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Dear listeners,
Happy New Year! I realize the calendar has turned over to 2012 and Saul has sort of…stopped. I wanted to drop you a note and let you know what is happening. Some of you have sent me emails or filled out the contact form, and it has been really encouraging to hear how much the podcast has meant to all of you.
The history of the podcast is this: in 2010, I went through the whole Bible, day by day, verse by verse. The amount of work behind that was…vast. During 2011, I simply rebroadcast the series from 2010. It had always been my intent to do something new in 2012 – possibly use the same readings but record new commentaries, or possibly change the format from reading/commentary to reading/contemplation or reading/prayer. Needless to say, none of those things actually happened. 2011 went by faster than I expected, and…here we are.
My plans are definitely to keep the site up. You don’t need to worry about the archived content going away. It’s there, and will remain. In the short term, I am going to post the whole series in a convenient format for downloading – maybe 12 zip files, one for each month, so that someone can grab the whole year easily.
I have also apportioned the whole Bible into written form and typeset it. It is in the NET translation, and would be a good companion to the podcast. I need to go ahead and publish that and make it available – I did all the hard work like a year and a half ago, and it has just…sat. Stay tuned for that – a nice way to read the whole thing.
For the future – I don’t really know. If you have any ideas or suggestions – let me know! I would love to re-engage again, but I could use some fresh ideas and perspectives. The whole thing so far has been my creation – the podcasts, the apportionment, the commentary, the theme music, the website, the advertising (such as it is). The issue is, as with all of us, is my life is a busy thing – I have a wife and one small child (with another on the way!), own my own business, play in a rock band, and so on. Fitting in Saul is a difficult thing. So, as I said, if you have any ideas – for marketing, restarting, changing format, or whatever – I would love to hear them! Feel free to fill out the contact form, comment on this post, or email to saul@saulreadsthebible.com.
Thank you so much for reading the Bible with me.
-Saul
Scripture Readings:
- Old Testament: Esther 9:1-10:3
- Poetry/Prophecy: Malachi 3:1-4:6
- New Testament: Luke 24:33-24:53
We made it! Today we complete the reading of the Bible in one year. Thank you so much for your listenership!
In Esther, Mordecai and the Jews throughout the land receive relief from their enemies. On the very day they themselves were to be executed, the Jews kill 75,000 of their adversaries. The celebration of Purim is instituted on those days to commemorate these events.
In Malachi, God promises judgment against the unrighteous and those who do not fear Him. However, he promises blessings upon those who “bring the entire tithe into the storehouse,” and, on the day of judgment, will spare those who honor His name.
And in Luke, Jesus appears to all of the disciples and demonstrates that he is not in fact a ghost but is truly risen. He blesses them and is taken up into heaven, leaving the disciples rejoicing and blessing God.
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Scripture Readings:
- Old Testament: Esther 8:1-8:17
- Poetry/Prophecy: Malachi 2:1-2:17
- New Testament: Luke 24:13-24:32
In Esther, all of Haman’s property is transferred to Esther, who gives it to Mordecai, including the king’s signet ring. With the king’s permission, Mordecai drafts an edict countermanding the earlier edict that had endangered the Jews.
In Malachi, God takes His people to task, starting with the Levites, for forsaking and even making light of the covenant He had made with their ancestors.
And in Luke, some of the disciples encounter the risen Christ but do not realize it is him. He teaches them the Scriptures, and finally reveals himself – only to disappear from their sight.
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Scripture Readings:
- Old Testament: Esther 5:1-7:10
- Poetry/Prophecy: Malachi 1:1-1:14
- New Testament: Luke 24:1-24:12
In Esther, King Ahasuerus grants Esther her audience. Meanwhile, he decides to reward Mordecai for foiling an earlier assassination plot – and uses Haman to confer the honors. When Esther makes the request that the king spare the Jewish people, the king becomes enraged at Haman and orders him hung on the gallows that the latter had built for Mordecai.
In Malachi, God expresses his displeasure at His people for bringing substandard offerings to the temple, pointing out that this makes light of His name.
And in Luke, the women who go to anoint Jesus’ body are surprised to find the tomb empty. They are told by two angels that Jesus has risen from the dead. The other disciples are hesitant to believe, but are actively wondering why the tomb is empty.
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Scripture Readings:
- Old Testament: Esther 4:1-4:17
- Poetry/Prophecy: Zechariah 13:1-14:21
- New Testament: Luke 23:13-23:56
In Esther, Mordecai asks Esther to go before King Ahasuerus and ask the king to reconsider his edict calling for genocide against the Jews. She agrees, asking only that the Jews in the citadel fast on her behalf before she goes in, since if he refuses her in audience, she will be executed.
We complete the book of Zechariah. We read a prophecy of a future time in which all wrongs will be righted, all truth will be revealed, all nations of the earth will seek God, and God’s holiness will be spread across the whole earth.
And in Luke, we read the account of the crucifixion of Jesus. After his death, he is buried in a tomb donated by Joseph of Arimathea.
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Scripture Readings:
- Old Testament: Esther 2:1-3:15
- Poetry/Prophecy: Zechariah 12:1-12:14
- New Testament: Luke 22:63-23:12
In the book of Esther, we see that Esther wins the affections of King Ahasuerus, though she does not reveal her Jewish heritage. Meanwhile, Haman and Esther’s guardian Mordecai get into a conflict after Mordecai refuses to bow down before Haman. In response, Haman persuades King Ahasuerus to issue an edict that all the Jews throughout the kingdom should be executed on a certain day.
In Zechariah, we hear prophecy of the rebirth of Jerusalem, despite the united antagonism of all the surrounding nations. God’s people, however, will mourn over “the one they have pierced.”
And in Luke, Jesus is brought before both Pilate and Herod, neither of whom seems particularly motivated to accede to the demands of the religious leaders to have Jesus killed.
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Scripture Readings:
- Old Testament: Esther 1:1-1:22
- Poetry/Prophecy: Zechariah 10:1-11:17
- New Testament: Luke 22:24-22:62
We begin the book of Esther and meet King Ahasuerus, who holds a half-year feast in his own honor and becomes upset when his wife, Queen Vashti, fails to appear at his summons. His advisers convince him to release an edict condemning her actions and replace her with a different queen.
In Zechariah, God’s people are compared to sheep without a shepherd. Despite God’s gracious attempts to shepherd them, the people wander off and reject His shepherd-hood.
And in Luke, Jesus predicts that Peter will deny him. Jesus is then betrayed by Judas Iscariot and seized by a mob arranged by the religious establishment. Peter ends up denying Jesus three times before the crowing of the rooster, as Jesus had predicted. Peter weeps bitterly.
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Scripture Readings:
- Old Testament: Nehemiah 13:1-13:31
- Poetry/Prophecy: Zechariah 9:1-9:17
- New Testament: Luke 21:37-22:23
We complete the book of Nehemiah. After a short absence, Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem and finds that temple storeroom space has been misappropriated, the Sabbath being ignored, and the people intermarrying with foreigners. Nehemiah takes measures to stop this disobedience-at least on the surface.
In Zechariah, wealthy and powerful nations will be upended, and their eyes will be set upon the Lord. A powerful but humble king is prophesied for God’s people, and under his reign, God’s people will flourish.
And in Luke, Judas Iscariot agrees to betray Jesus. Jesus and his disciples celebrate the Passover, where Jesus breaks the news that this will be his Last Supper.
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Scripture Readings:
- Old Testament: Nehemiah 12:1-12:47
- Poetry/Prophecy: Zechariah 8:1-8:23
- New Testament: Luke 21:1-21:36
In Nehemiah, we read more genealogical records of those in Jerusalem at the time of the dedication of the rebuilt wall. We read about the pageantry and joy in evidence at this dedication.
In Zechariah, deliverance for Jerusalem, a new overture of peace with God, and the renewed esteem of God’s people are prophesied.
In Luke, Jesus comments on the sacrificial (although small) gifts of a poor widow to the temple’s offering box. Jesus then has much to say about the destruction of the temple and the great turmoil to come upon all humanity in the Day of the Lord.
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Scripture Readings:
- Old Testament: Nehemiah 11:1-11:36
- Poetry/Prophecy: Zechariah 6:1-7:14
- New Testament: Luke 20:27-20:47
In Nehemiah, we read a genealogy of those who are selected or who volunteer to live in Jerusalem, taking the risks and persevering in the hard work of rebuilding. They are described in several places as “exceptional men.”
In Zechariah, the vision comes to an end with images of horses and chariots and the promise of a rebuilt temple of God. After this, the people’s half-hearted and self-centered attempts to find God are exposed.
In Luke, the Sadducees attempt to trap Jesus with a thorny question about the afterlife. Jesus evades, and then poses his own complex but possibly moot question about the Messiah. He cautions his disciples about the so-called experts in the law.
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