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Daily Bible Reading

Morning Bible Reading - Job 10

¹ My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. ² I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me. ³ [Is it] good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked? ⁴ Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth? ⁵ [Are] thy days as the days of man? [are] thy years as man’s days, ⁶ That thou inquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin? ⁷ Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and [there is] none that can deliver out of thine hand. ⁸ Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me. ⁹ Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again? ¹⁰ Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese? ¹¹ Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews. ¹² Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. ¹³ And these [things] hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this [is] with thee. ¹⁴ If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity. ¹⁵ If I be wicked, woe unto me; and [if] I be righteous, [yet] will I not lift up my head. [I am] full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction; ¹⁶ For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me. ¹⁷ Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war [are] against me. ¹⁸ Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me! ¹⁹ I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave. ²⁰ [Are] not my days few? cease [then, and] let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, ²¹ Before I go [whence] I shall not return, [even] to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; ²² A land of darkness, as darkness [itself; and] of the shadow of death, without any order, and [where] the light [is] as darkness.

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^0-999 Chapter Outline Job complains of his hardships. (1-7) He pleads with God as his Maker. (8-13) He complains of God|s severity. (14-22)

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^1-7 Job, being weary of his life, resolves to complain, but he will not charge God with unrighteousness. Here is a prayer that he might be delivered from the sting of his afflictions, which is sin. When God afflicts us, he contends with us; when he contends with us, there is always a reason; and it is desirable to know the reason, that we may repent of and forsake the sin for which God has a controversy with us. But when, like Job, we speak in the bitterness of our souls, we increase guilt and vexation. Let us harbour no hard thoughts of God; we shall hereafter see there was no cause for them. Job is sure that God does not discover things, nor judge of them, as men do; therefore he thinks it strange that God continues him under affliction, as if he must take time to inquire into his sin.

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^8-13 Job seems to argue with God, as if he only formed and preserved him for misery. God made us, not we ourselves. How sad that those bodies should be instruments of unrighteousness, which are capable of being temples of the Holy Ghost! But the soul is the life, the soul is the man, and this is the gift of God. If we plead with ourselves as an inducement to duty, God made me and maintains me, we may plead as an argument for mercy, Thou hast made me, do thou new-make me; I am thine, save me.

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^14-22 Job did not deny that as a sinner he deserved his sufferings; but he thought that justice was executed upon him with peculiar rigour. His gloom, unbelief, and hard thoughts of God, were as much to be ascribed to Satan|s inward temptations, and his anguish of soul, under the sense of God|s displeasure, as to his outward trials, and remaining depravity. Our Creator, become in Christ our Redeemer also, will not destroy the work of his hands in any humble believer; but will renew him unto holiness, that he may enjoy eternal life. If anguish on earth renders the grave a desirable refuge, what will be their condition who are condemned to the blackness of darkness for ever? Let every sinner seek deliverance from that dreadful state, and every believer be thankful to Jesus, who delivereth from the wrath to come.

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^20-32 Job This book is so called from Job, whose prosperity, afflictions, and restoration, are here recorded. He lived soon after Abraham, or perhaps before that patriarch. Most likely it was written by Job himself, and it is the most ancient book in existence. The instructions to be learned from the patience of Job, and from his trials, are as useful now, and as much needed as ever. We live under the same Providence, we have the same chastening Father, and there is the same need for correction unto righteousness. The fortitude and patience of Job, though not small, gave way in his severe troubles; but his faith was fixed upon the coming of his Redeemer, and this gave him stedfastness and constancy, though every other dependence, particularly the pride and boast of a self-righteous spirit, was tried and consumed. Another great doctrine of the faith, particularly set forth in the book of Job, is that of Providence. It is plain, from this history, that the Lord watched over his servant Job with the affection of a wise and loving father.

A Commentary By J Vernon MCgee For Job 10:1-999

A Commentary By J Vernon MCgee For Job 10:5-999

Morning Bible Reading - Job 11

¹ Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said, ² Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified? ³ Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed? ⁴ For thou hast said, My doctrine [is] pure, and I am clean in thine eyes. ⁵ But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee; ⁶ And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that [they are] double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee [less] than thine iniquity [deserveth]. ⁷ Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? ⁸ [It is] as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? ⁹ The measure thereof [is] longer than the earth, and broader than the sea. ¹⁰ If he cut off, and shut up, or gather together, then who can hinder him? ¹¹ For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider [it]? ¹² For vain man would be wise, though man be born [like] a wild ass’s colt. ¹³ If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him; ¹⁴ If iniquity [be] in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. ¹⁵ For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear: ¹⁶ Because thou shalt forget [thy] misery, [and] remember [it] as waters [that] pass away: ¹⁷ And [thine] age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning. ¹⁸ And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig [about thee, and] thou shalt take thy rest in safety. ¹⁹ Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make [thee] afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee. ²⁰ But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope [shall be as] the giving up of the ghost.

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^0-999 Chapter Outline Zophar reproves Job. (1-6) God|s perfections and almighty power. (7-12) Zophar assures Job of blessings if he repented. (13-20)

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^1-6 Zophar attacked Job with great vehemence. He represented him as a man that loved to hear himself speak, though he could say nothing to the purpose, and as a man that maintained falsehoods. He desired God would show Job that less punishment was exacted than he deserved. We are ready, with much assurance, to call God to act in our quarrels, and to think that if he would but speak, he would take our part. We ought to leave all disputes to the judgment of God, which we are sure is according to truth; but those are not always right who are most forward to appeal to the Divine judgment.

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^7-12 Zophar speaks well concerning God and his greatness and glory, concerning man and his vanity and folly. See here what man is; and let him be humbled. God sees this concerning vain man, that he would be wise, would be thought so, though he is born like a wild ass|s colt, so unteachable and untameable. Man is a vain creature; empty, so the word is. Yet he is a proud creature, and self-conceited. He would be wise, would be thought so, though he will not submit to the laws of wisdom. He would be wise, he reaches after forbidden wisdom, and, like his first parents, aiming to be wise above what is written, loses the tree of life for the tree of knowledge. Is such a creature as this fit to contend with God?

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^13-20 Zophar exhorts Job to repentance, and gives him encouragement, yet mixed with hard thoughts of him. He thought that worldly prosperity was always the lot of the righteous, and that Job was to be deemed a hypocrite unless his prosperity was restored. Then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; that is, thou mayst come boldly to the throne of grace, and not with the terror and amazement expressed in ch. 9:34. If we are looked upon in the face of the Anointed, our faces that were cast down may be lifted up; though polluted, being now washed with the blood of Christ, they may be lifted up without spot. We may draw near in full assurance of faith, when we are sprinkled from an evil conscience, Heb 10:22.

A Commentary By J Vernon MCgee For Job 11:1-999

A Commentary By J Vernon MCgee For Job 11:4-999

A Commentary By J Vernon MCgee For Job 11:7-999

Morning Bible Reading - Job 12

¹ And Job answered and said, ² No doubt but ye [are] the people, and wisdom shall die with you. ³ But I have understanding as well as you; I [am] not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these? ⁴ I am [as] one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright [man is] laughed to scorn. ⁵ He that is ready to slip with [his] feet [is as] a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease. ⁶ The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth [abundantly]. ⁷ But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: ⁸ Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. ⁹ Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? ¹⁰ In whose hand [is] the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. ¹¹ Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat? ¹² With the ancient [is] wisdom; and in length of days understanding. ¹³ With him [is] wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding. ¹⁴ Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening. ¹⁵ Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth. ¹⁶ With him [is] strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver [are] his. ¹⁷ He leadeth counsellers away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools. ¹⁸ He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle. ¹⁹ He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty. ²⁰ He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged. ²¹ He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty. ²² He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death. ²³ He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them [again]. ²⁴ He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness [where there is] no way. ²⁵ They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like [a] drunken [man].

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^0-999 Chapter Outline Job reproves his friends. (1-5) The wicked often prosper. (6-11) Job speaks of the wisdom and power of God. (12-25)

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^1-5 Job upbraids his friends with the good opinion they had of their own wisdom compared with his. We are apt to call reproofs reproaches, and to think ourselves mocked when advised and admonished; this is our folly; yet here was colour for this charge. He suspected the true cause of their conduct to be, that they despised him who was fallen into poverty. It is the way of the world. Even the just, upright man, if he comes under a cloud, is looked upon with contempt.

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^6-11 Job appeals to facts. The most audacious robbers, oppressors, and impious wretches, often prosper. Yet this is not by fortune or chance; the Lord orders these things. Worldly prosperity is of small value in his sight: he has better things for his children. Job resolves all into the absolute proprietorship which God has in all the creatures. He demands from his friends liberty to judge of what they had said; he appeals to any fair judgment. (Job 12:12-25)

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^12-25 This is a noble discourse of Job concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of His own will, which none can resist. It were well if wise and good men, who differ about lesser things, would see how it is for their honour and comfort, and the good of others, to dwell most upon the great things in which they agree. Here are no complaints, or reflections. He gives many instances of God|s powerful management of the children of men, overruling all their counsels, and overcoming all their oppositions. Having all strength and wisdom, God knows how to make use, even of those who are foolish and bad; otherwise there is so little wisdom and so little honesty in the world, that all had been in confusion and ruin long ago. These important truths were suited to convince the disputants that they were out of their depth in attempting to assign the Lord|s reasons for afflicting Job; his ways are unsearchable, and his judgments past finding out. Let us remark what beautiful illustrations there are in the word of God, confirming his sovereignty, and wisdom in that sovereignty: but the highest and infinitely the most important is, that the Lord Jesus was crucified by the malice of the Jews; and who but the Lord could have known that this one event was the salvation of the world?

A Commentary By J Vernon MCgee For Job 12:1-999

Evening Bible Reading - Acts 8

¹ And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. ² And devout men carried Stephen [to his burial], and made great lamentation over him. ³ As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed [them] to prison. ⁴ Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. ⁵ Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. ⁶ And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. ⁷ For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed [with them]: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. ⁸ And there was great joy in that city. ⁹ But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: ¹⁰ To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. ¹¹ And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. ¹² But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. ¹³ Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. ¹⁴ Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: ¹⁵ Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: ¹⁶ (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) ¹⁷ Then laid they [their] hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. ¹⁸ And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, ¹⁹ Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. ²⁰ But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. ²¹ Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. ²² Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. ²³ For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and [in] the bond of iniquity. ²⁴ Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me. ²⁵ And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^1-4 Though persecution must not drive us from our work, yet it may send us to work elsewhere. Wherever the established believer is driven, he carries the knowledge of the gospel, and makes known the preciousness of Christ in every place. Where a simple desire of doing good influences the heart, it will be found impossible to shut a man out from all opportunities of usefulness.

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^5-13 As far as the gospel prevails, evil spirits are dislodged, particularly unclean spirits. All inclinations to the lusts of the flesh which war against the soul are such. Distempers are here named, the most difficult to be cured by the course of nature, and most expressive of the disease of sin. Pride, ambition, and desire after grandeur have always caused abundance of mischief, both to the world and to the church. The people said of Simon, This man is the great power of God. See how ignorant and thoughtless people mistake. But how strong is the power of Divine grace, by which they were brought to Christ, who is Truth itself! The people not only gave heed to what Philip said, but were fully convinced that it was of God, and not of men, and gave up themselves to be directed thereby. Even bad men, and those whose hearts still go after covetousness, may come before God as his people come, and for a time continue with them. And many wonder at the proofs of Divine truths, who never experience their power. The gospel preached may have a common operation upon a soul, where it never produced inward holiness. All are not savingly converted who profess to believe the gospel.

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^14-25 The Holy Ghost was as yet fallen upon none of these coverts, in the extraordinary powers conveyed by the descent of the Spirit upon the day of Pentecost. We may take encouragement from this example, in praying to God to give the renewing graces of the Holy Ghost to all for whose spiritual welfare we are concerned; for that includes all blessings. No man can give the Holy Spirit by the laying on of his hands; but we should use our best endeavours to instruct those for whom we pray. Simon Magus was ambitious to have the honour of an apostle, but cared not at all to have the spirit and disposition of a Christian. He was more desirous to gain honour to himself, than to do good to others. Peter shows him his crime. He esteemed the wealth of this world, as if it would answer for things relating to the other life, and would purchase the pardon of sin, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and eternal life. This was such a condemning error as could by no means consist with a state of grace. Our hearts are what they are in the sight of God, who cannot be deceived. And if they are not right in his sight, our religion is vain, and will stand us in no stead. A proud and covetous heart cannot be right with God. It is possible for a man to continue under the power of sin, yet to put on a form of godliness. When tempted with money to do evil, see what a perishing thing money is, and scorn it. Think not that Christianity is a trade to live by in this world. There is much wickedness in the thought of the heart, its false notions, and corrupt affections, and wicked projects, which must be repented of, or we are undone. But it shall be forgiven, upon our repentance. The doubt here is of the sincerity of Simon|s repentance, not of his pardon, if his repentance was sincere. Grant us, Lord, another sort of faith than that which made Simon wonder only, and did not sanctify his heart. May we abhor all thoughts of making religion serve the purposes of pride or ambition. And keep us from that subtle poison of spiritual pride, which seeks glory to itself even from humility. May we seek only the honour which cometh from God.

A Commentary By J Vernon MCgee For Acts 8:1-25

A Commentary By J Vernon MCgee For Acts 8:2-25

A Commentary By J Vernon MCgee For Acts 8:5-25

A Commentary By J Vernon MCgee For Acts 8:13-25

A Commentary By J Vernon MCgee For Acts 8:18-25