ExodusPsalms IsaiahLuke

EphesiansHebrews

EncounterGod

every day for a yearwith

Writers include: Dennis Lennon, Alastair Campbell, John Taylor

365 daily Bible readings

En

co

un

ter

Go

devery

day fo

r a y

ear

with

exposition from some of today’s best Bible teachers, including Michael Baughen, Steve Motyer, Jo Bailey Wells,

an introduction to all the main literary genres in the Bible: law, history, psalms, prophecy, apocalyptic, gospel, epistle

key biblical books covered: Exodus, Isaiah 1-39, Luke, John, Ephesians, and Hebrews

an overview of God’s wonderful plan of salvation

Enjoy the exhilaration of gaining new understanding of God’s eternal purposes!

It’s wise to take a guide You wouldn’t plan to climb a high and challenging mountain without taking a skilled guide with you. It’s the same with the Bible. Everyone needs a little help, especially when we’re talking about understanding difficult passages and applying them to contemporary living.

Here is some of the best writing in Encounter with God over the past four years - providing a stimulating, in-depth approach to Bible reading.

EncounterGod

every day for a yearwith

ËxHSLIPJy996706zISBN 978 1 85999 670 6 ISBN 978 1 85999 670 6

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Howard Peskett, and Jonathan Lamb

Scripture Union, 207–209 Queensway, Bletchley, MK2 2EB, England.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Scripture Union is an international Christian charity working with churchesin more than 130 countries providing resources to bring the good newsabout Jesus Christ to children, young people and families – and to encourage them to develop spiritually through the Bible and prayer.

As well as our network of volunteers, staff and associates who run holidays, church-based events and school Christian groups, we produce awide range of publications and support those who use our resources throughtraining programmes.

© Scripture Union 2002

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by anymeans, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,without the prior permission of Scripture Union.

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible New InternationalVersion © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.Anglicisation copyright © 1979, 1984, 1989. Used by permission ofHodder & Stoughton Ltd.

Scripture quotations taken from The Message © by Eugene H Peterson1993, 1994, 1995. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication DataA catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Cover design mhm grax

00 Prelims.qxd 05/09/02 10:32 Page 2

Printed and bound in China by 1010 Printing International Ltd.

ISBN 978 1 85999 670 6Reprinted 2007

The Bible can be understood in many ways. It is, of course, theinspired and living Word of God, our primary authority on all

questions of faith and Christian lifestyle. It is our mission statement and our vision, our insight into the will of God for us. Itis also a collection of writings of vastly different styles written overa period of many hundreds of years. Simply reading the Bible isenough to change people’s lives, yet who would say they could not benefit from new insights into its stories, adventures, prayers and prophecies?

Bible reading notes help readers place each book of the Bible in itshistorical, cultural and biblical context and give guidance on howwe may respond to God’s Word in our daily lives. Published byScripture Union every three months, Encounter with God offers dailynotes on every book of the Bible: our syllabus covers the NewTestament in four years and the Old Testament in six.

Encounter with God: every day for a year represents some of the bestwriting produced for our Bible reading notes over the last fouryears. Our international team of writers, which includes top schol-ars, and well-known Bible expositors and pastors, have drawn on their learning and practical experience to trace the story of ourredemption.

In Exodus we learn how God delivered his people from bondage inEgypt; chapters 1–39 of Isaiah include prophecies concerning thecoming of the promised Messiah; the Gospels of Luke and Johnportray the life and ministry of Jesus, while Ephesians and Hebrews spell out the significance of his death and resurrection forbelievers. Other books fill out the picture and give us a taste of thevaried literary genres the Bible contains.

We do hope you will encounter God in his Word over the next yearin the company of our gifted writers.

Andrew Clark and Venetia Horton

Editors, Encounter with God

If you would like to know more about Scripture Union, or would like to subscribe to

Encounter with God, please contact us at www.scriptureunion.org.uk or write to us

at 207/209 Queensway, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK2 2EB.

Preface

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Exodus 1–6 Richard Harvey 0096–18 Dennis Lennon 02019–24 Desmond Alexander 039

John 1–4 Dick France 0505,6 Jonathan Lamb 0647,8 Rikk Watts 0739,10 Peter Kimber 08211,12 Ian Coffey 09013–17 Hans Lindholm 10018–21 Morris Stuart 112

Psalms 42,43 Andrew Clark 12744–55 Ken Edgecombe 128

Exodus 25–31 Richard Harvey 14032–40 Grace Thomlinson 148

Hebrews 1–6 Steve Motyer 1627–10 Dennis Lennon 17211–13 Michael Baughen 181

Psalms 56–66 Evelyn 190Miranda-Feliciano

Ruth Jo Bailey Wells 201

Luke 1,2 Robert Willoughby 2073–5 Steve Motyer 2166,7 Ross Pilkinton 2258,9 Merryl Blair 23310,11 Whitney Kuniholm 245

Contents

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Nehemiah John Grayston 255

Ephesians Alastair Campbell 270

Psalms 67–80 Rosemary Linton 284

Luke 12,13 John Fieldsend 29814–17 Peter Kimber 30818–21 Jonathan Lamb 31922–24 Andrew Clark 331

Isaiah 1–12 Andrew Clark 341

Song of Songs Jennifer Turner 359

James Paul Goodliff 368

Isaiah 13–27 Howard Peskett 38228–39 John Taylor 391

Psalms 81–92 Pauline Hoggarth 404

00 Prelims.qxd 05/09/02 10:32 Page 5

Dr T Desmond Alexander is currently Director of ChristianTraining for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. He is author of FromParadise to the Promised Land (Paternoster); The Servant King (IVP), andThe Pentateuch (Paternoster).

Rt Rev Michael Baughen is the retired Bishop of Chester and aformer Rector of All Souls Langham Place. He is the author of a number of books including The Prayer Principle and Your Marriage.

Rev Merryl Blair is Lecturer in Old Testament studies at Churchesof Christ Theological College, Melbourne.

Rev Dr Alastair Campbell was until recently pastor of theKathmandu International Christian Church. Before that he taughtthe New Testament at Spurgeon’s College in London.

Dr Andrew Clark is commissioning editor of Encounter with God.He previously taught in Bible colleges in Hong Kong as an OMF mis-sionary. He is the author of Parallel Lives, a study of literary parallelsbetween characters in the book of Acts.

Rev Ian Coffey is a preacher, teacher and writer. He is SeniorMinister at Mutley Baptist Church, Plymouth, and also leader of theSpring Harvest leadership team.

Ken Edgecombe is a freelance writer and editor. His latest book, onadolescent faith, is Will they or won’t they? (SU). He is a formerNational Director of Scripture Union in New Zealand.

Rev Dr Dick France is an Anglican clergyman and New Testamentteacher. Now retired, he is the former principal of Wycliffe Hall,Oxford. He has written a number of books including the Tyndalecommentary on Matthew.

Rev John Fieldsend is an Anglican clergyman and a Messianic Jew.He was born in Czechoslovakia. Now retired, he was previously director of the Centre for Biblical and Hebraic Studies.

Rev Paul Goodliff is Baptist Union General Superintendent for theCentral region of England. He tutors in pastoral counselling for StJohn’s College Extension Studies, and is author of the book Care in aconfused climate.

John Grayston is Director of Bible Ministries for Scripture Union inEngland and Wales. He enjoys skiing.

Richard Harvey lectures at All Nations Christian College. He hasan MA in Hebrew and Jewish studies, and was formerly the UK director of Jews for Jesus.

Dr Pauline Hoggarth is International Bible Ministries Co-ordina-tor for Scripture Union. Her interests include cooking, gardening, cinema, and conversation.

The Writers

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Peter Kimber was until recently Chief Executive and Team Leaderof Scripture Union in England and Wales. Now retired in Edinburgh,he enjoys golf.

Whitney Kuniholm is the President of Scripture Union in the USA.He has written a number of books in the area of personal and groupBible study.

Jonathan Lamb is Associate General Secretary of the InternationalFellowship of Evangelical Students, with special responsibility forEurope. He is a member of the Council of the Evangelical Allianceand the Keswick Convention.

Rev Dennis Lennon was previously Evangelism Adviser to theAnglican Diocese of Sheffield. He is married to Sonja and his booksinclude Weak enough for God to use (SU).

Rev Hans Lindholm is pastor of Lötenkryken, Uppsala, and chairof Scripture Union in Sweden. Formerly he was General Secretary ofthe Swedish IFES-affiliated movement.

Rosemary Linton teaches Christian Spirituality at All NationsChristian College. A native of Northern Ireland, she taught missionaries’ children in the Philippines for nine years.

Evelyn Miranda-Feliciano is a best-selling Filipina Christian writerand a lecturer with the Institute for Studies in Asian Church andCulture (ISACC).

Rev Dr Steve Motyer is Lecturer in New Testament andHermeneutics at London Bible College. He enjoys cycling and gardening and the company of his teenage children, and is theauthor of several books including The Bible with Pleasure (IVP).

Rev Howard Peskett is Vice-Principal at Trinity College, Bristol.Formerly Research Director of OMF, his publications include TrustingGod in Troubled Times and Isaiah (SU Lifebuilder guide).

Rev Ross Pilkinton is a former Scripture Union worker in NewZealand. Until recently he lived in Nepal, where he and his wifeMarcelle ran a missionary guest house. He also had pastoral responsi-bilities with the International Nepal Fellowship.

Morris Stuart serves as pastor of the Truth and Liberation ConcernCommunity Church in Melbourne’s Outer Eastern suburbs.

Rt Rev John B Taylor is the former Bishop of St Albans, and awriter on the Old Testament. He is also Honorary Assistant Bishop inthe Diocese of Ely and the Diocese of Europe.

Grace Thomlinson is involved in Christian resource productionand community learning at World Vision, Australia. She has lecturedon Christian Ethics and the Old Testament, and shares music min-istry with her husband Geoffrey.

00 Prelims.qxd 05/09/02 10:32 Page 7

Rev Dr Jennifer Turner is Minister of Dianella Church of Christ,Western Australia, lecturer in Pastoral Theology at the BaptistTheological College, and a writer with a special interest in the Bibleand small groups.

Rev Dr Rikk Watts is Associate Professor of New Testament atRegent College, Vancouver. An Australian, he is the author of a bookon the use of Isaiah in Mark.

Rev Dr Jo Bailey Wells is Lecturer in Old Testament and BiblicalTheology at Ridley Hall college in Cambridge. Formerly Dean of ClareCollege, Cambridge, she is the author of God’s holy people; a theme inbiblical theology. She relaxes by walking her dog with her husbandand young daughter.

Robert Willoughby lectures on the New Testament at LondonBible College. He is a keen lover of books, music and sport.

00 Prelims.qxd 05/09/02 10:32 Page 8

From bondage to freedom

Exodus chronicles the key event in the Old Testament,the escape of the slaves from Egypt. Under the leader-

ship of Moses, the Israelites leave their place of bondageand set off for the land of freedom – Canaan. On the waythey camp at Mount Sinai, where Moses receives the Law.The covenants and promises God made to Abraham inGenesis are confirmed through Moses. The celebration ofthe first Passover brings Israel to birth as a nation. ThePassover sacrifice brings the people of Israel into covenantrelationship with God. The Law that will be received onMount Sinai gives the ground rules for life in the PromisedLand – in social, spiritual and personal terms.

The book of Exodus can be divided into three sections: theescape from Egypt, the wanderings in the desert and thereceiving of the Law on Mount Sinai. The story has all thethrills of an adventure. The plot twists and turns, as thePharaoh, Moses and Aaron interact on a knife-edge of tension. The atmosphere is charged with the Israelites’ criesto God. Miraculous events accompany their escape.

The name of the book, Exodus (meaning ‘going out’), isderived from the Greek version of the Old Testament, theSeptuagint. In Jewish tradition the book is called after theHebrew words that begin the first chapter, ‘ve’eleh shemot’ –‘These are the names’. This shows a clear continuation ofthe story of the patriarchs, which ended in Genesis 49 and50 with Jacob blessing his sons before dying. The blessingon Judah contains a clear prophecy of the Messiah whowould come to restore sovereignty to Israel (Genesis 49:10).Yet Exodus 1 opens with a very different scene – that ofoppression and attempted genocide. The promises to thepatriarchs are forgotten, as a new king arises who ‘knew not Joseph’ (AV).

In Jewish life the story of Exodus comes alive each year atPassover. Each year, at a special meal of unleavened bread,bitter herbs and four cups of wine, the story of Passover isrecounted, with joy and celebration. The hero of the story

Exodus 1–6

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is Moses. These early chapters show him in his humanityand weakness, in contrast with God’s almighty power andlove.

Lessons for usAs Christians we have much to learn from Exodus. Not onlydid God go to even greater lengths to rescue his people, thechurch, from slavery to sin, but in Jesus – the Lamb of Godwho also was sent to die at Passover – one greater thanMoses came in weakness and humanity, to reveal the powerand love of God.

It is not enough to rely on the witness of previous genera-tions, or on our own early experience of God’s love. Weneed to encounter daily the reality of God. We may face difficulties today in our life, our work, our health or ourrelationships, but this should not cause us to lose hope. Wehave in Jesus the strong assurance of God’s presence withus, and his ability to bring us through our difficulties.Jewish tradition speaks of the suffering of the slaves, andreminds us that they looked forward to the promises of Godthat would one day be fulfilled: even the most bitter formof slavery is made sweet with the promise of redemption.

The book of Exodus reveals God in his power, his choosingof Israel and his instructions to them. It shows the need forredemption and forgiveness of sin. It teaches us that God isfaithful to his promises, and will provide deliverance frombondage – whether bondage in Egypt or bondage to sin – tothose that trust in the ‘blood of the Lamb’. As we followMoses from his birth to his challenge to Pharaoh to let thepeople go, we see the hand of God in all aspects of the story.We, like Moses, are called to serve a redeeming God.

Richard Harvey

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Promise, fulfilment, problem!

Moses’ long life is filled with Joseph’s dying hope: ‘God willsurely come to your aid’.1 Spend some time reflecting on this promise.

The list of those who went to Egypt with Joseph four hundred and thirty years previously (Gen 46:8) is

repeated (v 1). Exodus begins with what God has alreadydone, setting the scene for what he has yet to do.

God’s promise of descendants to Abraham has been abundantly fulfilled (although notice that it has taken a verylong time)2 – the land of Egypt is literally ‘swarming’ (verse7 – the Hebrew sharatz usually refers to animals) with them.But this very abundance – the blessing of God – has a nega-tive impact, and the Israelites are now unwelcome guests inEgypt. Can you identify areas in your (or your church’s)experience where God’s blessings have also brought trouble?

The new Pharaoh subjects the Israelites to forced labour,and then attempts the first recorded genocide of the Jewishpeople. Male offspring were necessary to continue the lineof Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to its culmination in the birthof Jesus the Messiah. Only then would the promise of bless-ing to all nations be kept.

The midwives did not obey Pharaoh’s command. They‘feared God’ (v 17), standing in awe of the Almighty andwanting to be in right relationship with him. Their courageis an example to us not to compromise our faith or commitungodly acts, whatever pressure we may be facing. Howeasy do you find it to reconcile their actions with instruc-tions given to us in the New Testament about obedience toauthorities?3

God will intervene to protect his people and keep his prom-ises. The promise of land has yet to be realised. The scene isset for the birth of Moses.

1 Gen 50:242 Gen 12:1–3;

15:4–6,13–163 Eg Rom

13:1–7; 1 Pet 2:13–17; Acts 4:19;5:29

How can God’s faithfulness be demonstrated in the problems youface today?

Exodus 1: 1–22

Day 1

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Day 2

God’s preparations

Looking back, we can see that God has prepared us for the situations we find ourselves in today. Think of examples

of this in your own life.

Moses is born to parents from the tribe of Levi. Hecomes from the line that will function as priests

before God on behalf of the people. But he is wrenchedaway from all of that, to experience a very unusual upbringing. Pharaoh’s order (1:22) puts his life in danger;Pharaoh’s daughter, of all people, rescues him and so guar-antees him safety; and his own mother nurses him (andgets paid for it!).

Moses, as his name suggests, has the best of both worlds: inHebrew, the play on words (v 10) links the name ‘Mosheh’with the Hebrew for ‘draw out’; the name is also commonin Egyptian, meaning ‘boy child’. Moses was blessed with adual identity: a member of the Egyptian royal family, andfrom the priestly family of Israel. But this blessing musthave brought its own tensions – did he sometimes feelcursed, rather than blessed, with a mixed identity?

In Pharaoh’s household Moses would have learned the artsof politics and warfare, receiving an education far above hisenslaved compatriots.1 At his mother’s knee he must havelearned that he was an Israelite, and something of whatthat meant – putting him in touch with his roots andteaching him about the God of his fathers. From the priestly line, eventually he will exercise a role as prophet,2mediator,3 lawgiver,4 judge5 and commander.6 Moses hasbeen prepared by God for the fulfilment of his plans. Nopart of our life or experience is ever wasted for God, nomatter how unlikely it may seem.

His birth and upbringing uniquely qualify Moses for thetask God has for him: to lead his people from slavery tofreedom.

1 Acts 7:222 Deut

18:15–183 Exod 32:31,324 Exod 34 5 Exod 18:25,26 6 Num 31:6

God has a special task for each one of us. What is God calling youto today?

Exodus 2:1–10

12

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ExodusPsalms IsaiahLuke

EphesiansHebrews

EncounterGod

every day for a yearwith

Writers include: Dennis Lennon, Alastair Campbell, John Taylor

365 daily Bible readings

En

co

un

ter

Go

devery

day fo

r a y

ear

with

exposition from some of today’s best Bible teachers, including Michael Baughen, Steve Motyer, Jo Bailey Wells,

an introduction to all the main literary genres in the Bible: law, history, psalms, prophecy, apocalyptic, gospel, epistle

key biblical books covered: Exodus, Isaiah 1-39, Luke, John, Ephesians, and Hebrews

an overview of God’s wonderful plan of salvation

Enjoy the exhilaration of gaining new understanding of God’s eternal purposes!

It’s wise to take a guide You wouldn’t plan to climb a high and challenging mountain without taking a skilled guide with you. It’s the same with the Bible. Everyone needs a little help, especially when we’re talking about understanding difficult passages and applying them to contemporary living.

Here is some of the best writing in Encounter with God over the past four years - providing a stimulating, in-depth approach to Bible reading.

EncounterGod

every day for a yearwith

ËxHSLIPJy996706zISBN 978 1 85999 670 6 ISBN 978 1 85999 670 6

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Howard Peskett, and Jonathan Lamb