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MAY 24
2 Samuel 4-6
Just a parenthetical note here. After the books of Samuel, come the
books of Kings and Chronicles. Some of the history we are reading will be
recounted in those books. So, as you read, try to remember or notice if a story
is being repeated and then go back and look at the first rendition. Often in
the other recounting, there will be new details, sometimes even a spiritual
commentary on the event.
2 Samuel 4
Vs. 1-3 Note that the assassination of Abner didn’t bring the civil war
to an end. I'm sure that Joab thought that killing Abner was a good idea,
especially if it brought an end to the war. God is never glorified by that kind
of stuff. It is too bad that David allowed someone poisonous like Joab to get
close to him.
Not only was Ish-bosheth frightened by the news of Abner's murder, but
all Israel, that is, the other 11 tribes, lost heart.
V. 4 This is an important note. The reason that Mephibosheth
("from the mouth of shamefulness" - what awful names) is mentioned
here is that with Ish-bosheth dead, Mephibosheth would have been a contender to
the throne. But since he was a cripple, he apparently wasn't dangerous. Soon,
we'll hear more about M, and his condition plays a role in understanding some
of what is coming up.
Vs. 5-12 Apparently this was a horrible assassination. Stabbing him in
the stomach was not only a slow death, but it was the same murderous death
inflicted by Joab on Abner. Remember again that David was the son-in-law of
Saul. It is likely that he and Ish-bosheth had been friends. What were these
guys thinking? Whatever it was, they didn’t realize that David was spiritually
minded, and deadly.
V. 12 The way David displayed the bodies showed his disdain. Cursed is
everyone who is hung from a tree.
2 Samuel 5
Vs. 1-5 As you note the age of David here, remember that he had been
anointed by Samuel sometime around the age of twelve. Twenty-five years was how
long Abraham had to wait from God’s promise to the birth of Isaac. Waiting is
the norm in following God, not the exception.
I find it interesting that the heads of the tribes already knew this
about God's choice of David. So why did they fight such a long war? Notice in
v. 5 that the difference between Judah and Israel is firmly established. David
would make them one unified nation, but even during David’s life, it didn’t
take much to break that unity.
Vs. 6-10 This is David taking Jerusalem, once and for all. We've been
reading about Jerusalem and the Jebusites for a long time, but now the case is
settled. For another look at this battle and for what became official as a
result of it, look at 1 Chronicles 11:6. The Luther, KJV and NKJV seem to
insert a part of 1 Chronicles 11:6 into v. 8. It was another one of those
things that made Joab hard to get rid of. According to the Bible Knowledge
Commentary-OT, p. 461, Jerusalem was a good choice for a capital city
because in all the years Israel was in the land it was always under the control
of the Jebusites, and therefore neutral. Another reason it was a good choice is
that the city was given to both Judah and Benjamin by Joshua. And then, I think
the main reason Jerusalem became the capital is that David apparently thought
it was a cool place. I’ll bet God gave him that thought.
Vs. 11-12 This was encouragement from the Lord that He was blessing
David and Israel. It is significant that David, who had lived in tents for
years, now had a house. That will be important in a few verses.
Vs. 13-15 I guess this is given to show evidence of God's blessing. I'm
too much in the one man/one woman frame of mind to see this as a blessing.
That's 11 more kids and maybe as many new wives. I wonder if David did much
consulting of God in this area of his life. I think this ruined David, just as
it will ruin Solomon.
Vs. 17-25 Having taken Jerusalem and making it the national capital was
unprecedented in Israel. It was like, "whoa, they mean business." Not
only that, Jerusalem had a reputation for being like a fortress. For the
Philistines, it was time to move against David. Notice that David did do some
"consulting" here. To me it is interesting to see that this wasn’t
just the U&T, but there had to have been a prophet involved because of the
detailed instructions in the second battle. We’ll meet that prophet tomorrow.
2 Samuel 6
I think bringing the ark to Jerusalem was more a desire of David's
heart, than a political move; but as a political move, it was smart too. Even
in Samuel's day, Samuel had to make a circuit of teaching and leading people in
worship in different places. Israel hadn't been unified in worship, as God
intended it to be, since the days of Joshua.
The ark at this point had been separated from the tabernacle for about
100 years.
Because of David's love for the Lord, and perhaps because he had made
his own copy of the law, David sought to bring the ark of the covenant and the
tabernacle together at Jerusalem. With this done, Israel would be united as God
had intended.
Vs. 1-11 Just one problem, if you are going to honor God, it is best to
do it His way and not simply think that if we have good intentions, everything
will be ok and He'll look the other way. There was an instruction book, but you
know how guys are when it comes to reading instructions. For the last little
while, everything David had done had turned to gold. Suddenly, something went
wrong. Oddly enough, Uzzah and Ahio were Levites and should have known better.
What a disappointment for all involved. Notice that David had 30,000 people
gathered for this event. David needed to check himself and respect God.
For another look at this, look at 1 Chronicles 13 and 15.
Vs. 12-23 You have to read 1 Chronicles 15 to understand what David was
told or had read, that the ark had to be moved by the Levites, with the
carrying poles. In other words, this time, he did it God's way.
David dancing before the ark must have been a sight. Apparently, and I
have to make myself imagine this because I'm not that kind of guy, this was
heartfelt joy and emotion and leaping and dancing, with all his might.
V. 14 should be understood that David was only wearing a linen ephod. Apparently in all the leaping and joy,
from time to time, people saw a bit more of David than they needed to.
V. 16 This is an important comment in the story.
Vs. 17-19 Apparently, David had brought the tabernacle to Jerusalem. If
David did this right, he brought the animals for offering and the priests and
the Levites did the actual sacrificing. David, like Saul, would have been
forbidden to sacrifice. I think David had read the instruction book by now.
This was probably the first united worship event the nation had had in years.
Vs. 20-23 Every guy fears coming home and having his wife mad at him.
David's honest sincerity and joy is what wins the day here. He was fully
absorbed in the love and joy of the Lord.
That Michal has no children is not only God's judgment on her, but
politically speaking, if she had had a son, it could have made problems in the
future. The people could have thought of putting that son on the throne and
reestablishing the family of Saul. As it is, God took care of this potential
problem.
I have to wonder too, among all of her other hang-ups, if Michal was
put off by being taken from her “husband” and landing in this ever growing
harem, where she essentially had no husband and no one who really loved her.
John 13:31-14:14
V. 31 Judas' leaving would make the betrayal and vengeance of the
Jewish and “spiritual” authorities complete.
What was that like, watching Judas leave, seeing and hearing the door
shut? Jesus might have lowered His head for a moment, and then looked up at the
disciples and said, Now is the Son of Man
glorified.
V. 32 And that glory was now going to multiply exponentially, as the
secret plans of God would burst into fulfillment, resulting in the forgiveness
of sin, the redemption of man and the birth of the church.
V. 33 It seems like Jesus is revealing Himself more and more in this
discourse, and here, calling them His little
children. I wonder if any of them realized how surreal this talk was.
Vs. 34-35 Notice that the commandment to love one another is prefaced by v. 33. They were about to be left
without Christ. For the mission before them, He would not be there to guide
them as He had in the past, especially in terms of encouragement and support.
Therefore, for the sense of providing in His absence what He had given in His
presence, they were to love one another
as He had loved them. This is not a theoretical love or general context. They
were to love each other as in binding together in the mission. The mission
provides the context. They were to be a "Band of Brothers." Without
the context of supporting and encouraging one another in carrying forth the
message of Christ, loving one another becomes some flowery, nice, but vague,
command. Over the past three years, in and out of controversy, in tiredness, in
stress, in busyness, Jesus' love and encouragement had been the glue that kept
them following in the harvest. Now they were to do that for one another. The
disciples were about to be tested. Jesus commands them to be there for each other,
as the darkness was closing in.
This testing and the mission following His resurrection is the context
for what He is about to share with them.
Vs. 36-38 This morning I was reading about Peter walking on water.
Everyone was terrified seeing Jesus coming toward them on the water. He told
them to take heart and not to be afraid, so Peter said, Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. And
Peter walked on water. This guy had a hero's heart, but he was very human. He
had no idea of the forces at work that night or how small his strength was,
just like all of us.
John 14:1-14
V. 1 Notice that this is the context. They were troubled and Jesus
would be leaving. How would they hold on, much less continue His work? They
were confused and didn't see the redemptive plan of God coming together. They
didn't understand that the plan for Israel would be put off for years. They had
no clue of the church. They certainly didn't know that they would be the guys
leading the church and bringing the gospel of Christ to the world. They were
just troubled.
Vs. 2-3 So what is the point of the rooms? Why is Jesus telling them
this? The context is everything.
Vs. 4-7 Verse 4 is the lead-in to one of the greatest verses in all of
Scripture. In the context of their troubled hearts, Jesus is saying that the
guarantee of their safety, being with Him where He is going, is that they know
the way, the truth and the life.
V. 6 summarizes the truth and reason why Christianity can never
"coexist" with any other religion. God is revealed through Jesus and
Jesus is the only way to Him. Just as gravity operates the same in all nations
and all cultures, the same God created them all and is only reached in one way.
V. 7 is a kind of rebuke to their slowness of heart, but Jesus promises
that the result of the next few days will change them forever.
Vs. 8-11 Now it's Philip's turn. This answers the question, "If
God ever walked on earth as a man, what would He look like and how would He act?"
The events that follow this night answer another question, "If we could
ever get our hands on God, what would we do?"
Our challenge as disciples is very real and comes from this passage,
but is repeated all over the NT. If Jesus was the representation of the Father,
we are to be the representation of Jesus. We are commanded to be imitators of
Christ, ambassadors of Christ. Somewhere in all of this is the answer of what
it means to abide in Christ.
Vs. 12-14 Again, this is to be understood in the context of the mission
for which He is preparing them. They would stand on the earth without Him.
Positionally in heaven, they were eternally secure and a place was prepared for
them. On earth, on mission, they were to bind together to provide the love for
one another that Christ had provided for them. I don't know how much comfort
that spoke to them. It still kind of sounds like they'll be alone….or will
they? In what Jesus says in this entire discourse is the understanding of being
one with Him and abiding in Him. The reality of abiding in Christ is something
we as disciples need to grow into.
Psalm 119:17-32
As you read this, imagine David trying to deal with stress. He had the
stress of running from Saul, followed by seven years of civil war in Israel.
How do you respond when you're eaten up with thoughts that bother you, or when
you hear evil things about you or your motives? David had all of that, plus
trying to put a government in place with war always threatening on the horizon.
That makes it hard to keep your thoughts straight.
This is what David did. Probably as he was writing out his copy of the law,
either all of the first five books or just Deuteronomy, David might also have
been writing Psalm 119. Notice how harassed his thoughts are. Underline all the
negatives in one color. Then, underline in another color David's remedy. This
is food for the disciple's soul, and good therapy.
Vs. 17-24 It seems that the first thought in each of these sections
guides the concerns David had. Here it looks like he felt threatened by the
brevity of life on the earth. In a way, time was slipping away from David,
waiting to be king. But the Word gave David perspective on life that was
centered in God’s care.
Vs. 25-32 This sounds like David dealing with his emotions. Emotions
change, but the Word is what guided David through the sorting out of his
feelings. It also helped tune himself to reality. Our emotions and fears often
only exist in our heads. When the Word is our meditation, God enlarges our
hearts and gives us faith.
This morning I was
reading in Philippians 4:8-9, Finally, brothers, whatever is
true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is
anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and
received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace
will be with you.
Proverbs 15:31-32
V. 31 More valuable than advice or knowledge is reproof. Not only does it give intense correction in practical
situations, but it shows a person's heart. Is a person able to take it, and
learn from it?
V. 32 Reading that word intelligence,
I think more of the military usage than thinking about IQ. In a war, knowing
the lay of the land, the alliances, the plan of the enemy, all of that stuff,
is what they call intelligence; and to the wise person, it would show you what
to do and what not to do.
The Lord gives lots of information in the Word and through others. Some
of this comes in the form of correction and reproof. Being disciples means
we're not here for ourselves, but living to please Christ and to be useful for
Him in reaching out to others and making disciples. And to think, He only corrects
us because He is deeply in love with us.
Word, we bring strength to His disciples and His light to those who are
lost in the dark fields of this world.
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are interested in growing
deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the
growth of a discipleship culture in the church, that is, groups of 3-4
disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to
reach out and make disciples, who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most
universal and important discipleship manual we have and it is the key to our
growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here,
or what we are to be doing, or whom we are to be following. My comments are
only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of
God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are
designed to keep us, as disciples, focused on Christ and our role in His
harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be
willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their
growth as disciples, making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive
commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite
often. I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only
note where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these
and find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular
One Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
Anyone reading along with us is
welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own
observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition
or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point
of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I
understand it. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm
doing this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that
will keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are
reading. Remember, the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a
supplement, a disciple’s commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we
will keep following our Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making
disciples, who make disciples. Being in
the Word every day, sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the
essential essence of being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow Him in the
harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
If you would like documents
containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full
presentation of discipleship read Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with
insomnia and would like a long boring dissertation on disciple making, these
can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
The One Year Bible © by
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.
All charts/graphics/outlines
from the Bible Knowledge Commentary are used with the permission of David C.
Cook.
© 1983, 2001 John F Walvoord and Roy B Zuck.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is published by David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Publisher permission
required to reproduce.
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