Month: February 2019

February 14, 2019

1 Kings 4 – 2019-02-14

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  • Bible Text:1 Kings 4:1-34 (ESV)

    1 King Solomon was king over all Israel, 2 and these were his high officials: Azariah the son of Zadok was the priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah the sons of Shisha were secretaries; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 4 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 5 Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan was priest and king’s friend; 6 Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram the son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor.

    7 Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household. Each man had to make provision for one month in the year. 8 These were their names: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim; 9 Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elonbeth-hanan; 10 Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (to him belonged Socoh and all the land of Hepher); 11 Ben-abinadab, in all Naphath-dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as his wife); 12 Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth-shean that is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, and from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as the other side of Jokmeam; 13 Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (he had the villages of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead, and he had the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars); 14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he had taken Basemath the daughter of Solomon as his wife); 16 Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; 17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18 Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; 19 Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan. And there was one governor who was over the land.

    20 Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy. 21  Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

    22 Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors of fine flour and sixty cors of meal, 23 ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl. 24 For he had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates. And he had peace on all sides around him. 25 And Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beersheba, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon. 26 Solomon also had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen. 27 And those officers supplied provisions for King Solomon, and for all who came to King Solomon’s table, each one in his month. They let nothing be lacking. 28 Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where it was required, each according to his duty.

    29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, 30 so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. 32 He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. 33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish.                           34 And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

  • Reflection & Application:  1 Kings 4:1-6
    • Think of the role each person needed to fulfill.  What kind of people would Solomon have needed in each of these roles for the kingdom to thrive?
    • What is my role in God’s kingdom, and what kind of character, abilities, and attitudes must I have so that I can faithfully fulfill this role?

    1 Kings 4:20-28

    • Reflect on the fact that no one generation could have established such a stable, safe, and prosperous kingdom. David and his men fulfilled their role of building up the kingdom, subduing enemy nations through many courageous battles in their generation, and they passed on a stable kingdom with “peace on all sides” to Solomon. Given this, what would have been Solomon and his men’s generational role and responsibility before God?
    • Reflect on the particular historical heritage I have received.  How, and with what, should I build on this foundation?
  • Prayer
By carmenhsu
February 13, 2019

1 Kings 3 – 2019-02-13

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  • Bible Text:

    1 Kings 3:1-28 (ESV)

    1 Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord.

    3 Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

    5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

    10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. 14 And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”

    15 And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

    16 Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. 18 Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were alone. There was no one else with us in the house; only we two were in the house. 19 And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him. 20 And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast. 21 When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I looked at him closely in the morning, behold, he was not the child that I had borne.” 22 But the other woman said, “No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours.” The first said, “No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine.” Thus they spoke before the king.

    23 Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.’” 24 And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king. 25 And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” 26 Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.” 27 Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.” 28 And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.

  • Reflection & Application:  1 Kings 3:5-9
    • If God were to say to me, “Ask what I shall give you,” what would be my answer?
    • How much do I value “an understanding mind… to discern between good and evil”?
    • What position and people has God entrusted to me?
    • What is my attitude toward the position and people God has entrusted to me?

    1 Kings 3:16-28

    • Soon after receiving wisdom from God, Solomon stewards this gift by administering justice. What gifts or blessings have I been given?  How am I stewarding the blessings God has given me?
    • Notice that Solomon’s wisdom in this instance involved the ability to bridge the distance between himself and the prostitutes, and enter into the heart of a mother in order to conceive of the right test that would reveal the true mother.  What does this show about the nature of wisdom?
  • Prayer
By carmenhsu
February 12, 2019

1 Kings 2 – 2019-02-12

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  • Bible Text: 1 Kings 2:1-46 (ESV)

    1 When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying,

    2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man,

    3 and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn,

    4 that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of

    Israel.’

    5 “Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet. 6 Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace. 7 But deal loyally with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for with such loyalty they met me when I fled from Absalom your brother. 8 And there is also with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ 9 Now therefore do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man. You will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol.”

    10 Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. 11 And the time that David reigned over Israel was forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 12 So Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.

    13 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, “Do you come peacefully?” He said, “Peacefully.” 14 Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” She said, “Speak.” 15 He said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel fully expected me to reign. However, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother’s, for it was his from the Lord. 16 And now I have one request to make of you; do not refuse me.” She said to him, “Speak.” 17 And he said, “Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.” 18 Bathsheba said, “Very well; I will speak for you to the king.”

    19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought for the king’s mother, and she sat on his right. 20 Then she said, “I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Make your request, my mother, for I will not refuse you.” 21 She said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as his wife.” 22 King Solomon answered his mother, “And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he is my older brother, and on his side are Abiathar the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah.” 23 Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, “God do so to me and more also if this word does not cost Adonijah his life! 24 Now therefore as the Lord lives, who has established me and placed me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death today.” 25 So King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he struck him down, and he died.

    26 And to Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your estate, for you deserve death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because you shared in all my father’s affliction.” 27 So Solomon expelled Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, thus fulfilling the word of the Lord that he had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

    28 When the news came to Joab—for Joab had supported Adonijah although he had not supported Absalom—Joab fled to the tent of the Lord and caught hold of the horns of the altar. 29 And when it was told King Solomon, “Joab has fled to the tent of the Lord, and behold, he is beside the altar,” Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down.”    30 So Benaiah came to the tent of the Lord and said to him, “The king commands, ‘Come out.’” But he said, “No, I will die here.” Then Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, “Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.” 31 The king replied to him, “Do as he has said, strike him down and bury him, and thus take away from me and from my father’s house the guilt for the blood that Joab shed without cause. 32 The Lord will bring back his bloody deeds on his own head, because, without the knowledge of my father David, he attacked and killed with the sword two men more righteous and better than himself, Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. 33 So shall their blood come back on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever. But for David and for his descendants and for his house and for his throne there shall be peace from the Lord forevermore.” 34 Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and struck him down and put him to death. And he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. 35 The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in place of Joab, and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.

    36 Then the king sent and summoned Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there to any place whatever. 37 For on the day you go out and cross the brook Kidron, know for certain that you shall die. Your blood shall be on your own head.” 38 And Shimei said to the king, “What you say is good; as my lord the king has said, so will your servant do.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days.

    39 But it happened at the end of three years that two of Shimei’s servants ran away to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. And when it was told Shimei, “Behold, your servants are in Gath,” 40 Shimei arose and saddled a donkey and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants. Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath. 41 And when Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and returned, 42 the king sent and summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord and solemnly warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and go to any place whatever, you shall die’? And you said to me, ‘What you say is good; I will obey.’ 43 Why then have you not kept your oath to the Lord and the commandment with which I commanded you?” 44 The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your own heart all the harm that you did to David my father. So the Lord will bring back your harm on your own head. 45 But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever.” 46 Then the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck him down, and he died.

    So the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

  • Reflection & Application:  

    1 Kings 2:1-4

    • Reflect on David’s last charge to Solomon.

    1 Kings 2:13-25

    • What can be concluded about Adonijah’s character, judgment, and view of God from his request to have Abishag as his wife?
    • Are there some ways in which my desire for something (or someone) can overpower my sense of propriety and judgment to my own ruin?
  • Prayer
By carmenhsu
February 11, 2019

1 Kings 1 – 2019-02-11

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  • Bible Text:   1 Kings 1:1-53 (ESV)

    1 Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm. 2 Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service. Let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king may be warm.” 3 So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 The young woman was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king and attended to him, but the king knew her not.

    5 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.   6 His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom. 7 He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him. 8 But Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei and David’s mighty men were not with Adonijah.

    9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent’s Stone, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, 10 but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother.

    11 Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king and David our lord does not know it? 12 Now therefore come, let me give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go in at once to King David, and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, “Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then is Adonijah king?’ 14 Then while you are still speaking with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.”

    15 So Bathsheba went to the king in his chamber (now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending to the king). 16 Bathsheba bowed and paid homage to the king, and the king said, “What do you desire?” 17 She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’ 18 And now, behold, Adonijah is king, although you, my lord the king, do not know it. 19 He has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but Solomon your servant he has not invited. 20 And now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted offenders.”

    22 While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 23 And they told the king, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the king, he bowed before the king, with his face to the ground. 24 And Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? 25 For he has gone down this day and has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 But me, your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he has not invited. 27 Has this thing been brought about by my lord the king and you have not told your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

    28 Then King David answered, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29 And the king swore, saying, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity, 30 as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ even so will I do this day.”

    31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and paid homage to the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”

    32 King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king. 33 And the king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon.      34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet there anoint him king over Israel. Then blow the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35 You shall then come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, for he shall be king in my place. And I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.” 36 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say so. 37 As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”

    38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule and brought him to Gihon. 39 There Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” 40 And all the people went up after him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise.

    41 Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished feasting. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “What does this uproar in the city mean?” 42 While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are a worthy man and bring good news.” 43 Jonathan answered Adonijah, “No, for our lord King David has made Solomon king, 44 and the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And they had him ride on the king’s mule. 45 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon, and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard. 46 Solomon sits on the royal throne. 47 Moreover, the king’s servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than yours, and make his throne greater than your throne.’ And the king bowed himself on the bed. 48 And the king also said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has granted someone to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it.’”

    49 Then all the guests of Adonijah trembled and rose, and each went his own way. 50 And Adonijah feared Solomon. So he arose and went and took hold of the horns of the altar.

    51 Then it was told Solomon, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” 52 And Solomon said, “If he will show himself a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” 53 So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and paid homage to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”

    Reflection & Application:  

    David’s first son, Amnon, had been murdered by the third, Absalom, who himself died while leading a rebellion against David (2 Sa. 13:23–29; 18:9–15). As no mention is made of David’s second son, Chileab, he had presumably died too, leaving Adonijah as the eldest surviving son and natural heir to David’s throne. The writer intends to remind us of these circumstances by pointing out that Adonijah was born next after Absalom (6). The description of him as a very handsome man recalls David’s early good looks (1 Sa. 16:12) and further suggests that here is David’s natural successor. [1]

    1 Kings 1:1-7

    • What was inappropriate about Adonijah’s actions, and what factors contributed to Adonijah’s overreach?
    • What are some ways that I exalt myself?

    1 Kings 1:11-27

    • Notice how tense the issue of succession had been allowed to become because of David’s inaction, and how disaster was averted only barely.  Is there some situation in my life about which I am headed toward trouble due to my passivity and inaction?
    • Nathan’s actions led to the proper appointment of Solomon as King.  Reflect on the role of one person’s alertness and decisiveness in restoring the will of God over His people.

    [1]  Bimson, J. J. (1994). 1 and 2 Kings. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 339). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.

Prayer

By carmenhsu
February 8, 2019

2 Samuel 24 – 2019-02-08

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  • Bible Text:   

    2 Samuel 24:1-25 (ESV) 

    1 Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go, number Israel and Judah.” 2 So the king said to Joab, the commander of the army, who was with him, “Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and number the people, that I may know the number of the people.” 3 But Joab said to the king, “May the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see it, but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?” 4 But the king’s word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to number the people of Israel. 5 They crossed the Jordan and began from Aroer, and from the city that is in the middle of the valley, toward Gad and on to Jazer. 6 Then they came to Gilead, and to Kadesh in the land of the Hittites; and they came to Dan, and from Dan they went around to Sidon, 7 and came to the fortress of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites; and they went out to the Negeb of Judah at Beersheba. 8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: in Israel there were 800,000 valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000.

    10 But David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.” 11 And when David arose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, 12 “Go and say to David, ‘Thus says the Lord, Three things I offer you. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.’” 13 So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me.” 14 Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.”

    15 So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men. 16 And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and against my father’s house.”

    18 And Gad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up, raise an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 So David went up at Gad’s word, as the Lord commanded. 20 And when Araunah looked down, he saw the king and his servants coming on toward him. And Araunah went out and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground. 21 And Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be averted from the people.” 22 Then Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. 23 All this, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.” 24 But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 And David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.

    Reflection & Application:  

    2 Samuel 24:1-3

    • Why is it that in this case, taking the census is offensive to God?
    • In what ways do I take stock of my accomplishments or the things I have when I feel like God may not deliver on His promises?
    • What do I draw my security and pride from apart from God?

    2 Samuel 24:10

    • It is through David’s own conscience that he realizes he has sinned against God in taking the census.  What is the role of conscience in realizing sin and what should be my response to the witness of my conscience?
    • How reliable is my conscience and how responsive am I to its prodding?

    2 Samuel 24:24

    • David insists on paying for the threshing floor and any burnt offering even though he could have easily gotten them for free.  What does this show about true repentance, and about the proper attitude in coming before God in general?

Prayer

By carmenhsu
February 7, 2019

2 Samuel 23 – 2019-02-07

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  • Bible Text:  
    2 Samuel 23:13-39 (ESV) 

    13 And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. 15 And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” 16 Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the Lord 17 and said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

    18 Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them and won a name beside the three. 19 He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three.

    20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. 21 And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men. 23 He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.

    24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,  25 Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, 27 Abiezer of Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai of Netophah, 29 Heleb the son of Baanah of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Bahurim, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai of Maacah, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezro of Carmel, Paarai the Arbite,      36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

    Reflection & Application:  

    2 Samuel 23:14-17

    “This story is retold here to give readers insight into the caliber of men with whom David surrounded himself. They treated his wish almost as a command and risked their lives fighting their way through the Philistine garrison in order to bring their leader a drink from the well (v.16). Although their names are not given, they have modeled for succeeding generations a kind of enthusiastic, loving self-forgetfulness in relationship with others. …this is the kind of thinking that Christ needs from each of His children, that His slightest wish would be considered by us to be a command that we would joyfully do whatever the cost…” [1]

    • What are the characteristics of the “mighty men” shown by this exploit?  What does this show about their relationship with David, their commander?
    • How can I exhibit these same characteristics in my relationship with God?
    • What can I learn from David about what he does with the precious gift brought to him by the three men?

    2 Samuel 23:8-39

    “While the names on the list mean little to today’s readers it should serve as a reminder that every movement, whether it is the building of a nation or a church, is dependent upon a host of loyal, faithful people who give themselves unselfishly. Often history lifts up the names of the leaders and tends to forget the faithful followers. Like the historian, we should preserve the names of God’s mighty men and women.” [2]

    • Who are the “mighty men” that God has placed in my life, without whom I would not be where I am today in my experience of God’s promises to me?
    • What were the backgrounds and humble beginnings of these mighty men who followed David?
    • What hope can this give me?

    [1] Kenneth Chafin, Mastering the Old Testament: 1 & 2 Samuel (Dallas, London, Vancouver, Melbourne: Word Publishing, 1989) 393.

    [2] Kenneth Chafin, Mastering the Old Testament: 1 & 2 Samuel (Dallas, London, Vancouver, Melbourne: Word Publishing, 1989) 393.

Prayer

By carmenhsu
February 6, 2019

2 Samuel 23 – 2019-02-06

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  • Bible Text:  
    2 Samuel 23:1-12 (ESV)1 Now these are the last words of David:

    The oracle of David, the son of Jesse,

    the oracle of the man who was raised on high,

    the anointed of the God of Jacob,

    the sweet psalmist of Israel:

    2 “The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me;

    his word is on my tongue.

    3 The God of Israel has spoken;

    the Rock of Israel has said to me:

    When one rules justly over men,

    ruling in the fear of God,

    4 he dawns on them like the morning light,

    like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning,

    like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.

    5 “For does not my house stand so with God?

    For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,

    ordered in all things and secure.

    For will he not cause to prosper

    all my help and my desire?

    6 But worthless men are all like thorns that are thrown away,

    for they cannot be taken with the hand;

    7 but the man who touches them

    arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear,

    and they are utterly consumed with fire.”

    8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.

    9 And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. 10 He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the Lord brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain.

    11 And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines. 12 But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory.

    Reflection & Application:  

    2 Samuel 23:8-12

    • Reflect on the fact that while “the men of Israel withdrew,” Eleazar “rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary.”  Again, “the men fled” but Shammah “took his stand.”  What does it take to stand my ground when others flee?
    • Notice that after Eleazar and Shammah’s valiant actions are described, the text follows with the words, “the Lord worked a great victory.” What can I learn about how God works and the role I need to play in his kingdom work?

Prayer

By carmenhsu
February 5, 2019

2 Samuel 22 – 2019-02-05

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  • Bible Text:  
    2 Samuel 22:1-51 (ESV) 

    1 And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said,

    “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

    3  my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,

    my shield, and the horn of my salvation,

    my stronghold and my refuge,

    my savior; you save me from violence.

    4 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,

    and I am saved from my enemies.

    5 “For the waves of death encompassed me,

    the torrents of destruction assailed me;

    6 the cords of Sheol entangled me;

    the snares of death confronted me.

    7 “In my distress I called upon the Lord;

    to my God I called.

    From his temple he heard my voice,

    and my cry came to his ears.

    8 “Then the earth reeled and rocked;

    the foundations of the heavens trembled

    and quaked, because he was angry.

    9 Smoke went up from his nostrils,

    and devouring fire from his mouth;

    glowing coals flamed forth from him.

    10 He bowed the heavens and came down;

    thick darkness was under his feet.

    11 He rode on a cherub and flew;

    he was seen on the wings of the wind.

    12 He made darkness around him his canopy,

    thick clouds, a gathering of water.

    13 Out of the brightness before him

    coals of fire flamed forth.

    14 The Lord thundered from heaven,

    and the Most High uttered his voice.

    15 And he sent out arrows and scattered them;

    lightning, and routed them.

    16 Then the channels of the sea were seen;

    the foundations of the world were laid bare,

    at the rebuke of the Lord,

    at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

    17 “He sent from on high, he took me;

    he drew me out of many waters.

    18 He rescued me from my strong enemy,

    from those who hated me,

    for they were too mighty for me.

    19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,

    but the Lord was my support.

    20 He brought me out into a broad place;

    he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

    21 “The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness;

    according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.

    22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord

    and have not wickedly departed from my God.

    23 For all his rules were before me,

    and from his statutes I did not turn aside.

    24 I was blameless before him,

    and I kept myself from guilt.

    25 And the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,

    according to my cleanness in his sight.

    26 “With the merciful you show yourself merciful;

    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;

    27 with the purified you deal purely,

    and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.

    28 You save a humble people,

    but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.

    29 For you are my lamp, O Lord,

    and my God lightens my darkness.

    30 For by you I can run against a troop,

    and by my God I can leap over a wall.

    31 This God—his way is perfect;

    the word of the Lord proves true;

    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

    32 “For who is God, but the Lord?

    And who is a rock, except our God?

    33 This God is my strong refuge

    and has made my way blameless.

    34 He made my feet like the feet of a deer

    and set me secure on the heights.

    35 He trains my hands for war,

    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

    36 You have given me the shield of your salvation,

    and your gentleness made me great.

    37 You gave a wide place for my steps under me,

    and my feet did not slip;

    38 I pursued my enemies and destroyed them,

    and did not turn back until they were consumed.

    39 I consumed them; I thrust them through, so that they did not rise;

    they fell under my feet.

    40 For you equipped me with strength for the battle;

    you made those who rise against me sink under me.

    41 You made my enemies turn their backs to me,

    those who hated me, and I destroyed them.

    42 They looked, but there was none to save;

    they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.

    43 I beat them fine as the dust of the earth;

    I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets.

    44 “You delivered me from strife with my people;

    you kept me as the head of the nations;

    people whom I had not known served me.

    45 Foreigners came cringing to me;

    as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.

    46 Foreigners lost heart

    and came trembling out of their fortresses.

    47 “The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,

    and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,

    48 the God who gave me vengeance

    and brought down peoples under me,

    49 who brought me out from my enemies;

    you exalted me above those who rose against me;

    you delivered me from men of violence.

    50 “For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,

    and sing praises to your name.

    51 Great salvation he brings to his king,

    and shows steadfast love to his anointed,

    to David and his offspring forever.

    Reflection & Application:  

    2 Samuel 22:1-7

    • Think about the number and intensity of the actual situations that must have given rise to the varied expressions in vv. 5-6.  What relationship is there between the wide range of David’s difficulties and the extensive range of David’s description of what God has been to him?
    • Have I forfeited such fellowship with God by avoiding difficulties?

    2 Samuel 22:8-20

    • Reflection on the following words: “He sent from on high” (v.17), “he drew me out” (v. 17), “He rescued me” (v. 18), “the Lord was my support” (v. 19), and “he delighted in me” (v. 20).  How do these words describe what God has done (and is doing) in my life?

    2 Samuel 22:32-51

    “It is only in section three of this song (vv.29-51) that we come to the combination of royal gifts with the ultimate empowering (and forgiving) grace of God, which makes the future possible for God’s people. […] The king is nothing without the grace of God; nevertheless, God has chosen to work through David and the subsequent kings of his line.  God has chosen to work messianically – that is, through God’s anointed one.  It is this combination of divine providence and human action that uniquely summarizes the books of Samuel and the story of David in particular.”[1]

    • David’s life is a clear testament of God’s triumph over sin.  Have I accepted the fact that God gives “great salvation” from sin and death, and my sin is not the final word over my life?

    [1] Bruce C. Birch, “The First and Second Books of Samuel,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. II (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1998), 1366.

Prayer

By carmenhsu
February 4, 2019

2 Samuel 21 – 2019-02-04

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  • Bible Text:  
    2 Samuel 21:15-22 (ESV) 15 There was war again between the Philistines and Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines. And David grew weary. 16 And Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze, and who was armed with a new sword, thought to kill David. 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”

    18 After this there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants.             19 And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck down Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 20 And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants. 21 And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David’s brother, struck him down. 22 These four were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

    Reflection & Application:  

    2 Samuel 21:15-22

    • Reflect on the following words: “There was war again,” “After this there was again war,” “And there was again war,” “And there was again war.”  What does this passage say regarding the working out of God’s promises?
    • What are some promises that I, as a child of God, need to lay hold of through courageous obedience?

Prayer

By carmenhsu
February 1, 2019

2 Samuel 21 – 2019-02-01

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  • Bible Text:  
    2 Samuel 21:1-14 (ESV)21 Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the Lord. And the Lord said, “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.” 2 So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the people of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites. Although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah. 3 And David said to the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? And how shall I make atonement, that you may bless the heritage of the Lord?” 4 The Gibeonites said to him, “It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.” And he said, “What do you say that I shall do for you?” 5 They said to the king, “The man who consumed us and planned to destroy us, so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel,      6 let seven of his sons be given to us, so that we may hang them before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the Lord.” And the king said, “I will give them.”

    7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. 8 The king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; 9 and he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the Lord, and the seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest.

    10 Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell upon them from the heavens. And she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day, or the beasts of the field by night. 11 When David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, 12 David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. 13 And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged. 14 And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they did all that the king commanded. And after that God responded to the plea for the land.

    Reflection & Application:  

    2 Samuel 21:1

    • David “sought the face of the Lord” in the face of three successive years of famine.  How do I respond when I am in a situation beyond my control?

    2 Samuel 21:1-9

    “Although the Bible does not record Saul’s act of vengeance against the Gibeonites, it was apparently a serious crime making him guilty of their blood.  Still, why were Saul’s sons killed for the murders their father committed?  In many Near Eastern cultures, including Israel’s, an entire family was held guilty for the crime of the father because the family was considered an indissoluble unit.  Saul broke the vow that the Israelites made to the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:16-20).  This was a serious offense against God’s law (Numbers 30:1-2).  Either David was following the custom of treating the family as a unit, or Saul’s sons were guilty of helping Saul kill the Gibeonites.”[1]

    • Reflect on the consequences of Saul’s sin.

    2 Samuel 21:1-14

    • Reflect on the loving actions of David bringing “the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan” and “the bones of those who were hanged” and giving them a proper burial after such a tragic episode.  What lesson is here about the proper course of action in the midst of tragedy?
    • What is the significance of the statement: “And after that God responded to the plea for the land”?

    [1] Life Application Study Bible, Study Notes (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1991) 531.

Prayer

By carmenhsu
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