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God’s message to me: Honor God. The construction and decoration of the temple show a great deal of glory and honor being given to God. It should be understood that we are dealing with the King of kings when we decide how we will honor our Lord. We, as Christians, are given the honor of being granted an Audience with the Creator and Ruler of the universe any time we desire one through prayer. All to often we take this for granted and treat it far to lightly and casually. It isn’t necessary to dress up for church every time but how would you dress if you knew the President of the United States was going to be there? It isn’t required that we clean and polish everything to perfection but how would you like your church to look if Jesus Christ were going to preach this Sunday?
Promises: God doesn’t ask for things He doesn’t provide. David obtained the treasures used to decorate the temple during his conquest of the enemies that came against him and Israel. Solomon obtained the materials from allies who gladly sold them out of friendship with both David and Solomon.
Commands: Honor God as God wishes to be honored. The design of the Tabernacle and the Temple were both divinely inspired. Remember what happened to the sons of Aaron when they offered incense outside of the boundaries of the ceremonies commanded by God. God expects nothing less and nothing more than that we fulfill his commands. Doing less is wrong. Going beyond is wrong.
The most humble mission can be used more mightily than the most beautiful cathedral but each should reflect the best we are able to give to our God.
Timeless principles: Churches are all different and some have more resources than others. Taking into account the resources available to your congregation, who’s house is nicer, yours or Gods? The people of Israel built the Tabernacle of Meeting and the Temple of God out of the best and most costly materials available. They Layered everything they could in gold and decorated with gemstones. For those things that needed more durability they used bronze which is similar in color and easily polished to great beauty. How do you honor God’s house?
How can I apply what I’ve learned: God is the King of kings and Lord of lords. It makes no sense to give Him anything but the best. Not only was the temple layered in Gold and the furnishings made from the best woods and metals, the best artisans were brought in to create the items so that they would be artistically and architecturally the best.
more to learn for in-depth study: It’s been a while since I did an in depth study of end times prophecy so I can’t remember the verse reference to back this. Egypt and Lebanon will turn to God and join with Israel against the Anti-Christ in the Tribulation. These two nations were allies of Israel under Solomon as well. Lebanon had a mostly Christian population with a large Jewish component and a minority Muslim group which was not militant prior to the nations takeover by Hezbollah and Hamas. The Muslims who took over the country were Shiite Iranians and the large Muslim contingent in Lebanon today is Iranian and not Lebanese. Since the Peace treaty with Egypt Israel has had little or no state sponsored trouble from that nation. While they are hardly swayed to side with Israel at this time, they are becoming less of a threat. It isn’t difficult to see the work of prophecy in the news.
480 years after the Israelites left Egypt, Solomon has been on the throne 4 years, it is the second month of the year and The Temple of God, sometimes called the temple of Solomon begins to be built. As we have dated things before this we can see that the Temple began to be built about 3148 years after the creation of the earth. It took 7 years to build it so that it would have been finished in about the year 3155 after creation.
I can’t find my notes and book on the Tabernacle of meeting right now but I’ll try to give you a comparison later. The temple was 90 feet long 30 feet wide and 45 feet high. The vestibule extended another 15 feet in front. It is interesting to note the details but I will only comment on 3.
The stones used to build it were finished at the quarry so that there would be no sound of hammers in the temple while it was being built. They would have to be transported carefully to ensure no damage after finishing and they would have to be carefully measured and accurately constructed in order to fit perfectly together when they arrived. The interior walls were covered in wood so that no stone was visible from inside the temple. Like the Tabernacle, furnishings were made of wood and covered in gold. While fine wood was used to make the walls and decorations they did not show within the temple. Every surface including the floors, ceilings, walls, doors and door frames were covered in gold.
When people talk about the lost treasure of Israel it has to do with this temple. The Temple itself, along with all that was in it was worth a fortune. King David made certain that there was treasure set aside for the construction of this richly appointed building. In fact there was much more than enough. Solomon, in turn, built the temple and added to the treasure so that, if something were to happen, there would be enough to rebuild it. This treasure was hidden well and portions used several times in the history of Israel then replaced, sometimes quickly and other times not for many decades. This secure treasure has been maintained throughout history and is believed to still be stored where it always has been. The Ark of the Covenant is believed to also be there.
Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of several theories on where the Ark is now but the important thing to note is that no sacrifices were continued at the Temple or the Tabernacle unless the Ark was there. The blood of the sacrifice had to go to the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant and so the sacrifice at the temple would not make sense without it. The end times prophecies tell us that sacrifices will have returned before the tribulation begins. This tells us we can look for the return of the Ark of the Covenant as one of the last things to occur before the Rapture. On the other hand, it is not marked as a sign of the Rapture so it may happen after the Rapture. The bible is unclear on the time table but the Rapture occurs a short time before the tribulation begins. This could be hours, days, months or potentially years. Given the rapid timetable of those times I expect it would be less than a year and the resulting mayhem that will occur when every Born Again Christian suddenly disappears will be a great opening for the anti-Christ who is described as a powerful world leader. Political power and popularity is most easily gained in time of crises. Note how many politicians have said things like “never waste a crisis” since the recession began.
tomorrow: First Kings 8
Friday, April 10, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
First Kings 2-4
God’s message to me: Learn from your mistakes and don’t repeat them. Don’t pass on your problems to the next generation so that you can live the life of the politically correct.
Promises: God can give you everything you ever imagined and a great deal more. Solomon asked God only for the wisdom to judge Israel with justice. God made him the wisest man who ever lived in history. In all of time before and after Solomon there has never been one who was wiser. He was the richest and most powerful king despite a rule marked by peace. The military he commanded was more than sufficient to overcome any enemy. Solomon asked for wisdom and was granted wisdom, wealth, health, long life, power and strength beyond what any king of that time could have hoped.
Commands: Follow God’s commands and live within his statutes.
Timeless principles: An old dog can learn new tricks. David made a lot of promises and showed a lot of kindnesses he shouldn’t have. He saw and survived the aftermath of those bad decisions and so he reminded Solomon not to repeat the folly and to eliminate the problems he had protected. David’s oaths kept him from dealing with the trouble but his son could do so without breaking any promises.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Borrowing trouble for the next generation in order to make your own lifetime work the way that makes you comfortable is not a mark of wisdom.
more to learn for in-depth study: Adonijah never seemed to learn from his mistakes. He gained safety from his brother Solomon by showing he would respect him as king. Then he spoke to Bathsheba as if her son had stolen the throne. He also demanded, in marriage, the young woman who had tended David in his last days. Solomon could see trouble coming. The arrogance of his brother in the manner he claimed he had lost the throne and his desire to marry a woman who might help strengthen his claim to the throne because of her previous duties were enough to show he would be a problem. Having already attempted a coup once, Solomon didn’t wait for him to do so again. He ordered Adonijah killed.
Joab and Adonijah each went to the tabernacle and took hold of the alter expecting to be spared from execution. Aside from the fact that this action violated the law in regard to who could go where or touch what in the temple, this is also an early attempt to claim sanctuary. No one ever claimed sanctuary effectively in the tabernacle of meeting or the temple. Each person mentioned, hid there knowing their own guilt and expecting others to spare them for the temples sake. Every one of them was executed before the alter. This isn’t the first case nor will it be the last to be mentioned in the bible.
tomorrow: First Kings 5-7
wow, I caught up, who knew?
Promises: God can give you everything you ever imagined and a great deal more. Solomon asked God only for the wisdom to judge Israel with justice. God made him the wisest man who ever lived in history. In all of time before and after Solomon there has never been one who was wiser. He was the richest and most powerful king despite a rule marked by peace. The military he commanded was more than sufficient to overcome any enemy. Solomon asked for wisdom and was granted wisdom, wealth, health, long life, power and strength beyond what any king of that time could have hoped.
Commands: Follow God’s commands and live within his statutes.
Timeless principles: An old dog can learn new tricks. David made a lot of promises and showed a lot of kindnesses he shouldn’t have. He saw and survived the aftermath of those bad decisions and so he reminded Solomon not to repeat the folly and to eliminate the problems he had protected. David’s oaths kept him from dealing with the trouble but his son could do so without breaking any promises.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Borrowing trouble for the next generation in order to make your own lifetime work the way that makes you comfortable is not a mark of wisdom.
more to learn for in-depth study: Adonijah never seemed to learn from his mistakes. He gained safety from his brother Solomon by showing he would respect him as king. Then he spoke to Bathsheba as if her son had stolen the throne. He also demanded, in marriage, the young woman who had tended David in his last days. Solomon could see trouble coming. The arrogance of his brother in the manner he claimed he had lost the throne and his desire to marry a woman who might help strengthen his claim to the throne because of her previous duties were enough to show he would be a problem. Having already attempted a coup once, Solomon didn’t wait for him to do so again. He ordered Adonijah killed.
Joab and Adonijah each went to the tabernacle and took hold of the alter expecting to be spared from execution. Aside from the fact that this action violated the law in regard to who could go where or touch what in the temple, this is also an early attempt to claim sanctuary. No one ever claimed sanctuary effectively in the tabernacle of meeting or the temple. Each person mentioned, hid there knowing their own guilt and expecting others to spare them for the temples sake. Every one of them was executed before the alter. This isn’t the first case nor will it be the last to be mentioned in the bible.
tomorrow: First Kings 5-7
wow, I caught up, who knew?
First Kings 1
God’s message to me: We must act on God’s will and remember that we are either sheltered by his will or overcome by it. Adonijah was the little brother of Absalom and even had the same mother but didn’t learn anything from his big brothers foolishness. As David was growing to old to be effective Adonijah convinced many in leadership to follow him and invited them to a feast and sacrifice to make him king. He didn’t invite the prophet, the priest or any others who knew that God had planned to place Solomon in power and he sought to reinforce his position so that Solomon couldn’t take the throne after David’s death.
David failed to correct Adonijah. He simply ignored his foolishness until Adonijah was celebrating his being made king.
Promises: God will not be subverted. He intended Solomon to be king and none who attempted to take the throne from him succeeded.
Commands: Do not attempt to undermine God’s will. Adonijah knew full well that God and David intended Solomon to be the next king. Because he knew this he was careful not to include Solomon or any of the people involved in choosing Solomon as the successor to celebrate and make him king. He thought he could get around the issue by reinforcing his position enough to get everyone else behind him before Solomon could be named. Once in power he could easily overcome them all. God ensured that his treachery was found out and undermined before he could get a following and so those who had come to help him become king abandoned him and left him in fear that Solomon would kill him for treason.
Timeless principles: The surest way to get a power-hungry person to go to far is to not stop him when he is starting out. Adonijah and his brother Absalom could have both been dealt with when they first started making trouble and a great deal of pain would have been averted. David failed to discipline his sons and to correct their improper behavior resulting in long term trouble.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Don’t sit still and quiet when you see trouble coming.
Allow me to demonstrate at the risk of offending some who read this. This country is heading down a road of pain because we have allowed our leaders to get away with to much. As a result of our failure to reign them in when they first started overreaching their authority, we now have a government who believes they have the authority to:
Remove the CEO of a private company from his job.
Appoint their own people to run private companies.
Confiscate the earnings of private individuals without due process or cause.
Tell private citizens what they can buy and how much of it they can buy.
Punish private individuals for being successful.
let’s skip past the political and move on to security.
Threaten God’s chosen people if they defend themselves.
Sanction God’s chosen people for defending themselves.
Force God’s chosen people to bow to those who wish their destruction.
Demand God’s chosen people give up part of the land Promised to them by God to people who want to destroy them.
Do I really need to continue?
Bless Israel, Be blessed. Curse/oppress Israel and face destruction. The bible is extraordinarily clear on this matter. We have given over the running of our nation to a group of people who will use our resources and power to undermine Israel, tear down our Judeao-Christian values, weaken our defenses and empower the enemies of the United States, Israel and God and the only reason they have been able to gain the power to do this is because we didn’t stop them. The constitution doesn’t grant the power they are wielding. The constitution forbids them from having most of these abilities and yet, when they took that power for themselves and admitted, “it’s a violation of the constitution but the government needs to have the power anyway”, no one stopped them. Now we will pay the price.
Don’t believe me? Look at the history, The great depression and WWII came after we backed the idea of Eugenics which declared Jews were subhuman and a drain on society. The recession and problems of the late 1970’s including the Iran Hostage Crises came after the United States demanded that Israel trade land for peace. Clinton tried to make similar demands without the full backing of the legislature and the personal cost could be seen in the constant cloud of legal scandals over his administration. As former president Bush and current President Obama continued to pursue more and more strenuous actions to force land for peace and “2 state solutions” on God’s chosen people we have dipped into one of the worst recessions in decades, had a US Cargo ship captured by pirates and slipped quickly into the anarchy we haven’t seen since 1979.
See a problem? Fight the problem. If you don’t, you can count on the problem to get a lot bigger until your forced to confront it at much greater cost.
tomorrow: First Kings 2-4
David failed to correct Adonijah. He simply ignored his foolishness until Adonijah was celebrating his being made king.
Promises: God will not be subverted. He intended Solomon to be king and none who attempted to take the throne from him succeeded.
Commands: Do not attempt to undermine God’s will. Adonijah knew full well that God and David intended Solomon to be the next king. Because he knew this he was careful not to include Solomon or any of the people involved in choosing Solomon as the successor to celebrate and make him king. He thought he could get around the issue by reinforcing his position enough to get everyone else behind him before Solomon could be named. Once in power he could easily overcome them all. God ensured that his treachery was found out and undermined before he could get a following and so those who had come to help him become king abandoned him and left him in fear that Solomon would kill him for treason.
Timeless principles: The surest way to get a power-hungry person to go to far is to not stop him when he is starting out. Adonijah and his brother Absalom could have both been dealt with when they first started making trouble and a great deal of pain would have been averted. David failed to discipline his sons and to correct their improper behavior resulting in long term trouble.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Don’t sit still and quiet when you see trouble coming.
Allow me to demonstrate at the risk of offending some who read this. This country is heading down a road of pain because we have allowed our leaders to get away with to much. As a result of our failure to reign them in when they first started overreaching their authority, we now have a government who believes they have the authority to:
Remove the CEO of a private company from his job.
Appoint their own people to run private companies.
Confiscate the earnings of private individuals without due process or cause.
Tell private citizens what they can buy and how much of it they can buy.
Punish private individuals for being successful.
let’s skip past the political and move on to security.
Threaten God’s chosen people if they defend themselves.
Sanction God’s chosen people for defending themselves.
Force God’s chosen people to bow to those who wish their destruction.
Demand God’s chosen people give up part of the land Promised to them by God to people who want to destroy them.
Do I really need to continue?
Bless Israel, Be blessed. Curse/oppress Israel and face destruction. The bible is extraordinarily clear on this matter. We have given over the running of our nation to a group of people who will use our resources and power to undermine Israel, tear down our Judeao-Christian values, weaken our defenses and empower the enemies of the United States, Israel and God and the only reason they have been able to gain the power to do this is because we didn’t stop them. The constitution doesn’t grant the power they are wielding. The constitution forbids them from having most of these abilities and yet, when they took that power for themselves and admitted, “it’s a violation of the constitution but the government needs to have the power anyway”, no one stopped them. Now we will pay the price.
Don’t believe me? Look at the history, The great depression and WWII came after we backed the idea of Eugenics which declared Jews were subhuman and a drain on society. The recession and problems of the late 1970’s including the Iran Hostage Crises came after the United States demanded that Israel trade land for peace. Clinton tried to make similar demands without the full backing of the legislature and the personal cost could be seen in the constant cloud of legal scandals over his administration. As former president Bush and current President Obama continued to pursue more and more strenuous actions to force land for peace and “2 state solutions” on God’s chosen people we have dipped into one of the worst recessions in decades, had a US Cargo ship captured by pirates and slipped quickly into the anarchy we haven’t seen since 1979.
See a problem? Fight the problem. If you don’t, you can count on the problem to get a lot bigger until your forced to confront it at much greater cost.
tomorrow: First Kings 2-4
Second Samuel 22-24
God’s message to me: One nation, Under God, Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all. Government is at it’s best when it serves in the fear of the Lord. When we elect leaders who do not feat Him or allow them to be elected because of our apathy over weak leadership from those who oppose unGodly men, we deserve the pain we will suffer as a result.
Promises: I can do all things through Christ who Strengthens me. David knew and proclaimed that the Lord was the source of his strength. God gave him the strength and skill to defeat his enemies and delivered him through supernatural means from those enemies to strong for David to take on himself. It was God’s power that made enemies cower in fear at David’s presence. It was God’s power that overcame rebellion among the Israelites. It was God’s will which led David’s enemies to destruction.
Commands: The last words of David were the orders of God to leaders. Leaders must rule in the fear of God. Leaders must be just. Leaders are an example which shines like morning light and refreshes like fresh grass and the clean air after a rain. Rebellion must be dealt with decisively and with force so that it does not spread, clearing the rebels like removing weeds from the garden.
Timeless principles: When government abuses it’s power all the people suffer. Our own system of holding a census every 10 years is based on the law of Israel that calls for a census every 10 years. When David called for a census when it wasn’t due the result was a plague that wiped out about 2/3 of the fighting men of Israel. We should consider this when members of our government distort the constitutional rule of the census to use polling, ongoing census outside of the 10 year limit, or the requirement of information they are not entitled to being taken with the census. It seems like such a little thing that many would go along with the idea and not argue but, here we can see a biblical example of such abuse and the potential for it to cause harm.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: The stories of the rulers of Israel give us many principles for government. In fact it is easy to see parallels between the lessons of the old testament and the US Constitution. It is important to note that David did not simply take things from the people for public use. We can apply these principle by applying the constitution and forcing our political leaders to obey it. For example: “Amendment 5“ (the last line) “... nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”
more to learn for in-depth study: Read the Founding documents of the United States of America. You can get a free copy of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States for free from the Heritage Foundation by visiting https://secure.heritage.org/bookstore/. This isn’t an order and it’s not required to complete your study but, if you want to see how our founders felt about God and His place in government, these documents will help a great deal. You should also read the Federalist Papers and other writing of the founder such as the speeches of our early presidents which can be found online.
tomorrow: First Kings 1
Promises: I can do all things through Christ who Strengthens me. David knew and proclaimed that the Lord was the source of his strength. God gave him the strength and skill to defeat his enemies and delivered him through supernatural means from those enemies to strong for David to take on himself. It was God’s power that made enemies cower in fear at David’s presence. It was God’s power that overcame rebellion among the Israelites. It was God’s will which led David’s enemies to destruction.
Commands: The last words of David were the orders of God to leaders. Leaders must rule in the fear of God. Leaders must be just. Leaders are an example which shines like morning light and refreshes like fresh grass and the clean air after a rain. Rebellion must be dealt with decisively and with force so that it does not spread, clearing the rebels like removing weeds from the garden.
Timeless principles: When government abuses it’s power all the people suffer. Our own system of holding a census every 10 years is based on the law of Israel that calls for a census every 10 years. When David called for a census when it wasn’t due the result was a plague that wiped out about 2/3 of the fighting men of Israel. We should consider this when members of our government distort the constitutional rule of the census to use polling, ongoing census outside of the 10 year limit, or the requirement of information they are not entitled to being taken with the census. It seems like such a little thing that many would go along with the idea and not argue but, here we can see a biblical example of such abuse and the potential for it to cause harm.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: The stories of the rulers of Israel give us many principles for government. In fact it is easy to see parallels between the lessons of the old testament and the US Constitution. It is important to note that David did not simply take things from the people for public use. We can apply these principle by applying the constitution and forcing our political leaders to obey it. For example: “Amendment 5“ (the last line) “... nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”
more to learn for in-depth study: Read the Founding documents of the United States of America. You can get a free copy of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States for free from the Heritage Foundation by visiting https://secure.heritage.org/bookstore/. This isn’t an order and it’s not required to complete your study but, if you want to see how our founders felt about God and His place in government, these documents will help a great deal. You should also read the Federalist Papers and other writing of the founder such as the speeches of our early presidents which can be found online.
tomorrow: First Kings 1
the other resolution
On Monday I weighed in at 235#. I’ve been horrible at looking after my own health lately. My wife and I have both suffered from a short bout of flu like symptoms recently. Partly because we neglect health needs.
I have gotten the exercise more regular at around 4.5 miles a day. The illness has us both hydrating more which is good even if the reason is uncomfortable. Obviously I'm way off schedule for my weight loss goals but, I’m a determined to continue trying just as I continue trying to catch up with this blog which is still way behind and, at this rate, will likely be backlogged until after Easter.
As of today my weight is 231.6
I have gotten the exercise more regular at around 4.5 miles a day. The illness has us both hydrating more which is good even if the reason is uncomfortable. Obviously I'm way off schedule for my weight loss goals but, I’m a determined to continue trying just as I continue trying to catch up with this blog which is still way behind and, at this rate, will likely be backlogged until after Easter.
As of today my weight is 231.6
Second Samuel 20-21
God’s message to me: Not every bad situation is a result of God’s wrath. When it is learned that something bad is resulting from such wrath it is our duty to do what God wants to turn that wrath. This nation has faced many disasters of financial, natural and even hostile origin in conjunction with actions taken against God’s people Israel. In each case the problems were resolved and the country found prosperity when our leaders turned their support in favor of Israel. I suspect we will soon find the recession is the least of our worries and it may deepen greatly itself as our leaders demand Israel bow to it’s enemies. i suggest we all keep that in mind next time we enter the election polls.
Promises: God finishes what he starts. The last of the Rephiam Giant’s were among the Philistines. David Slew Goliath and his generals and soldiers killed the other 4 that David had gathered stones for the day he killed Goliath. The descendants of the fallen ones (nephilim) were targeted for destruction by God and He saw to it they were wiped out.
Commands: Do not tolerate those who rebel against God. Not only did Sheba rebel but, David’s newly appointed general failed his duties in his first command by delaying the pursuit of the Rebels. Both men were killed.
Timeless principles: You really can teach an old dog new tricks. When famine came on Israel and David learned that God brought the famine because Saul violated a treaty with the Gibeonites that had been made before God. When the Gibeonites demanded the lives of 7 descendants of Saul he turned over 7 descendants to be killed. He protected the children of Jonathan because of his oath before God to Jonathan but he didn’t carry his protection of Saul’s house to an extreme that would harm Israel.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: People are often easily lead into both good and bad. Sheba managed to get a lot of followers to rebel against David. When one wise women convinced others to execute Sheba it ended the war and the rebellion without having to destroy all the other rebels. Without bad leadership they turned quickly back to God and the king God anointed. Frankly, this is the reason the leaders have a responsibility to eliminate threats. By killing, imprisoning, banishing or otherwise getting rid of the criminals we prevent them from leading others into evil.
tomorrow: Second Samuel 22-24
Promises: God finishes what he starts. The last of the Rephiam Giant’s were among the Philistines. David Slew Goliath and his generals and soldiers killed the other 4 that David had gathered stones for the day he killed Goliath. The descendants of the fallen ones (nephilim) were targeted for destruction by God and He saw to it they were wiped out.
Commands: Do not tolerate those who rebel against God. Not only did Sheba rebel but, David’s newly appointed general failed his duties in his first command by delaying the pursuit of the Rebels. Both men were killed.
Timeless principles: You really can teach an old dog new tricks. When famine came on Israel and David learned that God brought the famine because Saul violated a treaty with the Gibeonites that had been made before God. When the Gibeonites demanded the lives of 7 descendants of Saul he turned over 7 descendants to be killed. He protected the children of Jonathan because of his oath before God to Jonathan but he didn’t carry his protection of Saul’s house to an extreme that would harm Israel.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: People are often easily lead into both good and bad. Sheba managed to get a lot of followers to rebel against David. When one wise women convinced others to execute Sheba it ended the war and the rebellion without having to destroy all the other rebels. Without bad leadership they turned quickly back to God and the king God anointed. Frankly, this is the reason the leaders have a responsibility to eliminate threats. By killing, imprisoning, banishing or otherwise getting rid of the criminals we prevent them from leading others into evil.
tomorrow: Second Samuel 22-24
Second Samuel 17-19
God’s message to me: God’s plan is not always what we want. W must learn to rejoice in His perfect will and recognize the good that has been done rather than complaining of the things we don’t like.
It’s easy to understand the pain David felt when his son was killed. Absalom betrayed his father and turned against God’s plan in creating a coup to replace him as king. He turned the Israelites against God’s will in convincing them to make him king and depose David. His sin wasn’t just a personal act but an act of evil which led most of the country into rebellion against God and the king God anointed over them.
Promises: God does not permit His plan to be undone. God appointed and anointed David to lead Israel. Absalom was of David’s lineage and convinced the people to follow him. God could have permitted him to continue on the throne and the promise would not be broken. God did not plan for Absalom to rule, He did not plan for David to be deposed, He did not plan for Israel to become a nation which simply went from one ruler to the next based on who was popular, stronger, or most convincing. Absalom and his followers were killed because they went against God. The key members were hung(Absalom and Ahithophel) which God had said marked them as cursed. Absalom was hung in a manner which could only be seen as an act of God.
Commands: We do not live alone. When we react to the ups and downs of life we must remember the example we set for others and we must also be accountable to those whom God has put under our leadership.
God made David king and the people were rightly proud of defeating Absalom’s coup attempt. David became so overwhelmed with self pity over the death of his son that his grief caused the people to act as though they had done wrong. Joab was acting in the best interests of his country when he chastised the king for so vocally and publicly bemoaning the loss of his traitorous son when the people should have been celebrating the return of the king God appointed for them.
Timeless principles: There is a way that seems good to a man but it’s end is death. I can’t repeat this enough. Showing love to his enemies seemed good to David. it was politically correct and made a great show of following God’s command. It was also quite a quick path to destruction. These people were correctly marked as enemies. They should have been dealt with as enemies. David was quick to promise good to those who would not return the favor.
Ronald Reagan often referenced a book whose title described the problem with David’s habits. The title was “the Treaty Trap”. The United States and Israel are often caught up in the same mistake David made. In an effort to gain peace we establish treaties of friendship with those who desire our harm and never live up to their end of the treaty. We also proceed to continue living up to these treaties long after they have been broken by the other side and, in some cases, even after the state we made the treaty with ceases to exist. (look at all the treaties we still live up to despite the disappearance of the Soviet Union which never lived up to any of them anyway)
God gave us a mind and a heart and ordered us to use both. We love our enemies but we should never let that disable us. Reagan was happy to provide humanitarian aid and food to the Soviets but walked away from the negotiation table any time they tried to get the US to sacrifice sovereignty or defensive capability in exchange for peace. Compare this to David who would have appointed Gorbachev to the Joint Chiefs and placed Qaddafi in the seat of honor at his dinner table each evening.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: I have been considering this heavily in the past hour or so as I took my daily walk. David was a man after God’s own heart and he displayed that in the love he showed to people who were clearly his enemies. God has told us to love our enemies. Hate the sin and love the sinner. David clearly showed love to his son and to Jonathon’s son and to Saul’s family and so many others who would turn against him.
Joab privately corrected the king for his public actions which undermined the nation. David repaid his good action by replacing him as commanding general with a man from among the rebels. From a diplomatic standpoint it may have seemed good but personally it was wrong.
When we take actions we must consider all the ramifications. We must live within God’s law and love those who may hate us. We must also consider the life of others. David’s public grief over the death of an enemy of the state did much more harm to the Israelites than good. Loving the enemy and mourning the death of a criminal are different things. We have people who believe it’s a contradiction to fight abortion and stand up for capital punishment. The bible is clear that abortion is murder and capital punishment is the duty of state. There is no contradiction in saying “turn the other cheek” and “execute the criminal”. The personal duty is to turn the other cheek. The individual often flees from oppression in the bible. The leaders do not have this option. The first duty of leadership is common defense which is why judges, prophets, kings, generals and others in the bible hunt down killers, go to war and execute prisoners. The duty of the individual is separate from the duty of state. Without the leaders acting to enforce justice civilization ends.
more to learn for in-depth study: This story will go on for many years of Israel's history and many of the enemies David protected will be executed under the rule of Solomon. The history of Israel is long and complicated but much more important than any other history we can learn as Christians. If you have trouble understanding don’t be afraid to reread portions and to make notes of your questions. The details of their story spread across first and second Samuel, first and second Kings, first and second Chronicles, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the song of Solomon, and parts of the books of the various prophets. You will likely find yourself learning something new each time you read through these books.
tomorrow: Second Samuel 20-21
It’s easy to understand the pain David felt when his son was killed. Absalom betrayed his father and turned against God’s plan in creating a coup to replace him as king. He turned the Israelites against God’s will in convincing them to make him king and depose David. His sin wasn’t just a personal act but an act of evil which led most of the country into rebellion against God and the king God anointed over them.
Promises: God does not permit His plan to be undone. God appointed and anointed David to lead Israel. Absalom was of David’s lineage and convinced the people to follow him. God could have permitted him to continue on the throne and the promise would not be broken. God did not plan for Absalom to rule, He did not plan for David to be deposed, He did not plan for Israel to become a nation which simply went from one ruler to the next based on who was popular, stronger, or most convincing. Absalom and his followers were killed because they went against God. The key members were hung(Absalom and Ahithophel) which God had said marked them as cursed. Absalom was hung in a manner which could only be seen as an act of God.
Commands: We do not live alone. When we react to the ups and downs of life we must remember the example we set for others and we must also be accountable to those whom God has put under our leadership.
God made David king and the people were rightly proud of defeating Absalom’s coup attempt. David became so overwhelmed with self pity over the death of his son that his grief caused the people to act as though they had done wrong. Joab was acting in the best interests of his country when he chastised the king for so vocally and publicly bemoaning the loss of his traitorous son when the people should have been celebrating the return of the king God appointed for them.
Timeless principles: There is a way that seems good to a man but it’s end is death. I can’t repeat this enough. Showing love to his enemies seemed good to David. it was politically correct and made a great show of following God’s command. It was also quite a quick path to destruction. These people were correctly marked as enemies. They should have been dealt with as enemies. David was quick to promise good to those who would not return the favor.
Ronald Reagan often referenced a book whose title described the problem with David’s habits. The title was “the Treaty Trap”. The United States and Israel are often caught up in the same mistake David made. In an effort to gain peace we establish treaties of friendship with those who desire our harm and never live up to their end of the treaty. We also proceed to continue living up to these treaties long after they have been broken by the other side and, in some cases, even after the state we made the treaty with ceases to exist. (look at all the treaties we still live up to despite the disappearance of the Soviet Union which never lived up to any of them anyway)
God gave us a mind and a heart and ordered us to use both. We love our enemies but we should never let that disable us. Reagan was happy to provide humanitarian aid and food to the Soviets but walked away from the negotiation table any time they tried to get the US to sacrifice sovereignty or defensive capability in exchange for peace. Compare this to David who would have appointed Gorbachev to the Joint Chiefs and placed Qaddafi in the seat of honor at his dinner table each evening.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: I have been considering this heavily in the past hour or so as I took my daily walk. David was a man after God’s own heart and he displayed that in the love he showed to people who were clearly his enemies. God has told us to love our enemies. Hate the sin and love the sinner. David clearly showed love to his son and to Jonathon’s son and to Saul’s family and so many others who would turn against him.
Joab privately corrected the king for his public actions which undermined the nation. David repaid his good action by replacing him as commanding general with a man from among the rebels. From a diplomatic standpoint it may have seemed good but personally it was wrong.
When we take actions we must consider all the ramifications. We must live within God’s law and love those who may hate us. We must also consider the life of others. David’s public grief over the death of an enemy of the state did much more harm to the Israelites than good. Loving the enemy and mourning the death of a criminal are different things. We have people who believe it’s a contradiction to fight abortion and stand up for capital punishment. The bible is clear that abortion is murder and capital punishment is the duty of state. There is no contradiction in saying “turn the other cheek” and “execute the criminal”. The personal duty is to turn the other cheek. The individual often flees from oppression in the bible. The leaders do not have this option. The first duty of leadership is common defense which is why judges, prophets, kings, generals and others in the bible hunt down killers, go to war and execute prisoners. The duty of the individual is separate from the duty of state. Without the leaders acting to enforce justice civilization ends.
more to learn for in-depth study: This story will go on for many years of Israel's history and many of the enemies David protected will be executed under the rule of Solomon. The history of Israel is long and complicated but much more important than any other history we can learn as Christians. If you have trouble understanding don’t be afraid to reread portions and to make notes of your questions. The details of their story spread across first and second Samuel, first and second Kings, first and second Chronicles, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the song of Solomon, and parts of the books of the various prophets. You will likely find yourself learning something new each time you read through these books.
tomorrow: Second Samuel 20-21
Monday, April 6, 2009
Second Samuel 15-16
God’s message to me: It’s easy to feel that an enemy which doesn’t play by the rules deserves similar treatment in return. Those who stand up and demand we act in accordance with our morals and treat enemies better than they treat us are not wrong. While this view does not make life easy it ensures that we remain honorable.
They say discretion is the better part of valor. Certainly David lived by that view when he chose to run from Saul and from Absalom rather than engaging in a bloody and dangerous fight. Had David stayed and fought for the throne the civil war might have torn Israel apart. Instead he cut and run leaving it in God’s hands to make a way for things to be put right.
We have every right to defend ourselves as a nation and to attack those who intend evil against us. That point is quite clear in the bible. We must remember to live up to a higher standard than our enemies if we are to find any meaning in that fight. If we overcome our enemy by acting like our enemy then all we are fighting for is already lost. We will have lost the very freedoms and values we sought to defend.
Promises: Doing the right thing always pays off with God. David lived a life that proves no good deed goes unpunished but, he still refused to return the favor. He continued to act in kindness to all. When battle was called for he fought with vigor but he would rather run from evil than attack those who acted from misguided views of entitlement among his fellow Israelites. He also treated no Israeli allies with all the kindness and friendship they had shown him and more. While his goodness was often repayed with evil he refused to stoop to that level.
Commands: “I want it and I claim it” does not equal “it’s mine.” I don’t care what the TV preacher told you, you can’t claim what isn’t yours. God didn’t anoint Absalom king. He didn’t choose him to rule Israel. He didn’t remove David from the throne. Absalom didn’t have a right to the throne but he wanted it, he claimed it and he got people to support him in that claim. It didn’t make him king in God’s eyes and didn’t mean he could have what wasn’t his.
Timeless principles: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. David’s kindness came back in pain. Absalom was forgiven for killing his brother and he stole the throne in return. Mephibosheth was treated like a son for Jonathan’s sake and he sided with Absalom hoping to get the kingdom back. Saul’s relatives cursed David as a traitor despite his constant efforts to be loyal to Saul and his house and his revenge on those who attacked Saul’s family. Ahithophel was David’s councilor but joined Absalom in treason to take the throne and sent the boy in to rape David’s concubines in order to make him seem powerful. David was forced to run into the wilderness in order to avoid murder by his own son. After his years on the throne he was right back where he had been when Saul was king.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: This application applies more to national philosophy. While it may be fashionable to apply all our rules to our enemies it is total nonsense to apply our legal system to a wartime situation. investigating and prosecuting acts of war and terrorism through our criminal system is a recipe for disaster that no sensible individual could justify. They are acts of war that must be dealt with militarily. By the same token, we cannot apply military sensibilities to civilian operations. Dealing with domestic terrorism does fall under the jurisdiction of our criminal justice system and we don’t have the right to treat US citizens as enemy soldiers outside of a full blown civil war. We also cannot change our values and sense of proper behavior to match an enemy who doesn't share our view.
Terrorism isn’t restricted to Islam as the resurgent Irish Republican Army is proving in Europe. It is, however, the primary source of danger to the United States. These Jihadists do not share our values or sense of decency and no amount of “playing nice” is going to change their behavior. They will continue to attack us and to torture prisoners and execute “infidels” in accordance with their beliefs until they are rendered harmless by military action. On the flip side of that coin, we cannot alter our behavior to match them.
In addition to the fact that this means we cannot treat their prisoners with the disdain that they treat ours it also means we should not sacrifice freedom for security. The recent actions by our government to restrict the activities of citizens in the name of security is precisely opposite of what should be done. Our founding fathers, guided by their faith in God and their understanding of scripture, set up a system which provided maximum freedom for the individual and depended on the individual desire for liberty to protect the nation.
Taking away arms from citizens makes them targets for armed thugs. Strip searching random citizens to satisfy a twisted sense of justice while ignoring individuals that fit the profile of known terrorists for the same reason infringes on freedom without delivering safety. The use of life threatening torture techniques in place of more traditional and effective methods of interrogation including lie detectors and chemical truth agents like sodium pentathal (I probably spelled that wrong) isn’t an improvement and it sacrifices our values. It is not better to gain the world and lose your own soul. I’d rather die fighting than sacrifice my beliefs to survive.
The simple fact is that the goal of Islamic terrorism is to force us to accept their way of life and “Submit” to their views. If we begin to behave like them in order to defeat them we have handed them the victory.
more to learn for in-depth study: Amnon’s crime against his sister was extreme and could bring the death penalty. In that, Absalom was not completely wrong to kill Amnon though his method of ambush was certainly questionable. David, who had a habit of making his own life miserable, forgave Absalom and brought him back to Jerusalem. Absalom returned the favor by turning the people to follow him and then conspiring to take the kingdom in a coup. Once again, David found himself on the run in the wilderness, hiding from a person claiming ruler ship of Israel. The 600 men that had stood by him against Saul were still there to run with him from his son.
tomorrow: Second Samuel 17-19
They say discretion is the better part of valor. Certainly David lived by that view when he chose to run from Saul and from Absalom rather than engaging in a bloody and dangerous fight. Had David stayed and fought for the throne the civil war might have torn Israel apart. Instead he cut and run leaving it in God’s hands to make a way for things to be put right.
We have every right to defend ourselves as a nation and to attack those who intend evil against us. That point is quite clear in the bible. We must remember to live up to a higher standard than our enemies if we are to find any meaning in that fight. If we overcome our enemy by acting like our enemy then all we are fighting for is already lost. We will have lost the very freedoms and values we sought to defend.
Promises: Doing the right thing always pays off with God. David lived a life that proves no good deed goes unpunished but, he still refused to return the favor. He continued to act in kindness to all. When battle was called for he fought with vigor but he would rather run from evil than attack those who acted from misguided views of entitlement among his fellow Israelites. He also treated no Israeli allies with all the kindness and friendship they had shown him and more. While his goodness was often repayed with evil he refused to stoop to that level.
Commands: “I want it and I claim it” does not equal “it’s mine.” I don’t care what the TV preacher told you, you can’t claim what isn’t yours. God didn’t anoint Absalom king. He didn’t choose him to rule Israel. He didn’t remove David from the throne. Absalom didn’t have a right to the throne but he wanted it, he claimed it and he got people to support him in that claim. It didn’t make him king in God’s eyes and didn’t mean he could have what wasn’t his.
Timeless principles: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. David’s kindness came back in pain. Absalom was forgiven for killing his brother and he stole the throne in return. Mephibosheth was treated like a son for Jonathan’s sake and he sided with Absalom hoping to get the kingdom back. Saul’s relatives cursed David as a traitor despite his constant efforts to be loyal to Saul and his house and his revenge on those who attacked Saul’s family. Ahithophel was David’s councilor but joined Absalom in treason to take the throne and sent the boy in to rape David’s concubines in order to make him seem powerful. David was forced to run into the wilderness in order to avoid murder by his own son. After his years on the throne he was right back where he had been when Saul was king.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: This application applies more to national philosophy. While it may be fashionable to apply all our rules to our enemies it is total nonsense to apply our legal system to a wartime situation. investigating and prosecuting acts of war and terrorism through our criminal system is a recipe for disaster that no sensible individual could justify. They are acts of war that must be dealt with militarily. By the same token, we cannot apply military sensibilities to civilian operations. Dealing with domestic terrorism does fall under the jurisdiction of our criminal justice system and we don’t have the right to treat US citizens as enemy soldiers outside of a full blown civil war. We also cannot change our values and sense of proper behavior to match an enemy who doesn't share our view.
Terrorism isn’t restricted to Islam as the resurgent Irish Republican Army is proving in Europe. It is, however, the primary source of danger to the United States. These Jihadists do not share our values or sense of decency and no amount of “playing nice” is going to change their behavior. They will continue to attack us and to torture prisoners and execute “infidels” in accordance with their beliefs until they are rendered harmless by military action. On the flip side of that coin, we cannot alter our behavior to match them.
In addition to the fact that this means we cannot treat their prisoners with the disdain that they treat ours it also means we should not sacrifice freedom for security. The recent actions by our government to restrict the activities of citizens in the name of security is precisely opposite of what should be done. Our founding fathers, guided by their faith in God and their understanding of scripture, set up a system which provided maximum freedom for the individual and depended on the individual desire for liberty to protect the nation.
Taking away arms from citizens makes them targets for armed thugs. Strip searching random citizens to satisfy a twisted sense of justice while ignoring individuals that fit the profile of known terrorists for the same reason infringes on freedom without delivering safety. The use of life threatening torture techniques in place of more traditional and effective methods of interrogation including lie detectors and chemical truth agents like sodium pentathal (I probably spelled that wrong) isn’t an improvement and it sacrifices our values. It is not better to gain the world and lose your own soul. I’d rather die fighting than sacrifice my beliefs to survive.
The simple fact is that the goal of Islamic terrorism is to force us to accept their way of life and “Submit” to their views. If we begin to behave like them in order to defeat them we have handed them the victory.
more to learn for in-depth study: Amnon’s crime against his sister was extreme and could bring the death penalty. In that, Absalom was not completely wrong to kill Amnon though his method of ambush was certainly questionable. David, who had a habit of making his own life miserable, forgave Absalom and brought him back to Jerusalem. Absalom returned the favor by turning the people to follow him and then conspiring to take the kingdom in a coup. Once again, David found himself on the run in the wilderness, hiding from a person claiming ruler ship of Israel. The 600 men that had stood by him against Saul were still there to run with him from his son.
tomorrow: Second Samuel 17-19
Second Samuel 12-14
God’s message to me: Sin has consequences. God will forgive us when we ask for it but, that does not mean we will not suffer the consequences of our actions. I heard a great example once.
A little girl breaks a lamp while playing. She is sad and sorry for her actions and her dad wipes away her tears and forgives her. “Great, that’s what God should do” people say. two problems. First, she asked for forgiveness and to many believe they can go to heaven without taking responsibility for their sin. You must recognize the sin and ask God to forgive it. Second, who pays for the lamp? The simple fact is that there was an action and a consequence and even if there is forgiveness the cost of the consequence still exists.
Jesus Christ paid the price for the lamp we broke but, until we ask forgiveness and accept the gift of salvation we still owe him for the lamp. They say you can’t take it with you and the fact is, this life is the only place where we have the opportunity to seek forgiveness. That opportunity stays on earth when we move on. If we don’t use that opportunity while we are alive we will have to pay for our lamp in hell. It’s not a pretty fact but, it is a fact.
Promises: Just as Forgiveness through Jesus the Christ is promised to all who accept Him, judgment is also promised for our sin. We can receive forgiveness from God but, the consequences of our actions are still coming. “That which you sow, that shall you also reap.” When a farmer wants tomatoes he doesn’t plant corn seeds. If he plants dandelion seeds he won’t get strawberries. By the same token, if you sow wild oats your going to get wild oats. You can’t do the wrong thing and expect to harvest good things.
Commands: Don’t create a double standard for yourself. No matter your position, that which you recognize as wrong by others is wrong when you do it too.
Timeless principles: Family life is complicated enough when it fit’s the ideal. Add wealth, power, multiple wives, royal intrigue and overindulged kids and you have a recipe for disaster. The TV Series KINGS is not off the mark in displaying a dysfunctional and scandalous royal family. While the scandals may have a bit more modern flair, the basic sins behind them are not only ancient they are the same ones that history shows existed in the Royal families of Saul, David and Solomon. In fact they existed through most of the royal families of Israel/Judah but, the sins of some of the later families would make you wish they stuck with adultery, murder, rape and theft. Sadly, some of the later kings found crimes that make those look like good behavior.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Next time you begin to judge someone’s actions, examine yourself. There is often no better mirror for the misdeeds in our life than the misdeeds that make us most angry in others. David’s anger at the rich man in Nathan’s story which reflected David’s actions with Bathsheba and His protection of the widow who was reflecting his actions with his sons. When we see evil in others it is often most clear because we have done similar things ourselves. We must hold ourselves to the same standard we set for others and should understand the weakness of others because of our own weaknesses.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN WE SHOULD ACCEPT SIN. Just because weakness makes us vulnerable does not give us the right to forgive everything and say “nobodies perfect.” Sin is sin and we must stand against it. We must not support and encourage those who refuse to turn from it. We are to hate the sin and love the sinner but, you cannot lead a sinner from evil by wallowing in it with him or telling him it’s alright because he’s only human. GOD FORGIVES THOSE WHO ASK FOR FORGIVENESS AND TURN FROM THEIR SIN.
more to learn for in-depth study: This passage often gets me into trouble because I tend to live by similar principles. When David’s son was sick and dying he mourned terribly, going without food for the entire week and refusing to get off the floor where he lay weeping and praying. When the child died, he cleaned himself up and ate. Worrying over and praying over a person while they are alive may be beneficial if the Lord wills for them to live. No amount of fasting and prayer is going to cure death if God allowed it to occur in the first place.
(it should be noted this does not mean I don’t believe in resurrection. In addition to the fact that God promised to let his followers perform the same miracles Jesus did and more, I have seen some evidence that God has raised people from the dead, even in the modern era.)
tomorrow: Second Samuel 15-16
A little girl breaks a lamp while playing. She is sad and sorry for her actions and her dad wipes away her tears and forgives her. “Great, that’s what God should do” people say. two problems. First, she asked for forgiveness and to many believe they can go to heaven without taking responsibility for their sin. You must recognize the sin and ask God to forgive it. Second, who pays for the lamp? The simple fact is that there was an action and a consequence and even if there is forgiveness the cost of the consequence still exists.
Jesus Christ paid the price for the lamp we broke but, until we ask forgiveness and accept the gift of salvation we still owe him for the lamp. They say you can’t take it with you and the fact is, this life is the only place where we have the opportunity to seek forgiveness. That opportunity stays on earth when we move on. If we don’t use that opportunity while we are alive we will have to pay for our lamp in hell. It’s not a pretty fact but, it is a fact.
Promises: Just as Forgiveness through Jesus the Christ is promised to all who accept Him, judgment is also promised for our sin. We can receive forgiveness from God but, the consequences of our actions are still coming. “That which you sow, that shall you also reap.” When a farmer wants tomatoes he doesn’t plant corn seeds. If he plants dandelion seeds he won’t get strawberries. By the same token, if you sow wild oats your going to get wild oats. You can’t do the wrong thing and expect to harvest good things.
Commands: Don’t create a double standard for yourself. No matter your position, that which you recognize as wrong by others is wrong when you do it too.
Timeless principles: Family life is complicated enough when it fit’s the ideal. Add wealth, power, multiple wives, royal intrigue and overindulged kids and you have a recipe for disaster. The TV Series KINGS is not off the mark in displaying a dysfunctional and scandalous royal family. While the scandals may have a bit more modern flair, the basic sins behind them are not only ancient they are the same ones that history shows existed in the Royal families of Saul, David and Solomon. In fact they existed through most of the royal families of Israel/Judah but, the sins of some of the later families would make you wish they stuck with adultery, murder, rape and theft. Sadly, some of the later kings found crimes that make those look like good behavior.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Next time you begin to judge someone’s actions, examine yourself. There is often no better mirror for the misdeeds in our life than the misdeeds that make us most angry in others. David’s anger at the rich man in Nathan’s story which reflected David’s actions with Bathsheba and His protection of the widow who was reflecting his actions with his sons. When we see evil in others it is often most clear because we have done similar things ourselves. We must hold ourselves to the same standard we set for others and should understand the weakness of others because of our own weaknesses.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN WE SHOULD ACCEPT SIN. Just because weakness makes us vulnerable does not give us the right to forgive everything and say “nobodies perfect.” Sin is sin and we must stand against it. We must not support and encourage those who refuse to turn from it. We are to hate the sin and love the sinner but, you cannot lead a sinner from evil by wallowing in it with him or telling him it’s alright because he’s only human. GOD FORGIVES THOSE WHO ASK FOR FORGIVENESS AND TURN FROM THEIR SIN.
more to learn for in-depth study: This passage often gets me into trouble because I tend to live by similar principles. When David’s son was sick and dying he mourned terribly, going without food for the entire week and refusing to get off the floor where he lay weeping and praying. When the child died, he cleaned himself up and ate. Worrying over and praying over a person while they are alive may be beneficial if the Lord wills for them to live. No amount of fasting and prayer is going to cure death if God allowed it to occur in the first place.
(it should be noted this does not mean I don’t believe in resurrection. In addition to the fact that God promised to let his followers perform the same miracles Jesus did and more, I have seen some evidence that God has raised people from the dead, even in the modern era.)
tomorrow: Second Samuel 15-16
Weekly Assignment
Monday: Second Samuel 20-21
Tuesday: Second Samuel 22-24
Wednesday: First Kings 1
Thursday: First Kings 2-4
Friday: First Kings 5-7
Saturday: First Kings 8
Sunday: First Kings 9-11
Still running behind I am determined to catch up
Tuesday: Second Samuel 22-24
Wednesday: First Kings 1
Thursday: First Kings 2-4
Friday: First Kings 5-7
Saturday: First Kings 8
Sunday: First Kings 9-11
Still running behind I am determined to catch up
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Second Samuel 8-11
God’s message to me: Follow God’s commands and ask His advice before making any major decision, even if it seems like the right thing to do. “there is a way that seems good to a man...” "No good deed goes unpunished"
Promises: God promised to defeat the enemies in the promised land and, after taking several key positions that had been left un-captured, David found himself in several more wars against others who had been left behind. God ensured the Israelites were consistently successful in battle.
Commands: God wants us to seek His council in all we do. David was a nice guy who liked repaying the kindnesses that others showed to him. Unfortunately, while he was very good about asking God before going to battle, he didn’t generally ask before trying to repay favors. As a result, his kindness was often met with treachery and war.
Timeless principles: David was “A man after God’s own heart.” This did not make him incapable of sin and grave sin at that. In addition to the wives mentioned earlier and the many wives he took after moving to Jerusalem, David took Bathsheba who was married to another man. When he learned he had made her pregnant he tried to cover his sin by getting her husband back from the war to sleep with her. When that didn’t work he had her husband put in a position that would get him killed. Adultery and Murder are some pretty heavy crimes. After Urriah was killed in battle, David took Bathsheba as his wife and she had his son. This did not make God happy.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Seek the wisdom of God in all you do. I have to admit weakness here myself. Most of us don’t think twice about asking God before doing something that seems to be right. Following the law and obeying the rules are fundamental but, when the actions aren’t part of those rules, no matter how good they may seem, they can lead you into trouble.
more to learn for in-depth study: You have my apologies for jumping the gun a bit. I sometimes remember Israel’s history better than I remember recent history. This is the passage in which David shows kindness to the son of Jonathon and brings him to eat at the royal table as one of his own sons. He also tries to show kindness to the people of Ammon who helped him when he was running from Saul. The result is the war described in these chapters in which the Ammonites hired mercenaries to fight Israel.
tomorrow: Second Samuel 12-14
Promises: God promised to defeat the enemies in the promised land and, after taking several key positions that had been left un-captured, David found himself in several more wars against others who had been left behind. God ensured the Israelites were consistently successful in battle.
Commands: God wants us to seek His council in all we do. David was a nice guy who liked repaying the kindnesses that others showed to him. Unfortunately, while he was very good about asking God before going to battle, he didn’t generally ask before trying to repay favors. As a result, his kindness was often met with treachery and war.
Timeless principles: David was “A man after God’s own heart.” This did not make him incapable of sin and grave sin at that. In addition to the wives mentioned earlier and the many wives he took after moving to Jerusalem, David took Bathsheba who was married to another man. When he learned he had made her pregnant he tried to cover his sin by getting her husband back from the war to sleep with her. When that didn’t work he had her husband put in a position that would get him killed. Adultery and Murder are some pretty heavy crimes. After Urriah was killed in battle, David took Bathsheba as his wife and she had his son. This did not make God happy.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Seek the wisdom of God in all you do. I have to admit weakness here myself. Most of us don’t think twice about asking God before doing something that seems to be right. Following the law and obeying the rules are fundamental but, when the actions aren’t part of those rules, no matter how good they may seem, they can lead you into trouble.
more to learn for in-depth study: You have my apologies for jumping the gun a bit. I sometimes remember Israel’s history better than I remember recent history. This is the passage in which David shows kindness to the son of Jonathon and brings him to eat at the royal table as one of his own sons. He also tries to show kindness to the people of Ammon who helped him when he was running from Saul. The result is the war described in these chapters in which the Ammonites hired mercenaries to fight Israel.
tomorrow: Second Samuel 12-14
Second Samuel 4-7
God’s message to me: God blessed Israel and promised to make them His people forever. Replacement theology ignores this oath which was established as a blood oath to Abraham and repeated throughout the generations.
Promises: God fulfills his promises. It doesn’t take our action to make it happen. God promised to make David king of all Israel. While forced to fight Abner and his army because the general kept starting fights, David never attempted to use force to bring the kingdom together. When god’s timing was ready David was made king over the entire nation at the age of 30 and ruled for 40 years including the 7 and a half years he ruled in Hebron over the part of the kingdom that accepted him first.
Commands: Keep your promises. But be careful about what you promise. Mephibosheth was Jonathan's son. As David Promised to watch over Jonathan’s household as his own, he took in Miphibosheth to honor his friend and fulfill his promise. David did a lot of nice things to those who were his enemies or would become his enemies. While it’s good to be a nice guy, his actions and promises served to ensure he spent his entire life fighting and running.
God’s commands are not optional. The ark was not to be touched. Even when carried it was designed to be carried on poles and not touched. Uzzah only sought to keep the ark from falling when the Oxen stumbled but was killed instantly for touching the ark.
Because of Uzzah’s death David feared to take the ark further and left it in the house of Abed Edom. When he heard the household had been blessed for having the ark he thought it might be safe to continue. When the men bearing the ark made it six steps without incident David celebrated and sacrificed to the Lord. then brought the ark to Jerusalem.
Timeless principles: murder is not the way to reward. When Ishbosheth’s general was murdered his captains sought to get on David’s good side by murdering Ishbosheth and bringing his head to the king. Ishbosheth may have been a puppet but he had done nothing wrong and the captains were more guilty of murder than the Amalakite who claimed credit for Saul’s death. At least Saul had died in battle.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Learn to listen to God’s command. The Philistines came against Israel in the valley of the Rephaim giants. David asked God if he should go against them and God said yes. Israel won the battle. When the Philistines came back to the same spot for another fight God told David not to go directly against them but to circle around and come at them from the forest when he heard marching in the tops of the trees. He did so and the Lord went out before him to attack the Philistines and they drove them out of the land from Geba(Gibeon) to Gezer.
Dignity is not required when worshiping the Lord. David’s wife, Michal, felt it was undignified for him to dance around so wildly before the Lord. David responded by saying he was happy to be undignified for God and to be humbled while God was exalted.
more to learn for in-depth study: David was the one who finally lead Israel in capturing Jerusalem. The mountain of Zion and the City of David which was to be the capital of Israel had been left since the Israelites entered the promised land because the people lacked the will to take it. David led the army to take it from the Jebusites who believed themselves superior to Israel, their king and God.
tomorrow: Second Samuel 8-11
Promises: God fulfills his promises. It doesn’t take our action to make it happen. God promised to make David king of all Israel. While forced to fight Abner and his army because the general kept starting fights, David never attempted to use force to bring the kingdom together. When god’s timing was ready David was made king over the entire nation at the age of 30 and ruled for 40 years including the 7 and a half years he ruled in Hebron over the part of the kingdom that accepted him first.
Commands: Keep your promises. But be careful about what you promise. Mephibosheth was Jonathan's son. As David Promised to watch over Jonathan’s household as his own, he took in Miphibosheth to honor his friend and fulfill his promise. David did a lot of nice things to those who were his enemies or would become his enemies. While it’s good to be a nice guy, his actions and promises served to ensure he spent his entire life fighting and running.
God’s commands are not optional. The ark was not to be touched. Even when carried it was designed to be carried on poles and not touched. Uzzah only sought to keep the ark from falling when the Oxen stumbled but was killed instantly for touching the ark.
Because of Uzzah’s death David feared to take the ark further and left it in the house of Abed Edom. When he heard the household had been blessed for having the ark he thought it might be safe to continue. When the men bearing the ark made it six steps without incident David celebrated and sacrificed to the Lord. then brought the ark to Jerusalem.
Timeless principles: murder is not the way to reward. When Ishbosheth’s general was murdered his captains sought to get on David’s good side by murdering Ishbosheth and bringing his head to the king. Ishbosheth may have been a puppet but he had done nothing wrong and the captains were more guilty of murder than the Amalakite who claimed credit for Saul’s death. At least Saul had died in battle.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Learn to listen to God’s command. The Philistines came against Israel in the valley of the Rephaim giants. David asked God if he should go against them and God said yes. Israel won the battle. When the Philistines came back to the same spot for another fight God told David not to go directly against them but to circle around and come at them from the forest when he heard marching in the tops of the trees. He did so and the Lord went out before him to attack the Philistines and they drove them out of the land from Geba(Gibeon) to Gezer.
Dignity is not required when worshiping the Lord. David’s wife, Michal, felt it was undignified for him to dance around so wildly before the Lord. David responded by saying he was happy to be undignified for God and to be humbled while God was exalted.
more to learn for in-depth study: David was the one who finally lead Israel in capturing Jerusalem. The mountain of Zion and the City of David which was to be the capital of Israel had been left since the Israelites entered the promised land because the people lacked the will to take it. David led the army to take it from the Jebusites who believed themselves superior to Israel, their king and God.
tomorrow: Second Samuel 8-11
Second Samuel 1-3
God’s message to me: It is God’s job to remove people from positions he has appointed them to. Our job is to accept God’s decisions.
Promises: God can use anybody to accomplish His goals. Whether or not the person gets to enjoy those successes depends on their willingness to serve God willingly.
Commands: An act of war is not an act of murder. This is one of the earliest passages to make that crystal clear. Abner killed Asahel in battle. He had given the man an opportunity to avoid the fight but Asahel refused and Abner stabbed him to death. Asahel’s brothers murdered Abner to avenge their brother. Theirs was not an act of war and, in fact, it was a cold-blooded ambush. David cursed them for their act because they avenged someone who was killed in war. If the right of vengeance extended to acts of war then wars would never end. David wrote another song of Lament. This time for Abner who was murdered after making peace.
Timeless principles: “How the mighty have fallen” The quote still gets heavy use today. David used it to describe his feelings over the death of the anointed king of Israel in a song he wrote to commemorate the dead. Saul may have been a murderous jerk but, David recognized how God used him. All to often, we as Christians, are quick to jump on the band wagon and tear down the men of God who fall to human frailty. Our pastors, evangelists and leaders are not supermen and are capable of grave errors and even sin. While it is sometimes prudent to support removing them from influence to prevent their leading others astray, we have no right to denounce the work they have done for God because of their weakness.
While David grew stronger as king he was starting a family which would bring trouble later on. His first son was Amnon sho’s mother was Ahinoam. His second son was Chileab(Danial) whose mother was Abigail. His Third was Absolom whose son was Maacah the daughter of the king of Geshur. His fourth son was Adonijah whose mother was Haggith. His fifth son was Shephatiah whose mother was Abital. His sixth son was Ithream whose mother was Eglah. Six son’s by six wives.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Remember to uphold those God has put in positions of leadership, even when their actions and sins make it impossible for them to continue in that service.
more to learn for in-depth study: The Amalekite lied about killing Saul but, a confession is a confession and by claiming credit for the kill he marked himself as guilty. When a false confession is made we often feel it is a hindrance to the investigation. In this case it was an act against the state. Killing the man God anointed as king of Israel was an act that deserved retribution and if another were to have been found guilty later there would be no guilt for killing that man or the Amalekite since both would have been considered guilty, on by the act and one by claiming credit for the act. If we would treat terrorist groups the same we could quit waiting on investigations before taking action. Wiping out the group that claimed credit and, if we find some other group was responsible later, wiping out the true guilty parties. This would certainly cut down on false claims and reduce the number of terrorists in the world.
I mentioned earlier that the kingdom wasn’t divided until after Solomon’s reign but, I had forgotten about the first division of Israel when Saul’s people moved to maintain power after David took the throne. Whle David sought to honor Saul’s memory, Abner set Saul’s son in power in order to maintain his own position. Ishbosheth was meant to be the puppet leader controlled by the former general. Hi reign lasted only two years. Despite controlling most of the nation, Abner failed to remove David from power by battle. When they met to fight David’s army lost 20 men while Abner’s army lost 360. The war would rage on for many years and David’s position grew stronger while Abner’s grew weaker. This tends to make my earlier assertion incorrect. The books of Samuel may have been written anytime after David took the throne. The next chapter does establish that the books were written while the Beerothites were still living in Gittaim.
While David was having all those boys by all those wives Abner had taken one of Saul’s wives, stepmother to Ishbosheth, which got Saul’s son a bit upset to say the least. The general didn’t like being harassed by the man he had put into power and swore to deliver the entire nation to David. David’s price for peace was that Abner bring him Michal, his first wife and the daughter of Saul whom the king had given to another. Her husband followed her until she met Abner, mourning over her loss. Abner sent him away. David had not divorced the woman or even desired to leave her but she had been taken by her father to hurt him.
tomorrow: Second Samuel 4-7
Promises: God can use anybody to accomplish His goals. Whether or not the person gets to enjoy those successes depends on their willingness to serve God willingly.
Commands: An act of war is not an act of murder. This is one of the earliest passages to make that crystal clear. Abner killed Asahel in battle. He had given the man an opportunity to avoid the fight but Asahel refused and Abner stabbed him to death. Asahel’s brothers murdered Abner to avenge their brother. Theirs was not an act of war and, in fact, it was a cold-blooded ambush. David cursed them for their act because they avenged someone who was killed in war. If the right of vengeance extended to acts of war then wars would never end. David wrote another song of Lament. This time for Abner who was murdered after making peace.
Timeless principles: “How the mighty have fallen” The quote still gets heavy use today. David used it to describe his feelings over the death of the anointed king of Israel in a song he wrote to commemorate the dead. Saul may have been a murderous jerk but, David recognized how God used him. All to often, we as Christians, are quick to jump on the band wagon and tear down the men of God who fall to human frailty. Our pastors, evangelists and leaders are not supermen and are capable of grave errors and even sin. While it is sometimes prudent to support removing them from influence to prevent their leading others astray, we have no right to denounce the work they have done for God because of their weakness.
While David grew stronger as king he was starting a family which would bring trouble later on. His first son was Amnon sho’s mother was Ahinoam. His second son was Chileab(Danial) whose mother was Abigail. His Third was Absolom whose son was Maacah the daughter of the king of Geshur. His fourth son was Adonijah whose mother was Haggith. His fifth son was Shephatiah whose mother was Abital. His sixth son was Ithream whose mother was Eglah. Six son’s by six wives.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Remember to uphold those God has put in positions of leadership, even when their actions and sins make it impossible for them to continue in that service.
more to learn for in-depth study: The Amalekite lied about killing Saul but, a confession is a confession and by claiming credit for the kill he marked himself as guilty. When a false confession is made we often feel it is a hindrance to the investigation. In this case it was an act against the state. Killing the man God anointed as king of Israel was an act that deserved retribution and if another were to have been found guilty later there would be no guilt for killing that man or the Amalekite since both would have been considered guilty, on by the act and one by claiming credit for the act. If we would treat terrorist groups the same we could quit waiting on investigations before taking action. Wiping out the group that claimed credit and, if we find some other group was responsible later, wiping out the true guilty parties. This would certainly cut down on false claims and reduce the number of terrorists in the world.
I mentioned earlier that the kingdom wasn’t divided until after Solomon’s reign but, I had forgotten about the first division of Israel when Saul’s people moved to maintain power after David took the throne. Whle David sought to honor Saul’s memory, Abner set Saul’s son in power in order to maintain his own position. Ishbosheth was meant to be the puppet leader controlled by the former general. Hi reign lasted only two years. Despite controlling most of the nation, Abner failed to remove David from power by battle. When they met to fight David’s army lost 20 men while Abner’s army lost 360. The war would rage on for many years and David’s position grew stronger while Abner’s grew weaker. This tends to make my earlier assertion incorrect. The books of Samuel may have been written anytime after David took the throne. The next chapter does establish that the books were written while the Beerothites were still living in Gittaim.
While David was having all those boys by all those wives Abner had taken one of Saul’s wives, stepmother to Ishbosheth, which got Saul’s son a bit upset to say the least. The general didn’t like being harassed by the man he had put into power and swore to deliver the entire nation to David. David’s price for peace was that Abner bring him Michal, his first wife and the daughter of Saul whom the king had given to another. Her husband followed her until she met Abner, mourning over her loss. Abner sent him away. David had not divorced the woman or even desired to leave her but she had been taken by her father to hurt him.
tomorrow: Second Samuel 4-7
Thursday, April 2, 2009
First Samuel 29-31
God’s message to me: It is the duty of Christians to understand our faith and defend it well. We need to know the difference between true Christianity and what the world calls Christianity. We need to know the truth of what Jesus taught. We need to know what the bible says, when it was written, how and why it was written and the evidence that supports it. In short we need to be ready to defend the bible, Christianity and God against attack by the powers of this world and we need to stand up unapologetically and declare with pride the truth of Jesus Christ and Jehovah God without fail.
Promises: God will preserve you and tend to your livelihood when you cannot if you follow Him. When Ziklag was attacked and burned the Amalekites stole all the livestock and treasure and kidnapped all the people but didn’t hurt any of it. When David’s people returned they grieved, not knowing what had happened to their families. David set out with his men to avenge what had been done and, in the process of avenging the families, they wound up rescuing them, retaking all that was stolen and capturing a great deal more in spoils of war. God preserved all that had been taken until David and his army could take it back.
Commands: It is always wise to check with God before making those decisions that He hasn’t already given clear commands about. While it takes no great leap of faith to avoid theft and murder, and act of war isn’t always right or always wrong. God makes that decision. We can only seek a way to deal with the situation and pray for God’s guidance in our decisions. David made a habit of taking it a step further. David asked God if he should go after an enemy and asked Him if he would prevail in the battle.
Timeless principles: God will put you where you need to be, when you need to be there. David had made a name for himself with king Achish and was expected to join the Philistine army against Israel. When the 2 armies met and Marched in parade in front of each other David led his men at the back of the formations where the Philistines would see him but not the Israelites. The other princes of the Philistines didn’t trust him to fight on their side so the sent him home. Returning to Ziklag, David and his men found God had given them good reason not to help Saul. Their families and friends and servants had been captured by the Amalekites. For the next few days David and his men were occupied with tracking down these raiders and when they found them, they fought from sundown to the next evening to kill them and take back what was theirs. God preserved all their people (both captured and soldiers) and all the spoils the Amalekites had stolen. David’s people rescued what was theirs, killed the enemies of the Lord and added to their own spoils by taking what had been the Amalekite’s all while being kept from aiding Saul in the battle in which he was meant to die.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: The honor of God and the honor due to His name should not be taken lightly. The Israelites would risk life and slavery in the most unlikely to succeed missions just to prevent an enemy from claiming victory over God. They would send tiny forces against enemy armies to keep the enemy from claiming God was to weak to defend them. David, a teen aged shepherd, of no great size, fought the Philistine Giant Goliath just to make him stop defying God and God’s people with insults about how Jehovah God was powerless against the Philistines and their gods.
There will always be those who try to claim victory in spite of clear defeat. Their folly is their own and we need only remind them of the facts in the matter. When Israel mops the floor with some terrorist group and the exiled leaders of that group go out and claim they won, no one is really buying it. When others go out and make great speeches about God being powerless and their arguments are given credence by the public, it is another matter entirely. It is wrong to allow others to dishonor God. God never let someone fail whose mission was to defend His name. We have no right to stand by while others mock our God and malign His name. When they equate Christianity with Islam and claim false religions have more credence than Christianity, we should not be silent.
God has given us the order, in 1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16. Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 17. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.” Learning what the bible says and the evidence which supports it is our duty to God. Standing up with that information and defending God and His word is also our duty.
Refer to the works of Dr Simon Greenleaf, and Lee Strobel. Also look for other apologetics from people like Tim Lahaye and other authors. Learn the truth and the proof of what the scripture says and don’t be afraid to use it.
more to learn for in-depth study: Saul, as predicted, died in battle against the Philistines. Having been badly wounded he fell on his own sword to avoid capture. His son’s and armor bearer all lost their lives there as well. When the Philistines discovered the bodies the next day they cut of Sauls Head as a symbol of victory to all their cities and hung the bodies of Saul and his sons on the wall of the temple of one of their false gods. The people living in Jabesh Gilead, heard what had been done and sent their soldiers to retrieve the bodies and take them back from the dishonor. The bodies were cremated and the bones buried in Jabesh.
tomorrow: Second Samuel 1-3
Promises: God will preserve you and tend to your livelihood when you cannot if you follow Him. When Ziklag was attacked and burned the Amalekites stole all the livestock and treasure and kidnapped all the people but didn’t hurt any of it. When David’s people returned they grieved, not knowing what had happened to their families. David set out with his men to avenge what had been done and, in the process of avenging the families, they wound up rescuing them, retaking all that was stolen and capturing a great deal more in spoils of war. God preserved all that had been taken until David and his army could take it back.
Commands: It is always wise to check with God before making those decisions that He hasn’t already given clear commands about. While it takes no great leap of faith to avoid theft and murder, and act of war isn’t always right or always wrong. God makes that decision. We can only seek a way to deal with the situation and pray for God’s guidance in our decisions. David made a habit of taking it a step further. David asked God if he should go after an enemy and asked Him if he would prevail in the battle.
Timeless principles: God will put you where you need to be, when you need to be there. David had made a name for himself with king Achish and was expected to join the Philistine army against Israel. When the 2 armies met and Marched in parade in front of each other David led his men at the back of the formations where the Philistines would see him but not the Israelites. The other princes of the Philistines didn’t trust him to fight on their side so the sent him home. Returning to Ziklag, David and his men found God had given them good reason not to help Saul. Their families and friends and servants had been captured by the Amalekites. For the next few days David and his men were occupied with tracking down these raiders and when they found them, they fought from sundown to the next evening to kill them and take back what was theirs. God preserved all their people (both captured and soldiers) and all the spoils the Amalekites had stolen. David’s people rescued what was theirs, killed the enemies of the Lord and added to their own spoils by taking what had been the Amalekite’s all while being kept from aiding Saul in the battle in which he was meant to die.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: The honor of God and the honor due to His name should not be taken lightly. The Israelites would risk life and slavery in the most unlikely to succeed missions just to prevent an enemy from claiming victory over God. They would send tiny forces against enemy armies to keep the enemy from claiming God was to weak to defend them. David, a teen aged shepherd, of no great size, fought the Philistine Giant Goliath just to make him stop defying God and God’s people with insults about how Jehovah God was powerless against the Philistines and their gods.
There will always be those who try to claim victory in spite of clear defeat. Their folly is their own and we need only remind them of the facts in the matter. When Israel mops the floor with some terrorist group and the exiled leaders of that group go out and claim they won, no one is really buying it. When others go out and make great speeches about God being powerless and their arguments are given credence by the public, it is another matter entirely. It is wrong to allow others to dishonor God. God never let someone fail whose mission was to defend His name. We have no right to stand by while others mock our God and malign His name. When they equate Christianity with Islam and claim false religions have more credence than Christianity, we should not be silent.
God has given us the order, in 1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16. Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 17. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.” Learning what the bible says and the evidence which supports it is our duty to God. Standing up with that information and defending God and His word is also our duty.
Refer to the works of Dr Simon Greenleaf, and Lee Strobel. Also look for other apologetics from people like Tim Lahaye and other authors. Learn the truth and the proof of what the scripture says and don’t be afraid to use it.
more to learn for in-depth study: Saul, as predicted, died in battle against the Philistines. Having been badly wounded he fell on his own sword to avoid capture. His son’s and armor bearer all lost their lives there as well. When the Philistines discovered the bodies the next day they cut of Sauls Head as a symbol of victory to all their cities and hung the bodies of Saul and his sons on the wall of the temple of one of their false gods. The people living in Jabesh Gilead, heard what had been done and sent their soldiers to retrieve the bodies and take them back from the dishonor. The bodies were cremated and the bones buried in Jabesh.
tomorrow: Second Samuel 1-3
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
First Samuel 25-28
God’s message to me: God always provides a way for us to do right. David was never forced to face Saul in direct battle. God gave him opportunities to make a choice. He could have executed the King easily and without danger to himself or he could do something to embarrass the king and show that he was honorable enough not to attack the Lord’s anointed. David made the latter choice. He was never forced to defend himself directly.
David knew the embarrassment wouldn’t stop Saul for long and decided to hide in the land of the Philistines in order to avoid having to constantly run away or risk death at the hands of the king’s men. In order to ensure his safety there he asked the king to provide him a place in a small town somewhere for him and his men to live outside of the royal cities so they wouldn’t seem like a threat. In order to provide for his men David attacked the people God had told Israel to destroy when they came into the land and, after destroying the entire population of the cities he attacked, he took the loot back to the town of Ziklag which the king of the Philistines had given him. The Philistine king would ask who he had attacked and, since the enemy didn’t survive to tell the king about the fight, David would claim he had attacked or raided an Israeli settlement. That made the king happy and convinced him that Israel would hate David so that David could not be a threat to the Philistines. The king was convinced he had just gained a strong general who would be forced to serve him forever because he had nowhere else to go.
Promises: God will protect his people and provide them prosperity in adversity. Saul’s desire to kill David was unreasoning and foolish. David’s ability to show this publicly was interesting to say the least. Cutting off the corner of the king’s robe while he was “doing his business” and then showing it to him publicly to prove he could have killed him but refused was one thing. Embarrassing both the king and his general in front of the army was equally effective. David and his friend snuck into the heart of the camp and stole the kings canteen and spear from beside his royal head while he slept with his general next to him. Then he showed the entire camp what he had done and how he had refused to kill the king.
Commands: Use your brain. David could have reacted to the king’s threat with lethal force and saved himself some trouble but he chose to think things through and take tactical victories to divert attack. He could have simply hidden among the Philistines but chose to take advantage of his situation to destroy those God had condemned. He could have continued to work in secret but instead made the Philistines believe he was improving their position when he was actually doing God’s work on behalf of Israel.
Timeless principles: When God makes a decision it’s final. God took his blessing from Saul because of Saul’s disobedience. He promised to take the kingdom from Saul. After delivering that message to the king Samuel never visited him again until he died. When Saul sought God’s council in battle God would not answer as He had promised. Saul sought a medium to get council from Samuel and Samuel’s spirit simply reminded the king of what God had already said. The kingdom would be taken from him and given to David and the king and his son’s would be killed in battle.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: It is always wise to treat people well who have done good for you. David and his men had protected Nabal’s men in the wilderness. They had provided defense and friendship to the shepherds and others who had been working in dangerous territories. They treated them well and made no demands of them nor had they made any attempt to harm or rob them. As a feast day approached David asked Nabal, as their employer, to show hospitality to his men.
Nabal refused to return the favor David’s men had shown and, in doing so, insulted them. Nabal’s wife, recognizing the honor of the men who had protected her husbands servants and flocks, gathered some servants and hurried to show David the hospitality her husband had refused.(Nabal, by the way, means fool and the man lived up to his name.)
Abigail’s actions kept David from attacking Nabal and killing all the men in his house. Nabal, who had thrown himself a feast after turning David away, died 10 days after learning what his wife had done. Saul had given David’s wife to another in the course of his actions against the young hero and his multiple attempts at murder and his efforts to harm David had become well known in Israel so that David was seen as the future king and Saul was disliked. Having lost his wife and having met an intelligent and wise woman who no longer had a husband to provide her with a home and inheritance, he married Abigail. Then he married Ahinoam and began a habit of polygamy that would not make life easy in the future.
more to learn for in-depth study: Reading the books of Samuel you can glean two basic facts: First, the books were not written by Samuel(he dies in chapter 25), but about Samuel and the events that surround his life. Second you can see they were written after the time of Solomon and after the Nation of Israel had been divided.(there are multiple references to the people of Israel and the people of Judah which implies it was written after these two groups began operating as separate kingdoms. That didn’t happen until after Solomon died.)
Saul had been told that the Lord was no longer with him. When the Philistines came against Israel, he sought God’s council but received no answer. The prophets and priests could not give him an answer, the Urim gave no answer, and no dreams came to direct him. In desperation, he went looking for a medium. All mediums and witches and soothsayers, etc. had been driven from the land by Saul’s command in accordance with God’s law but, fearing defeat, he went looking for answers from someone the Lord had forbidden. He granted her immunity in exchange for her services and she called Samuel to council the king. Samuel gave his last prophecy from beyond the grave when he told Saul that he and his sons would be killed in the battle the next day and that the armies of Israel would be defeated and captured by the Philistines.
tomorrow: First Samuel 29-31
David knew the embarrassment wouldn’t stop Saul for long and decided to hide in the land of the Philistines in order to avoid having to constantly run away or risk death at the hands of the king’s men. In order to ensure his safety there he asked the king to provide him a place in a small town somewhere for him and his men to live outside of the royal cities so they wouldn’t seem like a threat. In order to provide for his men David attacked the people God had told Israel to destroy when they came into the land and, after destroying the entire population of the cities he attacked, he took the loot back to the town of Ziklag which the king of the Philistines had given him. The Philistine king would ask who he had attacked and, since the enemy didn’t survive to tell the king about the fight, David would claim he had attacked or raided an Israeli settlement. That made the king happy and convinced him that Israel would hate David so that David could not be a threat to the Philistines. The king was convinced he had just gained a strong general who would be forced to serve him forever because he had nowhere else to go.
Promises: God will protect his people and provide them prosperity in adversity. Saul’s desire to kill David was unreasoning and foolish. David’s ability to show this publicly was interesting to say the least. Cutting off the corner of the king’s robe while he was “doing his business” and then showing it to him publicly to prove he could have killed him but refused was one thing. Embarrassing both the king and his general in front of the army was equally effective. David and his friend snuck into the heart of the camp and stole the kings canteen and spear from beside his royal head while he slept with his general next to him. Then he showed the entire camp what he had done and how he had refused to kill the king.
Commands: Use your brain. David could have reacted to the king’s threat with lethal force and saved himself some trouble but he chose to think things through and take tactical victories to divert attack. He could have simply hidden among the Philistines but chose to take advantage of his situation to destroy those God had condemned. He could have continued to work in secret but instead made the Philistines believe he was improving their position when he was actually doing God’s work on behalf of Israel.
Timeless principles: When God makes a decision it’s final. God took his blessing from Saul because of Saul’s disobedience. He promised to take the kingdom from Saul. After delivering that message to the king Samuel never visited him again until he died. When Saul sought God’s council in battle God would not answer as He had promised. Saul sought a medium to get council from Samuel and Samuel’s spirit simply reminded the king of what God had already said. The kingdom would be taken from him and given to David and the king and his son’s would be killed in battle.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: It is always wise to treat people well who have done good for you. David and his men had protected Nabal’s men in the wilderness. They had provided defense and friendship to the shepherds and others who had been working in dangerous territories. They treated them well and made no demands of them nor had they made any attempt to harm or rob them. As a feast day approached David asked Nabal, as their employer, to show hospitality to his men.
Nabal refused to return the favor David’s men had shown and, in doing so, insulted them. Nabal’s wife, recognizing the honor of the men who had protected her husbands servants and flocks, gathered some servants and hurried to show David the hospitality her husband had refused.(Nabal, by the way, means fool and the man lived up to his name.)
Abigail’s actions kept David from attacking Nabal and killing all the men in his house. Nabal, who had thrown himself a feast after turning David away, died 10 days after learning what his wife had done. Saul had given David’s wife to another in the course of his actions against the young hero and his multiple attempts at murder and his efforts to harm David had become well known in Israel so that David was seen as the future king and Saul was disliked. Having lost his wife and having met an intelligent and wise woman who no longer had a husband to provide her with a home and inheritance, he married Abigail. Then he married Ahinoam and began a habit of polygamy that would not make life easy in the future.
more to learn for in-depth study: Reading the books of Samuel you can glean two basic facts: First, the books were not written by Samuel(he dies in chapter 25), but about Samuel and the events that surround his life. Second you can see they were written after the time of Solomon and after the Nation of Israel had been divided.(there are multiple references to the people of Israel and the people of Judah which implies it was written after these two groups began operating as separate kingdoms. That didn’t happen until after Solomon died.)
Saul had been told that the Lord was no longer with him. When the Philistines came against Israel, he sought God’s council but received no answer. The prophets and priests could not give him an answer, the Urim gave no answer, and no dreams came to direct him. In desperation, he went looking for a medium. All mediums and witches and soothsayers, etc. had been driven from the land by Saul’s command in accordance with God’s law but, fearing defeat, he went looking for answers from someone the Lord had forbidden. He granted her immunity in exchange for her services and she called Samuel to council the king. Samuel gave his last prophecy from beyond the grave when he told Saul that he and his sons would be killed in the battle the next day and that the armies of Israel would be defeated and captured by the Philistines.
tomorrow: First Samuel 29-31
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
the other resolution
The problem with falling behind is that it becomes routine. I let to much take my attention and fall behind on everything. I also neglect my goals. Not enough water, to much junk food, to many skipped meals, missing exercise all the result of not keeping priorities. I've allowed my blog to fall behind and failed to pursue my weight goals. I could list a number of things that took my time but the fact is I just let them interfere with priorities and neglected the things that need attention. I am weighing in at 233.6# this week and I'm already late for delivering my posts for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. I will probably be late with Wednesday as well since I have a meeting in about an hour.
Weekly Assignment
Monday: First Samuel 29-31
Tuesday: Second Samuel 1-3
Wednesday: Second Samuel 4-7
Thursday: Second Samuel 8-11
Friday: Second Samuel 12-14
Saturday: Second Samuel 15-16
Sunday: Second Samuel 17-19
I've fallen behind once again and with preparations to make for Palm Sunday, Easter Sunrise and Easter morning services I'm going to be a little slow catching up so here are the Assignments until I catch back up to you.
Tuesday: Second Samuel 1-3
Wednesday: Second Samuel 4-7
Thursday: Second Samuel 8-11
Friday: Second Samuel 12-14
Saturday: Second Samuel 15-16
Sunday: Second Samuel 17-19
I've fallen behind once again and with preparations to make for Palm Sunday, Easter Sunrise and Easter morning services I'm going to be a little slow catching up so here are the Assignments until I catch back up to you.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
First Samuel 22-24
God’s message to me: God’s will is knowable. Use good sense, search the scriptures, listen for His voice, test the spirits, lay a fleece before the Lord... If nothing else, and done prayerfully and honestly, flip a coin. God will give you the right answer if you seek it.
Promises: God will not steer you wrong. When the last of the priests family came to David and reported Saul’s murder of the rest, he came with an Ephod. The Ephod was the ceremonial breastplate and pouch worn by the priest and contained the Urim and Thummin. This was a way of learning God’s answer to questions. A look at the answers gained in this seems to imply it was a simple yes or know type of system like flipping a coin or picking one of 2 different colored stones. David took advantage of this to inquire of the Lord when he made big decisions that could get him and his men hurt or killed.
By seeking God’s will in these decisions David was successful in his choices and protected his men.
Commands: Always seek God’s will in your decisions. The decision to stop at a red light or to eat dinner, lock your door on the way out, etc. is simply a matter of good sense. God gave you a mind and common sense and rules to follow so that you would know what to do in everyday matters. When a matter goes outside the everyday he gave instruction and example of how to seek his will so that you remain within it.
Timeless principles: Even when the world seems to be against you, it is good to look out for others. The city of Keilah was under attack by the Philistines. David and his men had no reason to interfere and every reason to remain in hiding but, David saw the opportunity to help people in distress and, after making sure God approved, he went to fight in the city’s defense. Not only did he win but he grew his army by 50%.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Learn to seek God’s guidance in all things and trust Him to provide the best route.
more to learn for in-depth study: By this point Saul has completely lost his mind. Convinced that there is a conspiracy with everyone against him he threatens his own men and kills the priests and all who live in their city for helping David. David, has never been anything but loyal to the king and has done everything to help Saul. The priests knew this and assumed he was continuing to do so when the met him.
Saul’s men knew not to turn against God’s priests but Doeg, who had been there when David was at the tabernacle, killed the priests on command. Whether it was loyalty, willing murder or fear that he would be the next target for not mentioning seeing David earlier, Doeg was now conspiring with the lunatic king in homicide.
In the meantime, David was attracting an army. 400 disaffected, endangered and indebted men had gathered with him in hiding and he became their commander. When the city of Keilah was under attack by the Philistines, David took his men to battle to protect the city. The men were afraid but trusted David who had inquired of God before moving to fight. The won the fight and when it was over and the men set out for new hiding David’s army was up to 600 men.
Saul continued to pursue David but the Lord would not let the king catch him. Jonathan encouraged David, the Lord guided him, spies and friends warned him of danger and God distracted the king when he got to close. Finally, David got the big chance. Saul went, alone, into the cave where David and his men were hiding. While Saul attended to (ahem) personal business, David had the chance to kill him. David cut the corner of Saul’s robe off without Saul noticing.
I can’t say I would have been so restrained. In my mind, if someone tries to kill you every time you meet, it’s a good idea to eliminate them the first chance you get. Saul had been anointed by God to be king and, while the Lord had taken that blessing and the right to be king away from him, David would not act against the one God had appointed as his ruler. God had appointed him and God would have to remove him. That was David’s view of the matter.
tomorrow: First Samuel 25-28
Promises: God will not steer you wrong. When the last of the priests family came to David and reported Saul’s murder of the rest, he came with an Ephod. The Ephod was the ceremonial breastplate and pouch worn by the priest and contained the Urim and Thummin. This was a way of learning God’s answer to questions. A look at the answers gained in this seems to imply it was a simple yes or know type of system like flipping a coin or picking one of 2 different colored stones. David took advantage of this to inquire of the Lord when he made big decisions that could get him and his men hurt or killed.
By seeking God’s will in these decisions David was successful in his choices and protected his men.
Commands: Always seek God’s will in your decisions. The decision to stop at a red light or to eat dinner, lock your door on the way out, etc. is simply a matter of good sense. God gave you a mind and common sense and rules to follow so that you would know what to do in everyday matters. When a matter goes outside the everyday he gave instruction and example of how to seek his will so that you remain within it.
Timeless principles: Even when the world seems to be against you, it is good to look out for others. The city of Keilah was under attack by the Philistines. David and his men had no reason to interfere and every reason to remain in hiding but, David saw the opportunity to help people in distress and, after making sure God approved, he went to fight in the city’s defense. Not only did he win but he grew his army by 50%.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Learn to seek God’s guidance in all things and trust Him to provide the best route.
more to learn for in-depth study: By this point Saul has completely lost his mind. Convinced that there is a conspiracy with everyone against him he threatens his own men and kills the priests and all who live in their city for helping David. David, has never been anything but loyal to the king and has done everything to help Saul. The priests knew this and assumed he was continuing to do so when the met him.
Saul’s men knew not to turn against God’s priests but Doeg, who had been there when David was at the tabernacle, killed the priests on command. Whether it was loyalty, willing murder or fear that he would be the next target for not mentioning seeing David earlier, Doeg was now conspiring with the lunatic king in homicide.
In the meantime, David was attracting an army. 400 disaffected, endangered and indebted men had gathered with him in hiding and he became their commander. When the city of Keilah was under attack by the Philistines, David took his men to battle to protect the city. The men were afraid but trusted David who had inquired of God before moving to fight. The won the fight and when it was over and the men set out for new hiding David’s army was up to 600 men.
Saul continued to pursue David but the Lord would not let the king catch him. Jonathan encouraged David, the Lord guided him, spies and friends warned him of danger and God distracted the king when he got to close. Finally, David got the big chance. Saul went, alone, into the cave where David and his men were hiding. While Saul attended to (ahem) personal business, David had the chance to kill him. David cut the corner of Saul’s robe off without Saul noticing.
I can’t say I would have been so restrained. In my mind, if someone tries to kill you every time you meet, it’s a good idea to eliminate them the first chance you get. Saul had been anointed by God to be king and, while the Lord had taken that blessing and the right to be king away from him, David would not act against the one God had appointed as his ruler. God had appointed him and God would have to remove him. That was David’s view of the matter.
tomorrow: First Samuel 25-28
Friday, March 27, 2009
First Samuel 19-21
God’s message to me: Being chosen of God and serving God does not mean your life will be easy. In point of fact it may make you a target. God can and will protect you from His enemies and use you through adversity if you only continue to do what is right. When your enemies break every rule in the book to get at you, sticking to the rulebook yourself is often the best way to overcome them and win the hearts of those who matter.
Promises: God will provide your needs. When David arrived at the Tabernacle, he needed food and a weapon. The only food available was the show bread which was placed before God and not to be eaten by those outside the priesthood. The priest provided it to him and his men anyway. He also found that the sword of Goliath was kept at the temple. Not exactly a logical place to find it but God certainly placed it where David would find it when he needed it.
Commands: Asking is the best way to find and get what you need and want. God can protect you in battle and out. Running is sometimes the best way to survive. Following David’s activities you can see that God has no problem with people avoiding danger or arming themselves to face it. Remember, God called David a man after His own heart.
Timeless principles: God can reveal the secrets and conspiracies to those who do not see them. David set a simple test which Saul could easily pass. All the king had to do was play along with Jonathan’s deception and wait for David to return but he got so mad that he actually tried to kill Jonathan. Up to that point Jonathan believed David was being paranoid and the king wouldn’t hurt him. After that Jonathan had no doubt his father was out to kill his best friend.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Do the right thing even when it is difficult. Fear is not a sin. Retreat is always an option. Weapons are not evil. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. These may seem cliche but reading this passage you see David living up to all of them.
more to learn for in-depth study: Saul was of two minds when it came to David. One mind understood this young hero had done great things for him and his army and that he should be revered. He was Saul’s son-in-law and his son’s best friend. He was a general in Saul’s army and a famous hero. He was loyal and the only one who could soothe his spirit with the music he played. Unfortunately, Saul’s other mind tended to keep a spear on hand wherever he went and routinely tried to put that spear through David and into the wall behind him. He made a habit of sending others to capture David so he could be executed. This other mind was a mindless homicidal idiot.
God was with David and helped him escape assassination attempts then overwhelmed those who came to find him and turned them to the purpose of the Spirit of God to keep them from fulfilling the kings orders. Luckily for Jonathan, God seemed to make Saul a really bad spear thrower. He not only missed David on more than one occasion, but he also missed when he tried to kill his own son. The part of him that hated David was so strong that he wanted Jonathan dead for being his friend. Saul understood that David would be the next king and, wanting his own dynasty to continue, he thought he could undermine the will of God by killing David.
As I mentioned before, you can see some similarities to the story of Percival in king Arthur’s legend. On the run from Saul, David comes to the temple in search of food and arms. He takes the sword of Goliath which he had taken from the giant’s corpse when he killed him. Running to the king of Gath he found that his war record had given a false perception. People singing that “Saul has killed his thousands and David his tens of thousand” had caused outsiders to believe David was king. Since the king of a country was considered a high value target, David was afraid the former enemies would kill him on the spot and feigned insanity to avoid execution.
tomorrow: First Samuel 22-24
Promises: God will provide your needs. When David arrived at the Tabernacle, he needed food and a weapon. The only food available was the show bread which was placed before God and not to be eaten by those outside the priesthood. The priest provided it to him and his men anyway. He also found that the sword of Goliath was kept at the temple. Not exactly a logical place to find it but God certainly placed it where David would find it when he needed it.
Commands: Asking is the best way to find and get what you need and want. God can protect you in battle and out. Running is sometimes the best way to survive. Following David’s activities you can see that God has no problem with people avoiding danger or arming themselves to face it. Remember, God called David a man after His own heart.
Timeless principles: God can reveal the secrets and conspiracies to those who do not see them. David set a simple test which Saul could easily pass. All the king had to do was play along with Jonathan’s deception and wait for David to return but he got so mad that he actually tried to kill Jonathan. Up to that point Jonathan believed David was being paranoid and the king wouldn’t hurt him. After that Jonathan had no doubt his father was out to kill his best friend.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Do the right thing even when it is difficult. Fear is not a sin. Retreat is always an option. Weapons are not evil. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. These may seem cliche but reading this passage you see David living up to all of them.
more to learn for in-depth study: Saul was of two minds when it came to David. One mind understood this young hero had done great things for him and his army and that he should be revered. He was Saul’s son-in-law and his son’s best friend. He was a general in Saul’s army and a famous hero. He was loyal and the only one who could soothe his spirit with the music he played. Unfortunately, Saul’s other mind tended to keep a spear on hand wherever he went and routinely tried to put that spear through David and into the wall behind him. He made a habit of sending others to capture David so he could be executed. This other mind was a mindless homicidal idiot.
God was with David and helped him escape assassination attempts then overwhelmed those who came to find him and turned them to the purpose of the Spirit of God to keep them from fulfilling the kings orders. Luckily for Jonathan, God seemed to make Saul a really bad spear thrower. He not only missed David on more than one occasion, but he also missed when he tried to kill his own son. The part of him that hated David was so strong that he wanted Jonathan dead for being his friend. Saul understood that David would be the next king and, wanting his own dynasty to continue, he thought he could undermine the will of God by killing David.
As I mentioned before, you can see some similarities to the story of Percival in king Arthur’s legend. On the run from Saul, David comes to the temple in search of food and arms. He takes the sword of Goliath which he had taken from the giant’s corpse when he killed him. Running to the king of Gath he found that his war record had given a false perception. People singing that “Saul has killed his thousands and David his tens of thousand” had caused outsiders to believe David was king. Since the king of a country was considered a high value target, David was afraid the former enemies would kill him on the spot and feigned insanity to avoid execution.
tomorrow: First Samuel 22-24
Thursday, March 26, 2009
First Samuel 17-18
God’s message to me: One man, serving God has an army outgunned. David was a young teen. If the average soldier of Israel is 5’10” in that time period, Saul is about 6’7” and Goliath is 9’9” David is seen as a small youth so you can imagine he’s no more than about 5’8” and not powerfully built. That makes David just a little over half Goliath’s height. When Goliath mentioned sending him sticks, he might have been referring to David's staff but, given the size difference, it might have been a way of insulting David as being little more than a toothpick for the giant. David walked away from the battle without a scratch on him and carrying the head and sword of Goliath in his hands.
Promises: The Battle is the Lord’s. When God is on your side, there is no one who can stand against you. this doesn’t mean it’s wrong to prepare. David couldn’t handle the sword and armor of the king, it was to big for him to use effectively. He did take his staff and sling into battle. While it may not seem like much, he had used these weapons to kill both lions and bears while defending his flock.
This mismatched battle would be like a kid with a .22 rifle going out to battle “Hulk” Hogan in Body armor and packing a small arsenal of military grade assault weapons. No one would expect the kid to come home but imagine the reaction when the kid fires one shot then drags home “Hulk’s” M60 machine gun and helmet. God can use what you have to overcome whatever the enemy brings after you.
Commands: Trust in the Lord to provide your needs. Stand up for His Majesty and let no one denigrate your God or those who serve Him. David offered to kill Goliath, not to gain fame but to shut the big bullies mouth. Goliath had been standing in that field for 40 days yelling about how incapable the people of Israel were and how powerless God was because no one was willing to fight him one on one. David trusted that God would not let that sort of bragging stand and accepted the challenge to battle.
Timeless principles: “If God be for us, who can stand against us” This old saying is as true today as it was when it was first said. While it may not have been those exact words the sentiment dates back at least to Abraham. God doesn’t allow His enemies to denigrate his name and claim victory over Him. They may gain a brief advantage but it is always the prelude to a defeat so overwhelming that none can honestly deny God provided the victory.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Stand up for God. There is no reason to ever allow anyone to insult God, your faith or you for His sake. Not everyone who stood for God survived but, God has never failed to avenge Himself. Never has there been a victory over those who serve Him that wasn’t followed by massive defeat so powerful that it’s supernatural origin was undeniable. God makes certain that no one can honestly say He is powerless.
more to learn for in-depth study: Describing Goliath of Gath: The cubit is the length from the tip of your elbow to the tips of your fingers and the standard is about 18 inches. Cubit is measured differently in different cultures at the time and could be between 18 and 25 inches but, since it is the most likely, I will use the standard 18” cubit for comparison of size. A span is the distance between the tip of your thumb and the tip of your pinky when your hand is spread out. By these measures Goliath was 9foot 9 inches tall. Using any other measure of the cubit and span used in that time would only make him bigger so we can safely say he was at least 9’9”.
His Chain mail was about 156-157 pounds. The spear head alone weighed almost 19 pounds and the shaft of a standard spear would be longer than the soldier was tall. A javelin of bronze on his back refers to the shorter, lighter spear soldiers would carry just for throwing. Just to make things interesting, David took 5 stones from the brook because Goliath had 4 brothers. Described elsewhere in the bible, Goliath was the runt of the litter and his brothers were quite a bit larger.
David’s rank: David was a captain of thousands. In modern terms that would make him a Brigade commander for most militaries with the rank of at least brigadier general (one star). Saul had become fearful and mistrusting of David and wanted him dead. He put him in the military to make him face the enemy. He offered his daughter in marriage so he could force him into battle by David's own choice. David killed twice as many soldiers as Saul commanded and married the kings daughter.
KINGS: David’s relationship with the kings daughter is growing. the king has tried to kill him on a couple of occasions and sees him as a danger to his rule. He has gone from private to Captain overnight and given the job of press liaison or official spokesman for the entire military.
tomorrow: First Samuel 19-21
Promises: The Battle is the Lord’s. When God is on your side, there is no one who can stand against you. this doesn’t mean it’s wrong to prepare. David couldn’t handle the sword and armor of the king, it was to big for him to use effectively. He did take his staff and sling into battle. While it may not seem like much, he had used these weapons to kill both lions and bears while defending his flock.
This mismatched battle would be like a kid with a .22 rifle going out to battle “Hulk” Hogan in Body armor and packing a small arsenal of military grade assault weapons. No one would expect the kid to come home but imagine the reaction when the kid fires one shot then drags home “Hulk’s” M60 machine gun and helmet. God can use what you have to overcome whatever the enemy brings after you.
Commands: Trust in the Lord to provide your needs. Stand up for His Majesty and let no one denigrate your God or those who serve Him. David offered to kill Goliath, not to gain fame but to shut the big bullies mouth. Goliath had been standing in that field for 40 days yelling about how incapable the people of Israel were and how powerless God was because no one was willing to fight him one on one. David trusted that God would not let that sort of bragging stand and accepted the challenge to battle.
Timeless principles: “If God be for us, who can stand against us” This old saying is as true today as it was when it was first said. While it may not have been those exact words the sentiment dates back at least to Abraham. God doesn’t allow His enemies to denigrate his name and claim victory over Him. They may gain a brief advantage but it is always the prelude to a defeat so overwhelming that none can honestly deny God provided the victory.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Stand up for God. There is no reason to ever allow anyone to insult God, your faith or you for His sake. Not everyone who stood for God survived but, God has never failed to avenge Himself. Never has there been a victory over those who serve Him that wasn’t followed by massive defeat so powerful that it’s supernatural origin was undeniable. God makes certain that no one can honestly say He is powerless.
more to learn for in-depth study: Describing Goliath of Gath: The cubit is the length from the tip of your elbow to the tips of your fingers and the standard is about 18 inches. Cubit is measured differently in different cultures at the time and could be between 18 and 25 inches but, since it is the most likely, I will use the standard 18” cubit for comparison of size. A span is the distance between the tip of your thumb and the tip of your pinky when your hand is spread out. By these measures Goliath was 9foot 9 inches tall. Using any other measure of the cubit and span used in that time would only make him bigger so we can safely say he was at least 9’9”.
His Chain mail was about 156-157 pounds. The spear head alone weighed almost 19 pounds and the shaft of a standard spear would be longer than the soldier was tall. A javelin of bronze on his back refers to the shorter, lighter spear soldiers would carry just for throwing. Just to make things interesting, David took 5 stones from the brook because Goliath had 4 brothers. Described elsewhere in the bible, Goliath was the runt of the litter and his brothers were quite a bit larger.
David’s rank: David was a captain of thousands. In modern terms that would make him a Brigade commander for most militaries with the rank of at least brigadier general (one star). Saul had become fearful and mistrusting of David and wanted him dead. He put him in the military to make him face the enemy. He offered his daughter in marriage so he could force him into battle by David's own choice. David killed twice as many soldiers as Saul commanded and married the kings daughter.
KINGS: David’s relationship with the kings daughter is growing. the king has tried to kill him on a couple of occasions and sees him as a danger to his rule. He has gone from private to Captain overnight and given the job of press liaison or official spokesman for the entire military.
tomorrow: First Samuel 19-21
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