
    • The people agree to dissolve the marriages      Ezra 10:1–17
    • Assembly of men from Judah and Benjamin in Jerusalem      (458 B.C.)      Ezra 10:9
    • Investigation  lasts 3 months   (458–457 B.C.)     Ezra 10:16–17
    • The guilty are documented      Ezra 10:18–44
/Bob’s boy
___________________
image © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  

Aug 25 2013

Book of Lamentations (Major Prophets – Part 1)

In the Hebrew Bible, Lamentations is called Ekah (Hebrew for “how”), after the first word in the book, which has been referred to as either a groan or a cry of  grief – therefore, a lament. The word begins the first two sentences in chapter one. It also begins chapter 2, and is used twice in the first sentence of chapter 4. The statements that these sentences make accentuate the fallen state of Jerusalem and its people, as well as the anger the Lord has for them at the time (Lamentations 2:1). The book is sometimes also referred to by use of the Hebrew word “kinnoth,” which is “lamentations,” which ultimately comes from the verb “konen” for “lament.”

"Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Je...

“Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem” by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Most scholars attribute the writing of the book to Jeremiah and (notwithstanding some pretty feeble arguments by a few) there really is no reason to dispute that. The book served to solidify for the prophet the title of “the weeping prophet.” There are some that suggest that the prophet was writing about events that had not yet occurred, but that really does not seem likely, as the descriptions of the dire circumstances, despair, and suffering of the people are very personal and passionate, and highly suggestive of an eyewitness account, especially in chapter 4.

The chapters of the book are usually referred to as 5 poems – an assessment that seems very accurate when one reads them. The Book of Lamentations is an expression of immense grief in a very poetic literary style. However, each lament moves rapidly from one tragic point to another, demonstrating the utter despair and turmoil in Jeremiah’s soul. The poems in Lamentations express profound loss, recalling bygone days of glory, while lamenting in the enumeration of what is now gone forever, trying to find some measure of consolation in his sorrows, as well as some hope for the future. At the center of it all, of course, is the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar.

The entire book (with the exception of the last chapter) has an acrostic pattern that is unique. Chapters 1, 2 and 4 each have 22 verses – one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. And each verse begins with a different letter. Chapter 3 has 66 verses, and each letter is represented by three verses in succession, repeating the alphabet three times. Each verse of chapters 1 and 2 consist of three dual clauses (except for 1:7 and 2:19, which have four). Each verse of chapter 4 consists of two dual clauses. But there are two aspects of the book’s composition that are even more puzzling. The first is that in chapters 2, 3, and 4 the 17th letter (“pey” or “phey”) occurs before the 16th (“ayin”). Secondly, although the 5th chapter is not an acrostic, it contains exactly 22 verses.

English: Woodcut for "Die Bibel in Bilder...

English: Woodcut for “Die Bibel in Bildern”, 1860. Lamentations of Jeremiah Deutsch: Holzschnitt aus “Die Bibel in Bildern”, 1860. Français : Gravure en bois pour «Die Bibel in Bildern», 1860. Русский: Гравюра из цикла «Библия в картинах», 1860 год. Плач Иеремии (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The first chapter begins the observations of the prophet concerning the despair of hunger and the deaths from the “war,” as well as the desecration and plundering of the sanctuary.  It describes the fall of Judah from God’s favor because of its unfaithfulness, just as an adulteress. It concludes with the plea that God will punish Babylon in the end.

The second poem describes the suffering of the people with more vivid passion, but makes it clear throughout the chapter that it was God who brought this fate upon the people, and that the reason He did it was because of their sins. In the third poem, the prophet spells out the fact that what has happened is for the best, where the believers  – especially those yet to be born – are concerned, and that even this tragedy shows that God keeps His promises.  The hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness” by Thomas Chisholm has its roots in Lamentations 3:19-24. It also expresses Jeremiah’s certain knowledge that God will redeem His people, and that His enemies will be punished.

Chapter 4 contains the graphic eyewitness account of the prophet concerning the desperate plight of the people. Young children were dying from lack of  food or water (Lamentations 4:4). The noblemen and even the wealthy were starving in the streets (Lamentations 4:7-8). The most disturbing account is that of mothers who boiled and ate their own children to keep from starving to death (Lamentations 4:10). Verse 9 makes a good summary statement: “Happier were the victims of the sword…”

The fifth and final poem continues this account with the description of the slavery that had become their lot, the rape of the women (Lamentations 5:11), and the public display of the executed nobles (Lamentations 5:13). But it also contains the prophet’s prayer that God will restore the people and take away their shame and disgrace. He also prays for their repentance, and for God to restore them. Verse 21 sums it up: “Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old…”

/Bob’s boy
___________________
image © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  

Jul 16 2012

Ezra 1 – The Proclamation of Cyrus

Cyrus Cylinder. Terracotta, Babylonian, ca. 53...

Cyrus Cylinder. Terracotta, Babylonian, ca. 539-530 BC. From Babylon, southern Iraq. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ezra begins in 539 BC with the proclamation of Cyrus.  This was prophesied hundreds of years before he was even born – in Isaiah 44:28-45:1.  Verse 1 says that “the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia,” affirming that the proclamation was the Lord’s doing.  The reference to the words of Jeremiah is about Jeremiah 25:11-14 and 32:36-38, wherein the prophet predicts the exile to Babylon as well as their return.  The leaders of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah, along with the priests and Levites, gather money and material for the temple – as Cyrus decreed it to be rebuilt.  Cyrus also brings the treasures that were taken from the temple in 586 b.c. for them to take back to Jerusalem (verses 7-11).

Side note: The Cyrus Cylinder was discovered in 1879 by Hormuzd Rassam.  Cyrus conquered the Babylonians and captured Nabonidus, the last Babylonian king.  He details the restoration of exiles and the return of temple “gods” to their sanctuaries.  There is a great story about this cylinder in this article from BibleArchaeology.org.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Jul 6 2012

Daniel 2 – Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream is troubling him, and so he seeks the usual counsel of wise men to interpret it.  In the ancient cultures, a king’s dream was important to him for knowing what he might have to prepare for.  But the dream that God had given him had been made so important that he wanted to be certain that the one who interprets it does not do so falsely.  So his command to the wise men is that they will tell him his dream first – and then interpret it.  Of course none of them can do that; and the king orders all of the wise men destroyed – an order which would include Daniel and his companions (verses 12-13).

In a show of great faith, Daniel requested an appointment with the king to make the interpretation (verses 14-16).  He prays and has Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) pray as well; and the Lord makes the dream and its meaning known to him.  He praises God for the knowledge in verses 20-23, and gives him the credit in verses 27-28 when he appears before the king.  Daniel recounts the dream first, and then interprets it to Nebuchadnezzar in verses 31-45.  The statue in the dream is a representation of the four great kingdoms that would dominate the history of the world.  The current Babylonian empire was the first.  The Medo-Persian empire ruled by Cyrus beginning in 539 b.c., and then Greece, under Alexander the Great, in about 331.  These latter two are explicitly named in his vision in Daniel 8:20-21.  The fourth is the Roman Empire.  After that, the God of heaven would establish an everlasting kingdom (verse 44), pointing to the Christ.  Compare verses 44-45 to Luke 20:17-18.

Nebuchadnezzar shows his gratitude in verses 46-49, and made Daniel chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.  At Daniel’s request, he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province.  These young men, by being in position to look out for the welfare of the society they lived in, would be promoting their own welfare as well – just as Jeremiah had advised in Jeremiah 29:5-7.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Jul 5 2012

Daniel 1 – Daniel Taken to Babylon

The Book of Daniel begins in 605 BC, at the beginning of the Babylonian exile.  This was the first deportation, before Jerusalem was burned and the Temple destroyed.  Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men that were taken captive and brought to Babylon.  Nebuchadnezzar called the latter three Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  These Chaldean names were representative of the Babylonian gods, “Marduk,” “Bel”, and “Nebo.”  The king had the young people educated for three years.  By doing so and giving them these names, as well as feeding them the luxurious foods of the king, he intended to strip them of their Hebrew identities, in order to complete their assimilation.  The food from the kings’s table would also serve to remind them of the source of their daily bread.

Passing lion, glazed terracotta, reign of Nebu...

Passing lion, glazed terracotta, reign of Nebuchadrezzar II (605 BC–562 BC), Babylon, Iraq. This panel decorated the Procession Way which ran from the Marduk temple to the Ishtar Gate and the Akitu Temple. Deposit of the Vorderasiatisches Museum in Berlin. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But Daniel convinced the chief of the Eunuchs (in whose eyes God had given him favor – verse 9) to allow them to be fed only vegetables and water.  Verse 15 tells us that at the end of ten days on this diet, their appearance was better than the youths that ate the generous diet of the king – obviously more of God’s work.  Verse 17 states that God gave these four learning and skill in literature and wisdom.  Daniel was given understanding of dreams and vision.  When the time came for them to appear before the king, he was pleased to find their wisdom very great indeed ( verse 20).  Also, in verses 11 and 18, we see that Daniel referred to them by their real names.  The boys were refusing to be turned from serving the Lord, despite their circumstances.

Verse 21 says that Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus, when Cyrus conquered Babylon in 539 BC.  These four youths demonstrated that it is possible to remain faithful to the Lord while living among the pressures of pagan influences.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Jul 4 2012

2 Kings 25 – Fall and Captivity of Judah

The events of this chapter are recounted in Jeremiah 52, as God’s judgment on Judah comes to pass.  Nebuchadnezzar and his army besieged Jerusalem for two years.  There was severe famine, and no food was left.  So Zedekiah and his men of war managed to escape through the exit in the wall that is probably referred to as the “Fountain gate” in Nehemiah 3:15.  But the Chaldeans overtook him in the plain s of Jericho.  They slaughtered his sons in front of him, put out his eyes, put him in chains, and took him to Babylon.

Two panels of Babylon gate relief by Nebuchadn...

Two panels of Babylon gate relief by Nebuchadnezzar II (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Then, a servant of the king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan (the captain of the bodyguard) came to Jerusalem.  He burned the house of the Lord, the Kings house, and all the great houses down (verse 9).  Verse 10: “And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem.” The rest of the people were carried into exile, leaving the poorest as vinedressers and plowmen.  They took the majestic pillars of bronze that Solomon had made; and many were slaughtered.  Nebuchadnezzar made Gedeliah his vassal governor over those left behind in Judah, but he was murdered.  A more complete account of Gedeliah and the circumstances connected with his murder can be found in Jeremiah 40-41.

We close out the Books of Kings with verses 27-30.  After 37 years, Nebuchadnezzar’s son (Evil-merodach) freed Jehoiachin.  He dined at the king’s table and was given a regular allowance.   Thereby, there was hope for the Davidic line and the promises of God to David in 2 Samuel 7:15-16.

Side note: Excavations of Babylon have yielded thousands of inscribed tablets with a wealth of information for scholars. Among many other things, they list the kings of other nations who were captured and living at the palace of the Babylonian king.  Four of those tablets list “Jehoiachin, king of Judah” and his family as receiving rations from the king.  An excellent article with photos, originally posted in the Summer 2007 issue of “Bible and Spade” can be found at this link.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Jun 27 2012

2 Kings 20 – Hezekiah and the Babylonian Envoys

As is sometimes the case with the scriptures, part of chapter 20 occurs chronologically before chapter 19.  This chapter starts in verses 1-19 at about 713 BC – about twelve years before Sennacherib’s invasion 15 years before Hezekiah’s death (verse 6).  Hezekiah had become sick, and Isaiah has told him to set his house in order, as he was about to die.  Hezekiah’s tearful prayer in verses 2-3 is heard by the Lord, and He sends Isaiah back to let him know that he has been given 15 more years, and will be healed.   It is here also, that He promises to deliver Hezekiah and the city out of the hands of the Assyrians.  2 Kings 18:2 tells us that Hezekiah was 25 when he took the throne, and that he reigned 29 years – so we can deduce that he was only 39 at this time.  His beautiful, grateful psalm to the Lord is recorded in Isaiah 38.

Hezekiah's Tunnel נקבת השילוח

Hezekiah’s Tunnel נקבת השילוח (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The king of Babylon, Merodach-baladan, heard of Hezekiah’s sickness, and sent envoys with gifts (verse 12).  Verse 13 records Hezekiah’s pride at work, as he shows those envoys all the wealth in his house.  It is then that Isaiah informs him that Babylon will carry all of it away, and his sons will become eunuchs in their palace.  Hezekiah’s complacency at that news is both baffling and troubling, but a man who had just been miraculously healed would probably have a unique view about the will of God.

Side note:

Verse 20 refers to the tunnel that Hezekiah had cut, diverting water from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam, which laid within the city walls.  An inscription was cut into the conduit wall and is known as the Siloam Tunnel Inscription, commemorating that construction.  Ferrell Jenkins has several great photos and information about Hezekiah’s tunnel at this link to his Biblical Studies Info Page.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.