I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for almost a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I started writing this blog because the only way I can get myself to read the Bible everyday is to pretend that I am teaching someone about what it says to me. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
After completing the Temple, Solomon built himself a palace. He was not satisfied to live in the palace which David had built. It took thirteen years to build Solomon’s palace. Solomon also sent to Tyre for a bronze worker to oversee the making of the bronze furnishings for the Temple. The craftsman was the son of a Jewish woman and a man of Tyre. The passage tells us that Solomon used so much bronze in furnishing the Temple that it was not practical to measure the total quantity. When he had completed building the Temple and the furnishings for it, Solomon moved all of the gifts which David had dedicated to the Temple into the Temple treasuries and stored them there.
Stephen continued recounting the history of the Jewish people. He told of how God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and sent him back to be the savior of the people of Israel. Here he places the first “hook” relating to his message about Jesus. He tells them that Moses, God’s chosen savior for the Israelites in Egypt, had been rejected by them. Stephen went on to tell them that Moses performed many signs and wonders in order to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Yet, the people of Israel still refused to listen to Moses and rejected his leadership, asking Aaron to make them an idol to lead them back to Egypt. Nevertheless God gave Moses the plans for the Tabernacle which the people carried with them as they entered the Promised Land. They continued to worship at the Tabernacle until the time of David. Then Solomon built a Temple for God. Stephen pointed out that even so, God did not live in a Temple made by human hands.
There are two points that Stephen makes here that are important to pay attention to (there may be others, but I am not seeing them today). The first is the human tendency to reject God’s leaders and the guidance He sends to us. The second point is that God is not limited to a specific locale. God made both heaven and earth, so no man, or group of men, will be able to build Him a house that can contain Him. Have I rejected the leaders God has sent? What leaders has God called me to follow?
The psalmist tells us that those who fear the Lord will be joyful. Or as the NIV puts it:
Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
who walk in obedience to him.
When we fear the Lord as we should, there is no room left to fear anything, or anyone, else. When we have an appropriate fear of God, our fear of everything else vanishes in comparison. No, it is not just in comparison. If we truly fear God as we should, we realize that everything else is subject to His power and nothing can bring us harm outside of His will. If we fear God, we will strive in all ways to serve Him, and if we do so we will take joy even in the trials we face, secure in the knowledge that we will not face God’s wrath.
Purple wildflowers up-close 3
The first of today’s proverbs reminds us that the signs of aging on our bodies (such as grey hair) should not be hidden. Rather they should be embraced as signs that God has blessed us with a long life. The second tells us that patience and self-control are more valuable than power. The last of today’s proverbs tells us that we may take the risk, but it is God who decides the outcome. When we throw the dice of chance in this life, the outcome is not random, rather the outcome is what God has determined that it will be.
I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for almost a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I started writing this blog because the only way I can get myself to read the Bible everyday is to pretend that I am teaching someone about what it says to me. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
When King Hiram of Tyre learned that Solomon had succeeded to the throne of Israel he sent messengers to Solomon. Hiram had always been a friend of David. Solomon replied to Hiram’s messengers with a request for cedars from Lebanon to be used in building a temple for God. Hiram and Solomon reached an agreement for Solomon to pay Hiram for the cedar that Solomon wanted for the Temple. Solomon also had stone quarried and began work on constructing the Temple. It took seven years for the Temple to be constructed. When completed, the Temple was 90 feet long by 30 feet wide by 45 feet high. There was a 15 foot entrance room that ran the entire width of the Temple at the front of the Temple. The Temple itself was 2700 square feet. This compares to the average new house in the U.S. today of around 2400 square feet. A house of that average size would be multistory (I would expect it to be two floors), so it would probably have dimensions about 1/3 of that of the Solomon’s Temple (not counting the courtyard and the rooms built against the outside of the Temple walls).
Taking up where yesterday’s passage left off, the high priest asked Stephen if the charges made against him were true. Stephen did not directly answer the question. Instead, he began recounting the history of the Jewish people starting with Abraham. Stephen recounted the records of God’s promises to Abraham. He went on to tell how Isaac gave birth to Jacob and Jacob sired the twelve Patriarchs of the Israelites. He then told how Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt to prepare for his father, his brothers and their families to escape the famine in Canaan. He continued to tell how the Israelites increased in number and the Egyptians enslaved them. Today’s passage ends with Stephen talking about how God provided for Moses to be adopted into Pharaoh’s household, which led to him being educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. The last thing mentioned in today’s passage is the failure of Moses when he attempted to relieve the suffering of the Israelites under his own power.
There are other things that can be taken from this passage, but what connects for me today is that Stephen laid the groundwork of common understanding by laying out the things that both he and his listeners agreed upon. Everything that Stephen said up to this point would have had those on the Sanhedrin who were listening nodding their heads in agreement. This strikes me as an important thing to keep in mind for two reasons. The first is that when we preach the Gospel to people, if we do not make sure to lay out the groundwork, they may take what we have said and layer it on top of some very different understandings of how the world works. The end result might be someone who thinks they have followed the Gospel, but have missed it entirely (this is why reading the Old Testament is important, it lays a solid foundation about how God works). The second reason is that by laying the groundwork of common understanding we can discuss where our views diverge.
No matter what we do and how hard we work, if it is not according to God’s will it is a waste of time. Contrary to what some have said, children are not a punishment, but rather they are gift from God.
The first of today’s proverbs warns us against gossip. We should strive to neither spread nor even listen to gossip. This can be a hard thing to follow. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish between gossip and news. The most important question to ask yourself is this, would you be interested if the information reflected well upon those in the story? If the answer is no, then it is gossip.
The second proverb tells us that those who choose violence mislead others. There are many stories throughout history of leaders who got others to support their use of violence using deception.
I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for almost a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I started writing this blog because the only way I can get myself to read the Bible everyday is to pretend that I am teaching someone about what it says to me. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
The passage begins by saying that Solomon loved the Lord and walked according to the instructions given to him by his father, David. Then it says something I never noticed before. It says that one way Solomon did not follow David’s instructions was by burning incense and offering sacrifices on the high places. I think this is worth noting because I think it relates to some of what went wrong later (worshiping the gods of his foreign wives). Nevertheless at this time Solomon is dedicated to following God.
While he was at Gibeon offering sacrifices, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and told him to ask Him whatever he wanted God to give him. Solomon responded by requesting the wisdom and understanding to be a good ruler of God’s people. God was pleased by Solomon’s request and agreed to grant it. In addition, God promised Solomon great wealth and honor, telling him that if he walked in obedience to God, God would grant him a long life.
The passage then gives an example of Solomon’s wisdom. Two prostitutes came before Solomon each claiming that child was their own and that the other woman’s child had died. There was no third witness to the dispute. Solomon proposed that the child be cut in half and each woman get one half. One of the two women was satisfied with this solution. The other woman immediately begged Solomon to give the child to the other woman to raise. Solomon’s verdict was to give the child to the woman who begged him to allow the other woman to raise the child rather than kill it. We are told that this woman was the child’s true mother. The important point of this story that is often missed is that it does not matter if the woman Solomon gave the child to was his biological mother. She was the woman who would be the child’s true mother because its well-being was more important to her than which of them raised the child. I know women who were the biological mother of children that they preferred to kill rather than allow someone else to raise them.
As the number of believers increased their started to develop divisions. In particular the Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers (at this point all of the believers were Jewish). They said that the Greek-speaking widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. The Twelve Apostles called a meeting of all of the believers. They asked the body of believers to appoint seven men to oversee the distribution of food to those in need among the believers so that the Twelve would be free to pray and preach the Gospel. The only requirement for these seven men would be that they be filled with the Holy Spirit. All of the believers liked this idea and they chose seven men: Stephen, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (this last being a Gentile who had converted to Judaism before becoming a believer). This led to even more rapid increase in the number of believers, which now included priests.
Stephen performed signs and miracles that amazed people. However, one day Stephen got into a debate with members of an influential group of Jews. All we know about the group is that it was called “The Synagogue of Freed Slaves”. However, Stephen spoke with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and they were unable to answer his arguments. So, they found some men to claim that Stephen had blasphemed. They were able to work up sentiment against Stephen and have him arrested. Stephen was brought before the Sanhedrin, where the lies about what he said were repeated. At that point everyone began to look at Stephen because his face was transformed so that it looked like the face of an angel.
The Lord will restore us so that the nations of the world will be amazed at what He has done for us. WE may plant in tears, but we will harvest in joy.
It is beneficial not to have all of our desires sated. The desire for greater good drives us to do good work and to work hard. Scoundrels cause trouble and the things they say cause destruction that spreads beyond their control or intent.
I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for almost a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I started writing this blog because the only way I can get myself to read the Bible everyday is to pretend that I am teaching someone about what it says to me. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
David knew that his death was approaching, so he gave his final charges to Solomon. The first part is advice we should all follow. He told Solomon to remember that sooner or later everyone dies. He instructed Solomon to be strong, act with maturity and keep the Lord’s commands and regulations. David told Solomon that God had promised him that if his descendants followed God faithfully they would sit on his throne for all of time. David then went on to give Solomon specific instructions regarding certain people. David instructed Solomon to punish Joab for killing the two men David had appointed to replace him as army commander. He also instructed Solomon to find a way to pay back Shimei for cursing David when Absalom forced him to flee Jerusalem. And David instructed Solomon to be kind and look after the sons of Barzillai of Gilead, who had stood by him when he fled from Absalom.
Sometime not long after David’s death, Adonijah approached Bathsheba requesting a favor. Adonijah begins his request by telling Bathsheba that all of Israel expected him to become king, but that Solomon became king in his place for such was the will of God. Now, he was requesting that Bathsheba approach Solomon to have Solomon allow Adonijah to marry Abishag, the young virgin who cared for David in his final years. Bathsheba acceded to Adonijah’s request. When she approached Solomon he treated her with utmost respect, as she deserved for getting him crowned king. However, when she made Adonijah’s request for him, Solomon became angry (not particularly at Bathsheba). He explained that this was an attempt by Adonijah to extend his claim to the throne. Considering that Adonijah was Solomon’s elder brother and that he had the support of both Joab and Abiathar, anything which gave him even more claim to the throne was a threat.
In response to what Solomon perceived (probably accurately) as an attempt by Adonijah to usurp the throne, he ordered Benaiah, the captain of his (and David’s before him) bodyguard, to execute Adonijah. He then ordered Abiathar to give up his role as a priest and return to his home, sparing his life because of his role in transporting the Ark of the Lord and in David’s many campaigns. When Joab heard of Adonijah’s death, he rushed to the sacred tent and grabbed the horns of the altar. When he refused to come out, stating that he would die there, Solomon ordered him executed at the altar. Benaiah carried out Solomon’s order. Solomon then appointed Benaiah as commander of the army.
Solomon then sent for Shimei and ordered him to build a house in Jerusalem and live there the rest of his days. Solomon told Shimei that if he ever left Jerusalem again, he would be executed. Shimei agreed to Solomon’s command. However, three years later two of his slaves fled to Gath. Shimei pursued them to Gath and brought them back to Jerusalem. When Solomon heard of this he sent for Shimei and sentenced him to death. None of the passages tell us much about Shimei, but he was clearly a man of significant influence. He was someone who felt secure harassing David as he fled Jerusalem, even though David was surrounded by a force of armed men. He was listed as one of the officials who did not support Adonijah’s claim to the throne. And here, Solomon initially sentenced him to something similar to what he told Adonijah to do. All of this suggests that Shimei was a man of influence, who had a power base that could not be freely alienated by the king.
In yesterday’s passage, Barnabas sold a field and brought the money to the apostles to use to help those in need. Following that a man named Ananias, along with his wife, named Sapphira, sold some property and brought part of the proceeds to the Apostles, claiming it was the full amount. Peter immediately confronted him about this. Peter makes clear that Ananias’ sin was not keeping part of the money from the sale. His sin was his attempt to gain credit for being more generous than he actually was. Peter told Ananias that he had lied not just to men, but to God. When Ananias heard what Peter had said, he immediately fell down and died. Some of the young men present covered his body, carried it out and buried him. Everyone who heard the story was terrified.
Three hours later, Sapphira came in. She had not yet heard what had happened to her husband. Peter asked they had sold the land for the amount which Ananias had claimed. Sapphira answered that, yes, that was the price. Peter then asked her how she could have agreed to test the Spirit of God in that manner. The men who had buried her husband were at the door and they would bury her as well. She immediately fell to the floor dead. The young men who had just buried her husband came in, took her body out and buried it next to her husband. Fear came over the entire Church and everyone else who heard what had happened.
This passage reminds me a point I bring up with some frequency. When the Bible tells us things like “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” it really means fear. This is not the fear of a mugger or of a fire, although it has some elements in common with that. Some have postulated that it is the fear of offending someone whom one loves, and that is certainly a large part of it. But I am convinced that when the Bible tells us about the importance of the fear of the Lord, it is talking about the fear which gripped the Church in this passage. This fear was composed of the fear of offending someone whom one loved along with the fear of the consequences of one’s actions. It is possible to put too much emphasis on the fear of God, but I believe that currently Christians in the U.S. have too little genuine fear of God. I have too little genuine fear of God.
Luke goes on to tell us that the many miracles and signs among the people. The believers were meeting regularly in a particular part of the Temple, but no one dared meet with them just to find out what their meetings were about, even though the believers were held in high esteem. Despite the attempts by the authorities to isolate the believers, more people were becoming believers every day. The miracles were such that people were bringing the sick in from the villages around Jerusalem and laying them in the street in the hope that Peter’s shadow might fall on them. Luke tells us that they were all healed. When I read this passage, I think about what a difference it would make if we today had that kind of faith. The problem is that we do not have enough genuine fear of God, as a result we have too much fear of man. When our fear of God reaches the point where it should be, we will realize that there is no reason to fear man.
Which brings us to what happened next. The chief priests had the Apostles arrested and placed in jail. That night, a messenger of God opened the jail, brought them out and told them to go to the Temple and preach the Gospel. At daybreak the Apostles entered the Temple and began to teach. When the chief priests convened the Sanhedrin, they sent to the jail for the Apostles. Those sent returned and reported that the jail was locked and the guards were at the doors, but when they opened the cells the Apostles were gone. The captain of the guard and the chief priests were at a loss. About this time, someone came and reported that the men they had arrested were in the Temple courts teaching the people. The chief priests sent the Temple guards to bring the Apostles to them, but peacefully because they were afraid the people would stone them.
When they were brought before them, the high priest told the Apostles that they had been told not to teach in Jesus’ name and here they were doing so again. To which Peter replies that they would obey God rather than any human authority. Peter continued that God had raised Jesus, whom the chief priests had killed, from the dead and honored Him in order to bring Israel to repentance.
When the Sanhedrin heard this they were furious and wanted to put the Apostles to death. A teacher of the law named Gamaliel stood up and asked that the Apostles be put outside for a short time. He then addressed the Council, telling them that several other messianic preachers had risen up in the recent past. They had each attracted a large group of followers. Yet after each was killed, their followers were scattered and the movement they had started came to nothing. Gamaliel thus advised the Sanhedrin that their best course of action was to do nothing Because if this was merely a human movement, in a short time it would dissipate and amount to nothing. On the other hand, if this movement was of God there was nothing they could do to stop it. They would merely find themselves fighting against God.
The council listened to Gamaliel’s advice. They had the Apostles flogged and then left them go after warning them against ever speaking in the name of Jesus again. Then Luke tells us something interesting. The Apostles left the high council rejoicing over the fact that God had found them worthy of being flogged for the name of Jesus. This is such an amazing thing. Rather than being disheartened and discouraged by the pain that was inflicted on them, they were encouraged and made more passionate. I will postulate once more that the reason they reacted to this the way they did was because they had an appropriate fear of God, which made anything people could do to them pale in comparison. To go with that fear of God, they also had a sense of God’s wondrous love for them that gave them a joy so great it completely overwhelmed the suffering they experienced.
Those who trust in God will be secure, nothing will be able to shake them. God will surround them like a wall of mountains that cannot be penetrated by those wishing them ill. God will do good to those who are good and whose hearts are in tune with Him. But God will banish those who turn to crooked ways. Is my heart in tune with God?
Today’s proverb is a little bit scary. It tells us that there is a path that seems to be right but which leads to death. How can we tell whether the path we are following is the one that is truly right, or is merely the one which seems to be right? The answer is that we need to not rely merely on what we think is right, but instead study the word of God to determine what He says is right. All too many times people rely on what appearances tell them about what is right and wrong, rather than turning to God for guidance.
I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for almost a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I started writing this blog because the only way I can get myself to read the Bible everyday is to pretend that I am teaching someone about what it says to me. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
When David got old, he was unable to keep warm, even when under many covers. His retainers found a pretty young virgin named Abishag to care for David and sleep with him to keep him warm. She came and took care of him, but he did not have sexual relations with her. About this time, David’s son Adonijah decided to make himself king. Adonijah was the next oldest after Absalom. The passage tells us that King David had never disciplined Adonijah, not even so much as questioning his actions.
Adonijah spoke with Joab, the commander of David’s army, and Abiathar, one of David’s chief priests and they agreed to support him. This is noteworthy and suggests that it was past time for David to abdicate in favor of one of his sons since both of these men had been loyal retainers to David throughout his life (although Joab had gone against David’s wishes on several occasions to protect his own interests). However, several other key figures among David’s closest advisers refused to support Adonijah’s plan to become king. These included Zadok, the other chief priest and Benaiah, the captain of David’s bodyguard. David’s bodyguard followed the lead of their captain.
Adonijah went to a place of some significance a short distance outside of Jerusalem (the actual significance of the location is lost to time, although there is speculation). There he offered sacrifices and held a feast. He invited all of his brothers and the royal officials of Judah. except for his brother Solomon, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah and the king’s bodyguard. Nathan went to Bathsheba and told her that Adonijah was about to crown himself king without David’s knowledge. He told her to go to David and remind him of his promise to make Solomon king (although this is the first place that we actually see a reference to such a promise) then ask David why Adonijah has become king. Bathsheba went in to see David and said to him what Nathan had told her to say. While she was speaking to the king, Nathan was announced. Nathan came in and told David that Adonijah had declared himself king while offering sacrifices and after inviting some, but not all, of David’s advisers to join him. Nathan then asked David if he had indeed decided that Adonijah should become king after him without telling his advisers. Nathan’s recount of what Adonijah was doing intentionally reminded David of what Absalom had done.
David immediately summoned those of his advisers who had not joined Adonijah and told them to take Solomon to the spring that was the main water source for Jerusalem and crown him king. They were to have Solomon ride on David’s own mule to the spring and back. They were to sound the ram’s horn and have the people cry out “Long live King Solomon!”. Then bring Solomon back and seat him on David’s throne. They followed David’s instructions and when they blew the ram’s horn everyone in the city celebrated. The description calls to my mind the way cities today celebrate when one of their major professional sports teams win the championship.
Adonijah and his guests heard the noise from the city as they were finishing their banquet. Joab head the ram’s horn and asked what the cause of all the commotion was. While Joab was still speaking, Jonathan, Abiathar’s son (who had delivered the message about Absalom’s plans to David) arrived. Adonijah was sure that Jonathan would have good news. Instead Jonathan told him that David had had Solomon crowned king and seated on the throne, and that the city officials were congratulating David on making Solomon king. When Adonijah’s guests heard the news, they fled in a panic. Adonijah himself was afraid of what Solomon would do to him, so he fled to the sacred tent and grasped the horns of the altar. Solomon received word that Adonijah was seeking sanctuary at God’s altar and asking Solomon to vow not to kill him. Solomon sent word to Adonijah that he promised not to harm a hair on his head for so long as Adonijah remained loyal.
There is a lot of stuff in this passage. The first is that we have further evidence that David was not a very good father. He had failed to discipline his older sons. All of the problems with Absalom could have been avoided if David had properly disciplined his sons, as well as the situation in this passage. In addition, when we look at this passage, we see that David had become to old and infirm to rule, but was unwilling to relinquish the throne (or perhaps none of his advisers were brave enough to suggest that course of action to him). It was only when yet another of his sons attempts to usurp the throne and David realizes that he is unable to lead the battle to defend his throne this time that David abdicates in favor of Solomon.
There is one final point about this that I want to make. There is no place in the Bible where it tells us that David promised to that Solomon would succeed him as king. However, in this passage we have Bathsheba “reminding” (at Nathan’s prompting) David that he made such a promise. I don’t know if David made such a promise and the Bible just does not record it, or if Nathan and Bathsheba were taking advantage of David’s advanced age and less than sharp mental faculties. It is worth noting that the bulk of David’s most trusted advisers refused to support Adonijah’s efforts to become king.
While Peter and John were preaching in the Temple after healing the lame man, they were confronted by the chief priests, the captain of the Temple guard and some of the Sadducees. Peter and John were arrested and put in jail overnight, since it was already evening by this time. Luke tells us that many of those who had witnessed the healing and heard their preaching believed, raising the number of believers to 5,000, not counting women and children.
In the morning they are brought before the ruling body of Jerusalem. Luke specifically tells us that it included several of the key players in the trial of Jesus. The council demanded to know by what power they had healed the man. Peter boldly asked them if they were standing trial for healing a man, for helping someone? He then went on to tell them that he would happily tell them how the man came to be healed. The man had been healed through the power of Jesus’ name. Peter reminded them that they had crucified Jesus and told them that God had raised Him from the dead (once again, we have Peter pulling no punches, making no effort to sugar coat the role his audience played in Jesus’ death). Peter concluded his statement by telling them that salvation comes only through Jesus (for those who think that any of the major religions will do, because they all teach the same thing, this passage–and several others–explicitly rejects that idea).
The council was amazed at the boldness which Peter and John displayed before them and had them put out to discuss the situation. The council was unable to reach a decision about what to do with Peter and John. They decided to warn them against preaching any more in Jesus’ name. They called Peter and John back in and gave them a strict command to stop preaching, or even talking, about Jesus. Peter replied asking them if they thought they should obey them rather than God? The council made further threats against them and then released them. The council was afraid there would be a riot if they did anything more serious because the people were all praising God for the wondrous healing that had taken place.
When Peter and John recounted the story to the other believers, the others praised God. They asked God to glorify His name with healing power and miraculous signs. They asked God to hear the threats that had been made and to give them the boldness to preach His word. Once more the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Today’s passage concludes by telling us that there were no needy people among the believers because those who had wealth shared it with the apostles to give to those in need. We have here the first mention of Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement” and was not his given name, but rather a nickname). This passage always brings to mind something my father said that I believe he based on this passage. “There is nothing wrong with Christians being on welfare, and there is nothing wrong with Christians being millionaires. But there is something wrong when one congregation has some members on welfare and some members who are millionaires.” He made it very clear that if that happened he was not going to lay fault on one or the other in advance. It was something that would have to be judged on a case by case basis. Those of us who have resources above and beyond what we need to meet our basic expenses should be looking for ways that we can help those who are struggling to pay their bills (although that does not necessarily mean paying those bills for them, although it might). And those of us who are struggling to pay our bills should be willing to share that with our brothers and sisters in Christ and accept both their advice and help to get us out of that situation.
Let us praise God for everything about our lives and think about what could have happened if God had not been on our side. When we face trials and troubles we should remember:
Our help is from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
What power can possibly stand against that? I will praise the Lord.
Lily of the valley bloom from another angle
This proverb is a reminder that we should speak kindly and graciously because such an approach will improve the health of both ourselves and those to whom we speak. But more importantly, speaking kindly and graciously will help make the hearts of those with whom we speak more receptive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for almost a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I started writing this blog because the only way I can get myself to read the Bible everyday is to pretend that I am teaching someone about what it says to me. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
At some point David decided to take a census of all of the fighting men in Israel and Judah. He sent Joab and the rest of his army commanders out to count how many men capable of being called up as warriors there were in the land. Joab questioned the utility of such a census, but David insisted. When the census was completed and the numbers reported to David (1.3 million men throughout the land), he began to feel guilty. David turned to God, confessed that he had sinned and begged God for forgiveness. The prophet Gad came to David the next day and offered him a choice of one of three punishments for his sin: three years of famine in the land, three months of fleeing from his enemies, or three days of plague throughout the land. David chose the plague saying that he would rather fall into the hand of God than into human hands.
Plague spread throughout the land for three days killing 70,000 people. The passage tells us that God halted the plague when the angel spreading it was at the threshing floor of Araunah. The prophet Gad told David to build an altar to God at the threshing floor of Araunah and offer sacrifices to God there. David went to Araunah and asked the price to buy his threshing floor. Araunah offered to give it to David, but David insisted on purchasing it. David built the altar and offered sacrifices upon it.
Yesterday’s passage told us that the disciples went to the Temple daily to pray. One afternoon when Peter and John were going to the Temple, a lame man was being brought to the Temple portico to beg. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, He asked them for alms. Peter and John focused their attention on the lame man and Peter told him to look at them. The lame man did, expecting to receive money from them. However, Peter told the man that he did not have any wealth to give him, but that he would give him what he had. Peter continued, “In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, get up and walk.” Peter then seized the man’s right hand and pulled him to his feet. The man, who had been lame since birth, was immediately healed and jumped to his feet and began walking. He entered the Temple with Peter and John, walking and leaping and praising God. People recognized him as the man who had daily been begging alms at the Temple gate and were amazed to see him walking and leaping.
Peter asked them why they were amazed and were looking at himself and John as if this had happened through some special power or piety on their part? It was God who had healed this man in order to bring glory to Jesus. Peter told them that they had rejected Him and turned Him over to Pilate to be killed. God had raised Jesus from the dead, something which Peter and John had witnessed. It was faith in the name of Jesus which had healed this man. This was not some “cripple” brought in whom no one had ever seen before. They had all seen this man every day for years.
Peter went on to tell them that he realized that both they and their rulers had acted in ignorance when they killed Jesus. Indeed, Jesus went through His suffering according to God’s plan in order to fulfill what the prophets had said about the coming Messiah. Now was the time to repent of their sins and turn to God. Those listening to Peter were included in the promise that God had made to Abraham that everyone on earth would be blessed through his descendants. God raised up Jesus and sent Him first to the Jews in order to bless them by turning each of them from their sinful ways. God has sent Jesus to every one of us to turn us from our wicked ways and deliver to us the blessings of serving Him.
I want to end my comments on this passage by going back to what Peter said to the lame man. He told him that he had no money to give him, that he could not ease his suffering by giving him material goods. But Peter was willing to give him what he did have. And that is what God calls us to do. We are to give those who are sick, crippled, or otherwise suffering what we do have. In this case, what Peter had to give the man was much more valuable than gold. Peter gave him the ability to walk and care for himself. Well, God may not give us the gift of healing people (but we should never assume that just because He has never done it through us before, He won’t do it today), but whatever He has given us to give people is much more valuable than whatever it is they want that we don’t have. Are we willing to say with Peter, “What I do have, I give to you,” without any other condition? I know that God is calling me to take that step and give whatever gifts He has given me to those I see around me in need. I don’t always know what I have to give, but if I can be faithful in giving when I know what I have, God will clearly reveal to me even more gifts that He has given me to pass on to others.
This psalm gives us guidance about how to weather the contempt and scoffing that the proud and arrogant have for those who choose to serve God. He tells us that we should keep our eyes on God. We should focus on every move that God makes, looking for the slightest signal that indicates His will. If we keep our focus there, we will not notice those who belittle us and hold us in contempt and even if we do notice them, we will not care what they think of us for God will have mercy on us and bring us joy.
People quickly learn who has wisdom and who doesn’t. Those who express wise thoughts are known for their pleasant words. Those who are wise exercise discretion, but even after being disciplined, fools fail to understand its value. Someone with wisdom chooses his words carefully and his utterances are both wise and pleasant.
I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for almost a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I started writing this blog because the only way I can get myself to read the Bible everyday is to pretend that I am teaching someone about what it says to me. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
Today’s passage includes the song David sang when God rescued him from his enemies (it is not clear to me if this was a song David sang from time to time or one he composed and sang on one particular occasion). It reminds me of the song “I Will Call Upon the Lord” by Petra. The opening stanza gives us a basic statement of faith.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.
He is my refuge, my savior,
the one who saves me from violence.
I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and he saved me from my enemies.
It is God who provides us with protection and shelter from the storms of this life. If we call on Him, He will save us from our enemies. We read here what happens when we trust in God to be our savior:
But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
yes, I cried to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
my cry reached his ears.
Then the earth quaked and trembled.
The song goes on to tell more of how all that exists is shaken to its core when God responds to the cries of His people, those who serve Him. We learn who gets this response from God:
For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
As long as we follow God’s path and turn to Him rather than follow evil, He will come to our rescue when we are in distress. Even if in the past we have turned away from God, if we turn to Him today, He will hear our cry and deliver us. All too often I face trouble in this life because I have taken my eyes off of God and been seduced by something else. There is so much in this passage for us. God shows Himself faithful to those who are faithful and demonstrates His integrity to those who act with integrity. God will rescue the humble, but He will humiliate the proud. Towards the end of the song, David sang these words which lift my spirit and echo in my mind:
The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!
May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!
The passage goes from this song to a description of David’s last words and then lists the mighty men whom God placed around David to help bring him to victory. David did not stand alone, God gave him some mighty warriors to stand by his side. These men became recognized because they did not turn from danger, but stood firm in the Lord. In this life we do not go it alone, God has sent us to be part of a team. If we are faithful and serve God, He will send mighty warriors to fight at our side (or perhaps we will be the mighty warriors He sends to fight at someone else’s side). Let us stand firm and not flee the battle because we are outnumbered. Let us look at those who were called the Three. One stood fast and defeated 800 men in one battle. Another stood firm when the rest of the army had fled and fought until his arm was too tired to lift his sword. The third did something similar, he held his ground when the rest of the army had fled and by doing so God brought about a great victory. Let us continue to fight God’s fight until we are too tired to continue. God promises that if we are truly fighting His battle that He will bring about a great victory.
More early rose bush blooms
During the Jewish Festival of Weeks after Jesus death and resurrection, the disciples were gathered together in one place. Suddenly there was the sound of a windstorm and what appeared to be fire distributed itself onto each one present. The people present began speaking in
different languages. The passage tells us that they spoke according to what the Holy Spirit moved them to say. The noise of what happened was so loud that people from all around came running to see what was happening (perhaps not running, but they gathered to see what was going on). At the time there were Jews from all over the world in Jerusalem. Those who gathered were amazed at what they heard when they got there. They heard these hicks from Galilee speaking in their native tongue. No matter what their native tongue was, one or more of the disciples was speaking it. Most of the crowd was amazed to hear the disciples, who were all from Galilee, speaking in their own tongues, telling of the wonderful things God had done. However, some of the crowd dismissed it, saying that the disciples were merely drunk.
At this, Peter stood forward as the spokesman for the group (the Greek implies that he was put forward as the spokesman). Peter told the crowd that rather than the disciples being drunk, it was after all only nine in the morning, the crowd was witnessing the fulfillment of the prophecy from Joel. The prophet Joel said that God would pour out His Spirit on all people so that they will prophesy, see visions and dream dreams. God’s Spirit will perform wonders through all who will receive Him. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Peter told the crowd that God had endorsed Jesus by doing great wonders through Him, as the crowd was well aware. Jesus was betrayed and turned over to Gentile authorities to be killed, according to God’s foreknowledge and planning. Peter doesn’t pull any punches in this sermon. First he told the crowd that they were well aware of the miracles which Jesus had performed through the power of God. Then Peter told the crowd that THEY had nailed Him to the cross and killed Him. But, Peter told them, God was not finished yet. He did not abandon Jesus to the grave, nor allow His body to rot, just as David had written in Psalm 16. Rather God had raised Jesus from the dead and the disciples were witnesses to that resurrection. Peter concluded his sermon by telling the crowd that Jesus, whom they had crucified, was made Lord and Messiah by God.
Peter’s words convicted many in the crowd so that they asked him, and the rest of the disciples, what they should do. Peter gave a series of steps to follow:
Repent of your sinsTurn to God
Be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins
Once you have done these three things, you will receive the Holy Spirit. These three steps are steps for us to follow today, both for ourselves and when preaching salvation to others. The first step to salvation is that we must acknowledge that we have been sinful and done things which harm ourselves, our fellow man and our relationship with God. Then we must turn to God in the desire to have a relationship with Him. Finally, we must be baptized in the name of Jesus in order to receive the forgiveness of sins. Once we have completed these three steps, God will give us the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter continued to preach calling on those listening to separate themselves from a crooked generation. A message that we should be preaching today. The passage tells us that 3,000 new believers were baptized that day.
This psalm starts off with a great line for worship: I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” We no longer have to go to a specific location to join with others to worship God, but are we filled with joy when someone says to us, “Let us get together to worship the Lord.” Or are we “too busy?” Are we willing to put aside our other concerns in order to spend time with our brothers and sisters worshiping the Lord?
It is better to be humble and live in poverty than it is to be among the proud who divide plunder taken from others. If you are willing to take instruction, you will do well in this life and those who trust God will find true happiness.
I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for almost a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I started writing this blog because the only way I can get myself to read the Bible everyday is to pretend that I am teaching someone about what it says to me. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
Sheba, the man who led the revolt against King David, took his forces into a walled town. Joab led David’s army and besieged the town. Joab and his men built a siege ramp and began battering down the walls of the town. A wise woman in the town called Joab over and asked him why he wanted to destroy the town, which she credited with being an important town in Israel. Joab responded that he had no interest in destroying the town, all he wanted was one man, Sheba. He told the woman that if they handed Sheba over to him, he would leave the town alone. The woman replied that they would throw Sheba’s head over the wall to Joab. She went to the people of the town and they did as she said they would. When Joab received Sheba’s head, he called the troops back from the attack and sent them home.
At some point after this there was a famine in the land of Israel that lasted for three years. When David inquired of God for the reason for the famine, he was told that it was because Saul had murdered the Gibeonites (a group of Amorites whom the Israelites under Joshua had entered into a treaty with to allow them to live). When David consulted with the remaining Gibeonites as to what he could do to make amends, they asked him to give them seven sons of Saul to execute. David handed over to them Saul’s two remaining sons and five of his grandsons. The Gibeonites executed them all together at the beginning of the barley harvest season. The mother of the two sons of Saul executed by the Gibeonites stayed by the bodies for the entire harvest season and would not allow scavengers to tear at the bodies. When David heard what she had done, he sent to Jabesh-gilead and retrieved the bones of Saul and his three sons killed by the Philistines. He buried those and the seven executed by the Gibeonites in the tomb of Kish, Saul’s father.
The passage tells us that after this at some point, Israel was once more at war with the Philistines. David led his army into battle. In one of those battles, David became exhausted and became cornered by a man who was descended from a giant. The man was about to kill David when Abishai, Joab’s brother, came to David’s rescue. After this, David’s men asked him to no longer come with them into battle because they were afraid that he would be killed. The passage goes on that in three later battles against the Philistines, members of David’s army killed three more descendants of giants.
Luke began his account of the Acts of the Apostles by writing that Jesus remained with the disciples for 40 days after His resurrection. During this time, the disciples asked Him if the time had come for Him to free Israel from Roman rule and re-establish the kingdom of Israel. Jesus responded that the Father alone would set those dates and times and that they were not for the disciples to know. However, the Holy Spirit would come upon them and give them power. They would then be His witnesses to tell everyone about Him throughout the world, starting in Jerusalem. After He told them this, He was lifted up into heaven before their very eyes.
The apostles returned to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying. Luke lists the eleven apostles, those of Jesus’ disciples who were closest to Him during His ministry. These eleven met together regularly to pray, in addition Mary, the mother of Jesus, several other women and Jesus’ brothers joined with them. This group represented the core group but they were joined by other followers of Jesus as well. At one point when they were together with about 120 followers of Jesus, Peter stood up and said that they needed to choose someone to take the place of Judas Iscariot (who had betrayed Jesus). This happened after Judas had killed himself. The group nominated two men who had been with Jesus from the time He was baptized by John until He was taken up into heaven, Joseph, known as Justus, and Matthias. They then cast lots between the two and Matthias was chosen to join the eleven as an apostle.
There are a couple of points that I want to highlight out of this passage. The first is that this passage is yet another that warns us not to try and calculate the date when Jesus will return to overthrow the kingdoms of the world. The second is the method that the apostles used to choose a new leader of the group. They reviewed the qualifications for the position. Then they chose two men who not only met the qualifications but whom they believed would be good candidates to fill the role. Finally, they cast lots between the two men, asking God to pick which one was His choice to fill the role. I think that the Church should more often use a method similar to this to choose its leaders.
This psalm is yet another reminder of what a great God we server. We need not wonder where our help in time of need will come from. It will come from God. God watches over us and He neither slumbers nor does He sleep. During the day and during the night, He is watching, ready to reach out and support us when we lose our footing. I need fear nothing because God watches over my coming and my going, now and forevermore. But this promise is not just for me, it is for everyone. If anyone will put their trust in God and strive to serve Him, He will watch over them and care for them. They will need to fear nothing.
I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for almost a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I started writing this blog because the only way I can get myself to read the Bible everyday is to pretend that I am teaching someone about what it says to me. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
After defeating Absalom, the tribes of Israel welcomed David back as king except for Judah. David sent Abiathar and Zadok as messengers to the elders of Judah asking why they had not yet acknowledged that David was king once more. In addition, he told them to offer Amasa the job as commander of David’s army in place of Joab. Amasa convinced the elders of Judah and they sent word to David asking him to return. The men of Judah met David at the Jordan River to escort him and his people back to Jerusalem. Ziba, Saul’s and Mephibosheth’s former servant, also met David at the Jordan River. Ziba led a small force of men from the tribe of Benjamin.
Shimei, who had cursed David as he fled from Absalom, also met David at the Jordan River and begged his forgiveness. Joab’s brother Abishai once more suggested that Shimei should die for cursing the king. David reprimanded him for taking that position, telling him that now was a time for celebration, not for execution. David then told Abishai that his life would be spared. This demonstrated David’s mastery of public relations. He recognized that if he started executing those who had openly opposed him it would make many people nervous and lead some of them to support potential threats to his throne.
Mephibosheth also met David at the Jordan River. The passage tells us that Mephibosheth had not cared for his feet (which had been seriously injured when he was a baby so as to cripple him), trimmed his beard or washed his clothes since the day David left Jerusalem. When David asked him why he had not come with him when David left Jerusalem, Mephibosheth responded that he had asked Ziba to saddle a donkey for him so that he could accompany David. Mephibosheth further stated that Ziba had slandered him by telling David that he refused to come with him. Mephibosheth acknowledged that David had treated him better than he, or any of his family, had reason to expect. David offered to return half of the property he had given to Ziba, but Mephibosheth declined saying that he was happy merely to have David back safely as king once more. David’s offer to return half of Mephibosheth’s property suggests that he believed Mephibosheth, but the fact that he only offered to return half also suggests that he did not believe that Ziba acted maliciously in telling him that Mephibosheth had refused to accompany David.
The men of the rest of the tribes of Israel were upset that the tribe of Judah had escorted David back to Jerusalem without significant representation from them. One leader among them by the name of Sheba led a revolt against David. David told Amasa to mobilize the army of Judah and report back in three days. However, it took him longer than three days to mobilize the army. David, afraid that waiting would allow Sheba to get set up in a defensive location, told Joab to take the troops that David had on hand and go after Sheba. Amasa met them on the way. Joab stepped forward to greet Amasa and drew his dagger with his left hand. Amasa did not notice the dagger in Joab’s left hand and as Joab greeted him, Joab stabbed Amasa and killed him. Joab and his brother, Abishai left Amasa lying dead in the road and continued after Sheba. One of Joab’s men called out to the men of Judah who had been with Amasa that if they were for David and Joab they should continue. However, everyone was stopping to stare at Amasa’s body, so Joab’s man pulled the body off the road and covered it with a cloak. With that done, everyone went with Joab to fight against Sheba.
Today’s passage is one of the more touching (that’s not quite the right word) stories of the New Testament. Peter has seen that Jesus has risen and is happy for this, but he is somewhat conflicted because he had denied Jesus in His moment of trial (just as Jesus had told him he would do). He falls back on what he knows and decides to go fishing. A number of the other disciples go with him, probably partly in support of Peter and partly for the same reason. They were looking to do something familiar to deal with their conflicted emotions and guilt for not standing with Jesus when He was crucified. They took a boat out onto the Sea of Galilee and fished all night, but caught nothing. At dawn as they returned, they saw Jesus standing on the shore but did not recognize Him. He called out to them and asked if they had caught anything. When they replied that they had not, He told them to throw the nets on the right side of the boat. They did as He suggested and the nets became so full of fish that they could not pull them back into the boat. At that moment John told Peter that the man of the shore was Jesus. Peter put his outer garment back on and waded to shore. The other disciples followed in the boat bringing the net full of fish with them. When they got to shore, they saw a fire with some fish on the coals and some bread. Jesus told them to bring some of the fish they had just caught. The passage tells us that it was such a large catch that it was surprising that the net had not torn. Jesus then gave them some of the bread and the fish that was already cooked.
The first thing I thought when I read that Jesus gave them the bread and then the fish was the two times that Jesus had fed large crowds. However, as I read this I also thought there was a lesson there for us about serving God. The disciples who went out in the boat were experienced fishermen. Yet, they fished all night, using all of their skill and knowledge as fishermen, and caught nothing. As they were giving up and calling it a night, Jesus told them to try once more according to His direction. They did as He asked and caught a surprisingly large number of fish. Enough fish that it should have strained their nets to the breaking point, yet the nets held. I think that this is a lesson for us. We can use all of the knowledge of this world about how to reach people and convince them to follow us, but until we do what God tells us, we will catch no “fish”. There is a little more, if we have struggled “all night” doing the Lord’s work and have had no results, when He tells us to give it one more try, we need to listen to His instructions because we will gather enough to make all of our efforts worth it at that moment.
Now we come to the part that is so touching. After they had eaten, Jesus turned to Peter, who had rushed to His side, and asked him if he loved Him more than the others (this is a place where I wish I had learned Greek, because I am not sure if Jesus is asking Peter if he loved Jesus more than the others did, or if he loved Jesus more than he loved the others). Peter answered that Jesus knew that he loved Him. Jesus told Peter to feed His lambs. Jesus then asked Peter again if he loved Him. Peter replied once more that Jesus knew that he loved Him. This time Jesus told Peter to take care of His sheep. Then Jesus asked Peter a third time if he loved Him. Peter was hurt because Jesus asked a third time and answered that Jesus knew all things, He knew that Peter loved Him. Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep. Jesus then told Peter that when he was young he did for himself and chose his own destination but when he was old someone else would dress him and take him where he did not want to go. Jesus finished by telling Peter to follow Him. Peter recognizing that Jesus was predicting He would suffer, turned and asked Jesus about what would happen to John. Jesus responded that it did not concern Peter what fate God had in store for John, it was up to Peter to follow Him.
This is touching (still not quite the right word) because, while at the time Peter was hurt by Jesus asking him three times, Jesus offered Peter the opportunity to respond once for each of the times he had denied Jesus. It was also and example that it is not enough for us to acknowledge our belief in Jesus and willingness to follow Him just once. We have to do so every time the question comes up. When Jesus calls us to acknowledge Him or serve Him, we cannot say, “But I acknowledged/served You yesterday (or this morning).” When we are called to acknowledge Jesus, we need to respond each time with , “Yes, Lord.” There is another message in this story, we need to save Jesus faithfully no matter where that leads us, even if it is into persecution and suffering. It is not ours to be concerned about why others appear to us to be led on a path that seems easier. We are to follow Jesus on the path that He leads us on. His grace will be sufficient to carry us through. Do I love Jesus enough to do that? Or will I spend my time worrying about whether, and why, Jesus is calling others to a different path?
If we call out to God in our distress, He will answer our prayer. In particular, we should be distressed by being among those who lie and are deceitful. We should be distressed by those who favor violence and war. We should seek peace with all around us. This psalm reminds me that I am a foreigner living in this world. I am not a citizen of the world, but a citizen of the Kingdom of God.
Today’s psalm is beautiful, yet if I did not need to dig into it to find things to write for my blog I would have missed its beauty. This psalm is a perfect example of why I need this blog in order to truly study God’s word. Because I have disciplined myself to writing something about each passage of my reading, I need to read and re-read each passage until I see something to write. With some passages that is easy, with other passages it is hard. With this psalm it is not hard, but I would have read over this psalm quickly and seen it as yet more of the same. However, since I needed to write something I looked a little deeper and realized there were some good lessons there for me.
I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for almost a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I started writing this blog because the only way I can get myself to read the Bible everyday is to pretend that I am teaching someone about what it says to me. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
David mustered his men for battle, appointing generals and captains over them. As David prepared to march out with them to meet Absalom’s army, his men objected strongly. They told David that if they ran away. or even if half of them were killed, Absalom’s men would not care, David would be their sole target. As long as David was alive, their cause was not lost, but if David was killed, Absalom had won. They told David that he should remain in the town and send out reinforcements as needed. David heeded their advice and stayed behind, but stood by the gate as they marched out. In front of the men David ordered his commanders, Joab, Abishai (Joab’s brother) and Ittai, to spare Absalom for his sake.
The battle took place in the forest of Ephraim and David’s men beat back the army of Israel. The account tells us that more men died because of the forest than from weapons. Absalom had come upon some of David’s men, he tried to escape them on his mule. However, his hair got caught in a branch and his mule left him dangling in the air. One of David’s men reported to Joab that he had seen Absalom dangling in the air. Joab asked him why he had not killed Absalom, telling him that he would have rewarded him handsomely for doing so. The man replied that he would not have killed David’s son for 100 times that amount because he had heard David tell the commanders to spare Absalom. If he had killed Absalom, David would have found out and Joab would not have protected the man. Joab then went and killed Absalom himself.
Ahimaaz, who had been one of the two young men to bring news of Absalom’s battle plans from Jerusalem, asked Joab for permission to take the news to David. Joab told him that David would not take see the news of Absalom’s death as good news and refused. Instead Joab turned to an Ethiopian and sent him. Ahimaaz continued to beg Joab to let him go. Joab finally gave him permission to go. Ahimaaz, being more familiar with the area, took the easier route and arrived at Mahanaim first. When David asked him what news he brought, Ahimaaz told him that his forces had been victorious and the rebels were defeated. When David specifically asked him about Absalom, Ahimaaz said that there was confusion when he left the army and he did not know. Then the Ethiopian arrived. David questioned him and the Ethiopian told him that Absalom was dead. David immediately began to mourn the death of Absalom.
When Joab heard that David was ostentatiously mourning Absalom, he went to David and confronted him. Joab accused David of wishing that all of his own men had died that day rather than Absalom and told him that if he did not go out and congratulate his men on their victory, they would abandon him. David took Joab’s advice, went out and greeted his men as they returned from battle.
On the morning of after the Passover Sabbath, before it was yet light, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and found the stone rolled away. She ran to Simon Peter and the “disciple whom Jesus loved” (generally understood to be John). She told them that Jesus’ body had been taken from the tomb and they didn’t know where it had been taken. Peter and John ran to the tomb. John was faster and got there first (and perhaps Peter was conflicted since He had denied Christ three times during His trial) but did not go in, only looked in. When Peter got there he went in and John joined him. They both saw the linen which Jesus’ body had been wrapped in lying there empty. At that moment they understood for the first time Jesus’ teaching that He would rise from the dead and believed it. However, they did not know what else to do, so they went home.
Mary Magdalene remained outside the tomb crying. Tow angels appeared to her (although from her reaction she apparently did not realize that that was what they were) dressed in white sitting where Jesus’ body had been lying. When they asked her why she was crying she answered that it was because someone had taken Jesus’ body and she did not know where. She turned to leave and saw someone standing there, who also asked her why she was crying. Assuming that this man tended the garden where the tomb was she asked him if he knew where Jesus’ body was and told him that if he told her where it was, she would take it somewhere else. At that point the man said her name and she realized that He was Jesus. Whenever I read this, I cannot but help to tear up when I think of the absolute despair that she must have been feeling and the incredible joy which it turned into. I do not know if I can truly understand what Mary felt in this situation, but I know the absolute despair which I felt that led me to the decision that allowed me to finally truly see God. And I know the joy I felt when that revelation came to full fruition.
That evening, the disciples were meeting in a locked room, out of fear of the Jewish leaders. Jesus was there among them. He told them to be at peace (calming their fears at His sudden appearance). Jesus then told them that He was sending them in the same way that the Father had sent Him. He then breathed the Holy Spirit on them and told them that anyone whose sins they forgave was forgiven and anyone they would not forgive would not be forgiven. Since I believe that this passage applies to us, this lays a serious obligation on us to forgive others.
Thomas was not with them at this meeting. He told the other disciples that he would only believe it was really Jesus if he could see the wounds for himself and put his fingers into them. Thomas has long been the disciple I most identify with. I have trouble believing things I have not witnessed for myself. Eight days after that first appearance, Jesus again appeared among the disciples while they were gathered, and this time Thomas was with them. Jesus told Thomas to touch His wounds, to see that they were indeed real and that this was indeed Jesus risen from the dead. At this, Thomas believed. There are two important things here. The first is that if you are willing to accept proof that God is real, God will provide you with proof. The second is what Jesus told Thomas, Thomas believed because he saw Jesus, those who believe without seeing Jesus are even more blessed. I struggle with needing proof before I believe. Those who can believe more readily are much more blessed than I. I know that the reason I do experience more of God’s power is because of my inability to believe without proof. I continue to pray the prayer of the father whose son Jesus healed after His Transfiguration: “I believe, help my unbelief.”
The psalmist tells us that if we serve God and seek to obey His commands, He will plead our cause and redeem us. Those who ignore God’s rules will be far from any hope of rescue. God’s word can be summed up as the truth. His rules are just and will stand forever. Powerful people may harass us without cause, but we need be in fear of nothing but God’s word. Let us turn to God for understanding, He has promised to give it to those who ask Him for it.
I have wandered away like a lost sheep;
come and find me,
That is certainly me and I am grateful that God did indeed come and find me and bring me back to Him.
Geared up for heavy combat
