1804.) 2 Samuel 10

2 Samuel 10   (NRSV)

The Ammonites and Arameans Are Defeated

This chapter on the war with Ammon gives the reader background to the next story, which deals with David’s sin against Bathsheba and Uriah.

Some time afterward, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him. ²David said, “I will deal loyally with Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent envoys to console him concerning his father.

When David’s envoys came into the land of the Ammonites, ³the princes of the Ammonites said to their lord Hanun, “Do you really think that David is honoring your father just because he has sent messengers with condolences to you? Has not David sent his envoys to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?” ⁴So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved off half the beard of each, cut off their garments in the middle at their hips, and sent them away.

The insult of the half-beards and half-bottoms is avenged — illustration by Barbara Griffiths

Humiliating and insulting.  Particularly in the East in ancient times, a man’s beard was considered his finest ornament.  Slaves were clean shaven, but a free man pledged oaths by his beard.

⁵When David was told, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. The king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”

Jericho had remained almost empty since the time of Joshua.  It was not rebuilt until Ahab’s reign (1 Kings 16:34).  There the men can heal in privacy.

⁶When the Ammonites saw that they had become odious to David, the Ammonites sent and hired the Arameans of Beth-rehob and the Arameans of Zobah, twenty thousand foot soldiers, as well as the king of Maacah, one thousand men, and the men of Tob, twelve thousand men.

⁷When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army with the warriors. ⁸The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the gate; but the Arameans of Zobah and of Rehob, and the men of Tob and Maacah, were by themselves in the open country.

The Ammonites in front and the Arameans behind.  Doesn’t look good . . .

⁹When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the picked men of Israel, and arrayed them against the Arameans; ¹⁰the rest of his men he put in the charge of his brother Abishai, and he arrayed them against the Ammonites. ¹¹He said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. ¹²Be strong, and let us be courageous for the sake of our people, and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what seems good to him.”

Ephesians 6:10 (NIV)

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

¹³So Joab and the people who were with him moved forward into battle against the Arameans; and they fled before him. ¹⁴When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites, and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵But when the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together. ¹⁶Hadadezer sent and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates; and they came to Helam, with Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head.

¹⁷When it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. The Arameans arrayed themselves against David and fought with him. ¹⁸The Arameans fled before Israel; and David killed of the Arameans seven hundred chariot teams, and forty thousand horsemen, and wounded Shobach the commander of their army, so that he died there. ¹⁹When all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel, and became subject to them.

When King David fights with his mighty men, God blesses them with victory. This should encourage David to be with his army at their battle sites (not lolling around in Jerusalem . . .).

So the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites any more.

_________________________

Music:

HERE.  “Our God Is Greater”  by Chris Tomlin.

_________________________

The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

God vs. enemies.    https://himalayanmind.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/untitled.jpg

Griffiths.    http://www.barbaragriffiths.com/images/bod/griffiths_bod_12.jpg

weight lifting man.    http://exercisemenu.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/weightlifting-svg-hi.png

1803.) 2 Samuel 9

“The Invitation” by Morgan Weistling

2 Samuel 9   (NRSV)

David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth

David asked, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

In 1 Samuel 7 David asked, “What can I do for God?” and he proposed to build a temple for the Lord. Now David asks another question we should each ask: “What can I do for others?”

–David Guzik

²Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and he was summoned to David. The king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”

And he said, “At your service!”

³The king said, “Is there anyone remaining of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?”

To whom can I show “the kindness of God” today?

_________________________

Music:

“If We Are the Body”  by Casting Crowns  HERE  puts the question even more directly.

_________________________

Ziba said to the king, “There remains a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.”

The day that King Saul and Jonathan were killed in battle, the nurse picked up Mephibosheth and ran with him, since the usual practice for new kings was to kill the family members of the former king. In her haste, the nurse tripped and dropped the child.  (See 2 Samuel 4:4.)

⁴The king said to him, “Where is he?”

Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.”

We will see Machir son of Ammiel become a strong supporter of King David.

⁵Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. ⁶Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, and fell on his face and did obeisance. David said, “Mephibosheth!”

He answered, “I am your servant.”

⁷David said to him, “Do not be afraid, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan;

Ephesians 4:32 (KJV)

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you yourself shall eat at my table always.”

⁸He did obeisance and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon a dead dog such as I?”

⁹Then the king summoned Saul’s servant Ziba, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. ¹⁰You and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him, and shall bring in the produce, so that your master’s grandson may have food to eat; but your master’s grandson Mephibosheth shall always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

¹¹Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so your servant will do.”

Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons. ¹²Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. ¹³Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he always ate at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.

Luke 14:15 (NLT)

Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!”

_________________________

The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

Weistling.   https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/the-invitation-zoom.jpg

David assures Mephibosheth.    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4c4oIkGB8K0/ScGBkrQp58I/AAAAAAAACPU/sLT6BTK73bI/ShababChristian+The+United+Kingdom-14.jpg

banquet.    http://www.evangile-et-peinture.org/

1802.) 1 Chronicles 18

Chapters 18, 19, and 20 show David the Victorious Warrior! By his military successes he achieves peace for the kingdom of Israel.

1 Chronicles 18 (NLT)

David’s Military Victories

¹ After this, David defeated and subdued the Philistines by conquering Gath and its surrounding towns. ²David also conquered the land of Moab, and the Moabites who were spared became David’s subjects and paid him tribute money.

David’s great-grandmother on his father’s side was Ruth, a Moabite.

³ David also destroyed the forces of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, as far as Hamath, when Hadadezer marched out to strengthen his control along the Euphrates River. ⁴ David captured 1,000 chariots, 7,000 charioteers, and 20,000 foot soldiers. He crippled all the chariot horses except enough for 100 chariots.

⁵ When Arameans from Damascus arrived to help King Hadadezer, David killed 22,000 of them. ⁶ Then he placed several army garrisons in Damascus, the Aramean capital, and the Arameans became David’s subjects and paid him tribute money. So the Lord made David victorious wherever he went.

⁷ David brought the gold shields of Hadadezer’s officers to Jerusalem,

a model of the ceremonial gold shield of Achilles, the Greek hero of the Trojan War and the central character in Homer’s “Iliad”

⁸ along with a large amount of bronze from Hadadezer’s towns of Tebah and Cun. Later Solomon melted the bronze and molded it into the great bronze basin called the Sea, the pillars, and the various bronze articles used at the Temple.

One needed two things to build the temple: security and money. These chapters show how David, though he could not build the temple himself, obtained the security and money necessary for his son to build the temple.

–David Guzik

“In view of the desire of the king to build the Temple of God, the chapter is of special interest; it shows how in these wars he was amassing treasure with that purpose in view, not for himself, but for his son.”

–F. B. Meyer (1847-1929; British evangelist and friend of D. L. Moody)

⁹ When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had destroyed the entire army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, ¹⁰ he sent his son Joram to congratulate King David for his successful campaign. Hadadezer and Toi had been enemies and were often at war. Joram presented David with many gifts of gold, silver, and bronze.

¹¹ King David dedicated all these gifts to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had taken from the other nations—from Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek.

Now David has taken pretty much ALL of the land that God had promised long ago to Abraham and to his descendants!

¹² Abishai son of Zeruiah destroyed 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. ¹³ He placed army garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s subjects. In fact, the Lord made David victorious wherever he went.

¹⁴ So David reigned over all Israel and did what was just and right for all his people. ¹⁵ Joab son of Zeruiah was commander of the army. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian. ¹⁶ Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were the priests. Seraiah was the court secretary. ¹⁷ Benaiah son of Jehoiada was captain of the king’s bodyguard. And David’s sons served as the king’s chief assistants.

Teamwork!

David’s cabinet, if you will. We never find such a list regarding the organization of King Saul’s government. This is because David’s government had much more form and structure than Saul’s.

There is a limit to what we can be and what we can do for the Lord without order and organization. It isn’t that order and organization are requirements for progress in the Christian life; they are progress in the Christian life, becoming more like the Lord.

Nothing is accomplished in God’s kingdom without order and organization. While it may seem so to us, it is only an illusion — behind the scenes God is moving with utmost order and organization though sometimes we cannot see it.

–David Guzik

_________________________

Music:

HERE   is a song I remember from long ago — “Faith Is the Victory.” But it is sung in Xhosa (the language of the second largest ethnic group in South Africa after the Zulus) by Sonwabo Gila. Start practicing now for the choir in heaven singing in many tongues!

Encamped along the hills of light,
Ye Christian soldiers, rise.
And press the battle ere the night
Shall veil the glowing skies.
Against the foe in vales below
Let all our strength be hurled.
Faith is the victory, we know,
That overcomes the world.

Refrain

Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory, that overcomes the world.

His banner over us is love,
Our sword the Word of God.
We tread the road the saints above
With shouts of triumph trod.
By faith, they like a whirlwinds breath,
Swept on o’er every field.
The faith by which they conquered death
Is still our shining shield.

Refrain

On every hand the foe we find
Drawn up in dread array.
Let tents of ease be left behind,
And onward to the fray.
Salvation’s helmet on each head,
With truth all girt about,
The earth shall tremble ‘neath our tread,
And echo with our shout.

Refrain

To him that overcomes the foe,
White raiment shall be given.
Before the angels he shall know
His name confessed in Heaven.
Then onward from the hill of light,
Our hearts with love aflame,
We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night,
In Jesus’ conquering Name.

Refrain

_________________________

New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

Lights, camera, action.     http://dsdtglobal.com/images/Bollywood_Lights_Camera_Action.gif

Ruth and Boaz.     http://creativedreamers.com/Gallery/ruth%2Bboaz-web.jpg

gold shield.     https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/achilles-gold-shield.png

teamwork.     http://febird.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/teamwork.jpg

1801.) Ten Thoughts about Easter

Christ Is Risen!  Alleluia!

“Think on these things.”

“If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.”

~Timothy Keller

*

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this?”

~John 11:25-26

*

“The Disciples Peter and John Running to the Sepulcher on the Morning of the Resurrection” by Eugène Burnand, c.1898.

“For me the most radical demand of Christian faith lies in summoning the courage to say yes to the present risenness of Jesus Christ.”

~Brennan Manning

*

“Women at the Tomb” by He Qi.

“Life [had] replaced logic.”

~Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment

*

“Guards at the tomb of Christ” drawing by J. R. Howley, 2011.

“Perhaps [the critics are right and] the drama is played out now and Jesus is safely dead and buried. Perhaps. It is ironical and entertaining to consider that at least once in the world’s history those words might have been said with complete conviction, and that was on the eve of the Resurrection.”

~Dorothy L. Sayers

*

“Christ on the Cross” by Sir Anthony van Dyke, 1627.

“The Bible says he was raised not just after the blood-shedding, but by it. This means that what the death of Christ accomplished was so full and so perfect that the resurrection was the reward and vindication of Christ’s achievement in death.”

~John Piper

*

There are times when I feel that he has withdrawn from me, and I have often given him cause, but Easter is always the answer to My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me!

~Madeleine L’Engle

*

Today is the day of salvation for the world… Christ is risen from the dead: arise with him. Christ returns to himself: you also must return to him. Christ has come forth from the tomb: free yourselves from the fetters of evil. The gates of hell are open and the power of death is destroyed. The old Adam is superseded, the new perfected. In Christ a new creation is coming to birth: renew yourselves.

~Gregory Nazianzen

*

Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.  
~Martin Luther

*

“Now let the heavens be joyful,
Let earth her song begin:
Let the round world keep triumph,
And all that is therein;
Invisible and visible,
Their notes let all things blend,
For Christ the Lord is risen
Our joy that hath no end.”
~John of Damascus

*

_________________________

Music:

“Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah, performed  HERE  by the Royal Choral Society.  You are cordially invited to sing along!

_________________________

Images courtesy of:

Alleluia!    https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/alleluia.gif

empty grave clothes.   https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/emptytomb.jpg

I am the resurrection.    https://everythingforhisglory.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/whiterosejohn11.jpg?w=625

Burnand.    http://www.artbible.info/images/grafspoed_grt.jpg

He Qi.    http://auroratrinitylutheran.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/womenatthetomb.jpg

Howley.    https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/guards.jpg

van Dyke.    http://imgc.allpostersimages.com/images/P-473-488-90/13/1347/UGCS000Z/posters/sir-anthony-van-dyck-christ-on-the-cross-1627.jpg

cross at sunrise.   https://illinoisaxiom.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/eastercross.jpg

empty tomb.    http://media.photobucket.com/user/clchco/media/emptytomb1.jpg.html?filters[term]=stone rolled away&filters[primary]=images&filters[secondary]=videos&sort=1&o=1

spring leaves.    http://wallpaperstock.net/two-spring-leaves_wallpapers_11823_1024x768_1.html

JOY.   https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/ttr-joy.jpg?w=450

1800.) Good Friday from the prophet Isaiah

“The Beautiful Mess” painting by Daniel Bonnell (Woodland Lutheran Church, St. Paul, MN)

Isaiah 53 (NLT)

Friday

The sky peels back to purple
and thunder slaps the thighs of heaven,
and all the tears of those who grieve
fly up to clouds and are released
and drench the earth.
The ones who see and hear
know
that all is lost.
The only One named Savior
died
upon a cross.
The ones who believed and loved
huddle together
stunned.
All night long
the angels weep.

–Ann Weems

_________________________

Music:

Samuel Barber wrote “Adagio for Strings” in 1938 as part of a work for string quartet;  he then transcribed it for voices in 1947 as a setting for the “Agnus Dei.”  Performed  HERE  by The Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,
have mercy upon us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,
have mercy upon us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,
grant us peace.

_________________________

¹ Who has believed our message?
To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?
² My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot,
like a root in dry ground.
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
nothing to attract us to him.
³ He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.

“Christ on the Cross” oil on canvas by El Greco, 1577.

⁴ Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
⁵ But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.

Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed
–Isaac Watts

Alas! and did my Savior bleed,
and did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
for sinners such as I?

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
and love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide,
and shut its glories in,
When Christ, the Mighty maker, died
for his own creatures’ sins.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
while his dear Cross appears;
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
and melt mine eyes to tears.

But tears of grief can ne’er repay
the debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give myself away–
‘tis all that I can do.

⁶ All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.

Romans 5:12-15 (NLT)

When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.  Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break.  Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did.

Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come.  But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.

⁷ He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
⁸ Unjustly condemned,
he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
⁹ He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal;
he was put in a rich man’s grave.

“The Entombment” oil on wood by Raphael, 1507 (Gallerai Borghese, Rome)

¹⁰ But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
¹¹ When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.

John 10:14-18 (NLT)

“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

“The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”

¹² I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.

“Fix your mind on the mercy of God,
His love for us,
and all that He suffered for our sake.”

–Teresa of Avila

_________________________

Images courtesy of:

Bonnell.    http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/the-beautiful-mess-daniel-bonnell.jpg

El Greco.    http://www.artnet.com/magazine_pre2000/news/tully/tully209.asp

crown of thorns.    http://eardstapa.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/crown-of-thorns.jpg

1 + 3 = 4.   http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Z5yfMgiXL._SL500_SS500_.jpg

Raphael.    http://www.abcgallery.com/R/raphael/raphael26.html

Good Shepherd icon.    http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/toulasmom/GoodShepherd.jpg

heart.   https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/heartlou.jpg

1799.) 2 Samuel 8

map of nations defeated by King David

2 Samuel 8   (NRSV)

David’s Wars

Some time afterward, David attacked the Philistines and subdued them; David took Metheg-ammah (that is, Gath, Goliath’s hometown) out of the hand of the Philistines.

²He also defeated the Moabites and, making them lie down on the ground, measured them off with a cord; he measured two lengths of cord for those who were to be put to death, and one length for those who were to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.

David’s conquests are laid end to end — illustration by Barbara Griffiths

To explain David’s cruel act, Jewish tradition asserts that the king of Moab had killed David’s parents, who had been entrusted to his care (1 Samuel 22:4).

³David also struck down King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah, as he went to restore his monument at the river Euphrates.

The border of Israel was carried to the Euphrates River, so that promise made by God to Abraham was fulfilled:

Genesis 15:18   (NLT)

So the LORD made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River.”

⁴David took from him one thousand seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but left enough for a hundred chariots.

Perhaps not as cruel as it sounds. It may have been there were simply too many horses for them to take care of while on a military campaign.

⁵When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand men of the Arameans. ⁶Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus; and the Arameans became servants to David and brought tribute. The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.

⁷David took the gold shields that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸From Betah and from Berothai, towns of Hadadezer, King David took a great amount of bronze.

⁹When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, ¹⁰Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to greet him and to congratulate him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him. Now Hadadezer had often been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him articles of silver, gold, and bronze; ¹¹these also King David dedicated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he subdued, ¹²from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoil of King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah.

¹³David won a name for himself. When he returned, he killed eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. ¹⁴He put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.

David now rules over a vast territory, from the Euphrates in the northeast to the Egyptian border in the southwest. The honor for this success is given to God.

Psalm 115:1   (NIV)

Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.

David’s Officers

teamwork!

¹⁵So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered justice and equity to all his people. ¹⁶Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; ¹⁷Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was secretary; ¹⁸Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests.

No great ruler succeeds by himself. Only the smallest organizations are governed well without a gifted and committed team. Part of David’s success as a ruler was found in his ability to assemble, train, empower, and maintain such a team.

–David Guzik

_________________________

Music:

All these battles and wars!  How grateful I am that we serve a King who is victorious!

HERE  is “Lead On, O King Eternal” — arrangement by Diane Bish;  Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church (FL) Chancel Choir, with Bish on the organ.

_________________________

The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

map.    http://www.bible-history.com/maps/Map-of-Nations-Defeated-byDavid.gif

Griffiths.    http://www.barbaragriffiths.com/images/bod/griffiths_bod_11.jpg

teamwork.    http://www.salajka.com/johnny/TeamworkProject/teamwork-games.jpg

1798.) 1 Chronicles 17

“Dreaming of Ancient Israel” by Eva Deutsch Costabel, 2007.

1 Chronicles 17 (NLT)

The Lord’s Covenant Promise to David

subtitled:  Who will build God’s house?

¹When David was settled in his palace, he summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant is out there under a tent!”

an example of the cedars of Lebanon

Remember — David’s neighbor, King Hiram of Tyre, had sent him cedar, a highly valued wood. Evidently that had been used to build a palace for David and his many wives and children. But it is weighing now on David, and he is distressed with the gap between his lovely home and the simple tent in which God’s Name dwells. David wants to build a temple for the Lord.

Learn about a discovery believed (by some, not by others) to be the ancient palace of King David!  Very interesting!  Click HERE.

² Nathan replied to David, “Do whatever you have in mind, for God is with you.”

³ But that same night God said to Nathan,

⁴ “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: You are not the one to build a house for me to live in. ⁵ I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. My home has always been a tent, moving from one place to another in a Tabernacle. ⁶ Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s leaders, the shepherds of my people. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’
⁷ “Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. ⁸ I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! ⁹ And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, ¹⁰ starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will defeat all your enemies.
“‘Furthermore, I declare that the Lord will build a house for you—a dynasty of kings! ¹¹ For when you die and join your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, one of your sons, and I will make his kingdom strong. ¹² He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for me.

But God has a different idea. David will not build a house for God. Instead, God will build a house, a dynasty, for David! God is the architect of David’s legacy and his kingdom. And a son (Solomon) will build the actual temple.

And I will secure his throne forever. ¹³ I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my favor from him as I took it from the one who ruled before you. ¹⁴ I will confirm him as king over my house and my kingdom for all time, and his throne will be secure forever.’”

“Root of Jesse” by German artist Walter Habdank.

The family of David did rule over Israel for more than four centuries, but was eventually removed because of evil added upon evil. Yet out of the “stump” of Jesse, God raised up a new branch that would reign for ever and ever (Isaiah 11:1-2).

–David Guzik

_________________________

Music:

HERE  is “All Hail, King Jesus!” by Dave Moody.  I like the five titles that are listed for the One whose name is high and lifted up!

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¹⁵ So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the Lord had said in this vision.

David’s Prayer of Thanks

¹⁶Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed,

“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? ¹⁷ And now, O God, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! You speak as though I were someone very great, O Lord God!
¹⁸ “What more can I say to you about the way you have honored me? You know what your servant is really like. ¹⁹ For the sake of your servant, O Lord, and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known.

David is in awe of the greatness of God and amazed that God would so elevate him. He has come to appreciate that to ask God to do according to his word is better than to act precipitately according to his own perceptions, even if highly intentioned. Of course, we must always ultimately act on the basis of our perceptions. But they must be informed, and transformed, by unremitting exposure to the word of God.

–J. G. McConville

²⁰ “O Lord, there is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you! ²¹ What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations that stood in their way. ²² You chose Israel to be your very own people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.

David has also come to see that God is not only his God, but the God of all Israel — and not just for now, but forever. Of course, “forever” presupposes obedience! God made that clear in 1 Samuel 2:30 — “Those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me will be lightly esteemed.” For the Israelites and for us, choices have consequences!

²³ “And now, O Lord, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. May it be a promise that will last forever. ²⁴ And may your name be established and honored forever so that everyone will say, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God!’ And may the house of your servant David continue before you forever.
²⁵ “O my God, I have been bold enough to pray to you because you have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him—a dynasty of kings! ²⁶ For you are God, O Lord. And you have promised these good things to your servant. ²⁷ And now, it has pleased you to bless the house of your servant, so that it will continue forever before you. For when you grant a blessing, O Lord, it is an eternal blessing!”

_________________________

New Living Translation (NLT)   Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

Costabel.     http://static1.squarespace.com/static/555377c0e4b0a9ac7391ad7a/55ba6a96e4b070f0b987334a/55ba6a9de4b0acc4176151a8/1438280350941/5e00853e0f12433485f218508e52caf8.JPG?format=750w

cedars of Lebanon.    https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/cedar_of_lebanon_1.jpg

Habdank.    https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/root-of-jesse1.jpg

Thank You, God.     http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lj21hjeCB61qeax09o1_250.jpg

1797.) 2 Samuel 7

 

This chapter contains the first mention of a permanent temple for God.

2 Samuel 7   (NRSV)

God’s Covenant with David

Now when the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, ²the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.”

A house of cedar for David! Quite a change from tents and caves!

³Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.”

So David told Nathan that he wanted to build a temple to replace the tabernacle. When Israel was in the wilderness more than 400 years before this, God commanded Moses to build a tent of meeting according to a specific pattern (Exodus 25:8-9). God never asked for a permanent building to replace the tent, but now David wanted to do this for God.

The tent of meeting — also known as the tabernacle — was perfectly suited to Israel in the wilderness because they constantly moved. Now that Israel was securely in the land and the ark of the covenant was in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:17), David thought it would be better and more appropriate to build a temple to replace the tabernacle.

–David Guzik

The two men agreed that it’s a great idea.  But no one thought to ask God for His opinion!

⁴But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: ⁵Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in?

David’s desire was commendable, but his gift and mission were to fight the Lord’s battles until Israel was securely at rest in the promised land.

–from the NIV Study Bible

⁶I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. ⁷Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”

⁸Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; ⁹and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. ¹⁰And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, ¹¹from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies.

Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house.

In a beautiful play on words God says that David is not to build him a house (temple); rather, God will build David a house (royal dynasty) that will last forever.

–from the NIV Study Bible

¹²When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me.

The Lord refuses David’s offer, and instead says that one of David’s sons will build the temple for the Lord.  We learn the reason for God’s decision in 1 Chronicles 22:8-10:

But this word of the LORD came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight.  But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon,  and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign.  He is the one who will build a house for my Name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’

When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings. ¹⁵But I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. ¹⁶Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.

“Madonna and Child” by Jason Jenicke

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV)

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor,  Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.

¹⁷In accordance with all these words and with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

David’s Prayer

David’s prayer expresses wonder that God would make such commitments to him and his descendants. But he also acknowledges that what God has pledged to him is for Israel’s sake, that its purpose is the fulfillment of God’s covenanted promises to his people—and that its ultimate effect will be the honor and praise of God throughout the world.

–from the NIV Study Bible

¹⁸Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? ¹⁹And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God; you have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come. May this be instruction for the people, O Lord God!

²⁰“And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! ²¹Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have wrought all this greatness, so that your servant may know it.

²²“Therefore you are great, O Lord God; for there is no one like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. ²³Who is like your people, like Israel? Is there another nation on earth whose God went to redeem it as a people, and to make a name for himself, doing great and awesome things for them, by driving out before his people nations and their gods? ²⁴And you established your people Israel for yourself to be your people forever; and you, O Lord, became their God.

²⁵“And now, O Lord God, as for the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, confirm it forever; do as you have promised. ²⁶Thus your name will be magnified forever in the saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel’; and the house of your servant David will be established before you.

²⁷“For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house’; therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. ²⁸And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true,

and you have promised this good thing to your servant; ²⁹now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you; for you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

David learned that God didn’t want him to build the temple, but David didn’t respond by doing nothing. According to 1 Chronicles 29:2-9, David gathered all the materials for building the temple so that Solomon could build a glorious house for God.

David boldly prays that, even though he cannot do what he wants, that the Lord will do just what the Lord has promised.  As the psalmist wrote in Psalm 138:8 —

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your love, O LORD, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands.

_________________________

Music:

And indeed God honored David’s prayer, and established the house of his servant forever, in the person of Jesus Christ.  We praise Him now and forever.

HERE  is “You Are Holy (Prince of Peace).”

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The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

cedar log house.    http://www.vared.com/cedar-log-home-7.html

Jenicke.  http://aboutreligiousart.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/yhst-37939424361191_2027_161446281.jpg

John 17:17.    https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/21/4f/46/214f467a722cc306904d34fd58c4ef07.jpg

1796.) Psalm 105

Psalm 105  The Message (MSG)

Hallelujah! Thank God! Pray to him by name!
Tell everyone you meet what he has done!

“Be thankful for the smallest blessing, and you will deserve to receive greater. Value the least gifts no less than the greatest, and simple graces as especial favors. If you remember the dignity of the Giver, no gift will seem small or mean, for nothing can be valueless that is given by the most high God.” 

–Thomas a Kempis

Sing him songs, belt out hymns,
translate his wonders into music!
Honor his holy name with Hallelujahs,
you who seek God. Live a happy life!
Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works;
be alert for signs of his presence.

Remember the world of wonders he has made,
his miracles, and the verdicts he’s rendered—
O seed of Abraham, his servant,
O child of Jacob, his chosen.

^7-15 He’s God, our God,
in charge of the whole earth.

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

–from the Nicene Creed

And he remembers, remembers his Covenant—
for a thousand generations he’s been as good as his word.
It’s the Covenant he made with Abraham,
the same oath he swore to Isaac,
The very statute he established with Jacob,
the eternal Covenant with Israel,

Namely, “I give you the land.
Canaan is your hill-country inheritance.”
When they didn’t count for much,
a mere handful, and strangers at that,
Wandering from country to country,
drifting from pillar to post,

“Not all who wander are lost.”

–J. R. R. Tolkien

He permitted no one to abuse them.
He told kings to keep their hands off:
“Don’t you dare lay a hand on my anointed,
don’t hurt a hair on the heads of my prophets.”

^16-22 Then he called down a famine on the country,
he broke every last blade of wheat.
But he sent a man on ahead:
Joseph, sold as a slave.

They put cruel chains on his ankles,
an iron collar around his neck,
Until God’s word came to the Pharaoh,
and God confirmed his promise.
God sent the king to release him.
The Pharaoh set Joseph free;
He appointed him master of his palace,
put him in charge of all his business
To personally instruct his princes
and train his advisors in wisdom.

Proverbs 23:17-18  (NLT)

Don’t envy sinners,
    but always continue to fear the Lord.
You will be rewarded for this;
    your hope will not be disappointed.

^23-42 Then Israel entered Egypt,
Jacob immigrated to the Land of Ham.
God gave his people lots of babies;
soon their numbers alarmed their foes.
He turned the Egyptians against his people;
they abused and cheated God’s servants.
Then he sent his servant Moses,
and Aaron, whom he also chose.

I tremble for my country when I hear of confidence expressed in me. I know too well my weakness, that our only hope is in God.

–General Robert E. Lee

They worked marvels in that spiritual wasteland,
miracles in the Land of Ham.
He spoke, “Darkness!” and it turned dark—
they couldn’t see what they were doing.
He turned all their water to blood
so that all their fish died;
He made frogs swarm through the land,
even into the king’s bedroom;

He gave the word and flies swarmed,
gnats filled the air.
He substituted hail for rain,
he stabbed their land with lightning;
He wasted their vines and fig trees,
smashed their groves of trees to splinters;

With a word he brought in locusts,
millions of locusts, armies of locusts;
They consumed every blade of grass in the country
and picked the ground clean of produce;
He struck down every firstborn in the land,
the first fruits of their virile powers.
He led Israel out, their arms filled with loot,
and not one among his tribes even stumbled.
Egypt was glad to have them go—
they were scared to death of them.
God spread a cloud to keep them cool through the day
and a fire to light their way through the night;

“Pillar of Fire” by Jeanne Kun

They prayed and he brought quail,
filled them with the bread of heaven;
He opened the rock and water poured out;

Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me . . .

“The earthly form of Christ is the form that died on the cross. The image of God is the image of Christ crucified. It is to this image that the life of the disciples must be conformed; in other words, they must be conformed to his death (Phil 3.10, Rom 6.4). The Christian life is a life of crucifixion (Gal 2.19). In baptism the form of Christ’s death is impressed upon his own. They are dead to the flesh and to sin, they are dead to the world, and the world is dead to them (Gal 6.14). Anybody living in the strength of Christ’s baptism lives in the strength of Christ’s death.”

–Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

it flowed like a river through that desert—
All because he remembered his Covenant,
his promise to Abraham, his servant.

^43-45 Remember this! He led his people out singing for joy;
his chosen people marched, singing their hearts out!
He made them a gift of the country they entered,
helped them seize the wealth of the nations
So they could do everything he told them—
could follow his instructions to the letter.

Hallelujah!

_________________________

Music:

Perhaps you are in a busy or difficult or trying time in your life right now. Perhaps you have lost a loved one, or maybe you are moving, or you could be looking for a different job. As I was working on this psalm, I felt a sweet assurance that, just as God led the people of Israel out of bondage in Egypt to the Promised Land, so we can count on the Lord to lead us where we need to go. And this is not wishful thinking, or a false hope — Jesus has promised to be with us always!

Fanny Crosby wrote the hymn “All the Way My Savior Leads Me,” and  HERE  is Chris Tomlin’s version.

_________________________

The Message (MSG)   Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Images courtesy of:

Keep your eyes open.    https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/psalm105_04.jpg

Seek the Lord and his strength.   https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/psalm105b.jpg

Abraham and the stars.   http://www.sundayschoollessons.com/sunfolder2/image9.gif

Joseph sold.   https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/3_3_joseph_sold.jpg

frogs.   http://www.lindaedwards.co.uk/i/pics/sm/webphoto_dza8.jpg

hail.   http://www.bl.uk/learning/images/story/haggadah/large6195.html

Kun.   http://www.rc.net/wcc/kun3.jpg

He opened the rock.   http://biblestudyoutlines.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Psalm-105-41-43.jpg

Hallelujah.   https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/hallelujah1.jpg

1795.) Psalm 96

Psalm 96 (NIV)

After many years — since the ark was lost in battle — the ark is returned to the center of Israel’s national consciousness. The emblem of God’s presence and glory was set at its proper place in Israel. David instituted ongoing service and worship before the ark of the covenant at its new resting place in Jerusalem. David was known as sweet psalmist of Israel (2 Samuel 23:1), and this psalm seems to have been written to include in the worship.
–David Guzik

Verses 1-6 compose a call to all nations to sing the praise of the Lord:

¹ Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
² Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.

Triple repetition (“Sing . . . sing . . . Sing”) was a common feature in Old Testament liturgical calls to worship.
–notes from the NIV Study Bible

³ Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

⁴ For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
⁵ For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
⁶ Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

Verses 7-13 compose a call to all nations to worship the Lord and to hail throughout the world the glory of his righteous rule:

⁷ Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
⁸ Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.

The threefold “ascribe” here balances the threefold “sing” of verses 1-2.
–notes from the NIV Study Bible

⁹ Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.
¹⁰ Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.”
The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.

He rules the world with truth and grace
and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness
and wonders of his love.

–Isaac Watts

¹¹ Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
¹² Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
¹³ Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in his faithfulness.

_________________________

Music:

HERE.  Kairos: A Consort of Singers, a vocal ensemble located in West Park, NY, performs Psalm 96, “Chantez a Dieu, chanson nouvelle” (Sing to the Lord a New Song) by 16th century Dutch composer Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck. Recorded at Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, NY in June, 2009.

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New International Version (NIV)   Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.com

Images courtesy of:

Sing to the Lord.   http://pjoedy.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/psalm-96.jpg

Ascribe to the Lord.   https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/41/d2/cc/41d2cc8b0e8796338f1d5ff75aa99271.jpg