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JUNE 4
2 Samuel 22:21-23:23
2 Samuel 22:21-51
It is good to keep in mind that David wrote this when his days of
running from Saul had ended. He had been made king of Israel, and now, no
nations threatened Israel. These were still his "pre-Bathsheba" days.
Vs. 21-25 Notice the times that David mentions his righteousness. We
might feel uneasy reading that, but there is a reward for keeping our way pure
before the Lord. That's no joke. David dealt very righteously with Saul,
sparing his life twice.
Vs. 26-27 God repays in kind.
Vs. 28-31 David learned through his suffering to have great confidence
in the Lord.
Vs. 32-43 This is the catalog of skills and abilities God gave David to
save him from Saul.
Vs. 44-46 Not only did God save David from his own people, but after
the civil war when David had to face other nations, God protected David and
made the nations come to him. This is mentioned in Isaiah 55.
Vs. 47-49 God was David's rock.
Vs.
50-51 Note that v. 50 is quoted by Paul in Romans 15:8-9, For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show
God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs,
and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is
written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your
name.” I'm impressed that Paul even knew this verse.
This is not only a great song, but it sounds like a lot of The Psalms
rolled into one. As disciples, following Christ in the harvest and keeping our
hearts clean before Him, regardless of what happens to us in this life, our
song entering heaven will sound pretty much just like this.
2 Samuel 23:1-23
Vs. 1-7 These verses are thought to have been written at the end of
David's life as a sort of preface to introducing his mighty men. David was, if
you will, scrapbooking; and when he came to this page, he wrote a poem.
One thing that David understood after the fiasco with Absalom was that
God was holding true to His covenant with David. Verse 5 points to this.
Unfortunately, David did have some thorny people around him, but as a
blessing from God, David was given great loyal friends who not only supported
him emotionally and spiritually, but when it came to battle, these guys knew
how to kick it.
Vs. 8-11 This is the only list where you get all the names of the three.
V. 8 With a name like that you had to be a ferocious guy. So, in one
battle, with only a spear (and no automatic weapons or grenades) he killed 800
guys.
Notice that the other two took a stand by themselves as Israel's troops
were retreating and they turned the battle. We see ninja movies and laugh, and
rightfully so. These guys would have made ninjas cry.
Vs. 13-17 This is one of their famous exploits, done out of love and
loyalty for David.
V. 16 Nowhere does it say it was evening and they snuck in. I think
they fought their way in and out of Bethlehem in broad daylight. They were just
three guys, just walking down the road with a bucket, right through enemy
territory. They probably whistled as they walked.
V. 17 This is the spiritually perceptive David. What a thoughtful act,
both praising their loyalty and offering something precious before the Lord. No
wonder his men loved him.
Vs. 18-23 This will be continued tomorrow, but for now, we meet the
leaders of the thirty.
Vs. 18-19 We have met Abishai, standing with David over the sleeping
Saul, wanting to kill him. As Joab's brother he fought various battles with
Joab, as second in command. He was also the guy who wanted to cut off the head
of Shimei, the ranting, cursing Benjaminite. To think, this guy killed 300 men
in a battle, but he still wasn't on par with the three.
Vs. 20-23 Benaiah is around a lot, but we don't hear much about him. We
will hear more about him in a couple of days, because he will remain loyal to
David during the final test of David's life and he will serve Solomon.
He killed the two giants of Moab, a lion (he must have had “cat-like
reflexes”), and, unarmed, he killed this big, good-looking Egyptian.
Both of these guys were the head men of the thirty.
Wouldn't it be great to work in the harvest with a group of people like
this, reaching the lost, making disciples, loving one another and following our
Lord? That's supposed to be the church.
Acts 2
V. 1 It is no accident that the church was born on Pentecost, or
rather, on the Feast of the Harvest. You
shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you
sow in the field (Ex. 23:16).
Notice also that they were believers in Jesus. If the rushing sound had
been a 747 crashing into their building, instead of the Spirit, they would have
gone to heaven. I say this only to say, that what God is doing here is special
and for effect. Some people say that what happened in Acts is normative for
today. For me, that idea sounds noble, but is not being honest with the text.
If you bring that idea to your reading of Acts you will misunderstand what God
is doing here. Honestly, God is doing some stuff here to fulfill different
purposes in the inception of the church. It is not normative to have believers
in Jesus who are not given the Spirit at the moment of conversion. We will see
this again in Acts, and not just here. The honest thing to do is to observe and
ask why and try to understand what God is doing. To make blanket statements
might sound like big faith, but if it isn't true to the text, it's just not
true.
Vs. 2-4 This is a very important and emotionally memorable sound and
light show that God is putting on. God could have done this silently, but you
won't understand the importance of this visual and emotional event until we get
to chapter 11 where it will be utterly crucial.
Notice too, that in the OT when the Spirit came upon Samson or on
David, He rushed upon them. He still rushes.
Vs. 5-13 At this time, Jerusalem was filled with thousands of men
(women and children, too). It was a holy day where all Jewish men were required
to be in Jerusalem. It is said that because this feast and the Passover were so
close together that more people came for the Feast of the Harvest than for the
Passover. Also, all of the people who were in Jerusalem for the crucifixion
would have been here. It is said that the small city would have had 25,000 men
or more there for Pentecost. Also, the area surrounding Jerusalem would have
looked like a tent city for miles.
Notice that the gift of tongues was actual languages. In 1 Corinthians
14:22 Paul says that tongues was a sign for unbelievers, as it is used here.
This same sign will be used for another kind of "unbelief" in a few
chapters. It was always “only” a sign for the Jews (1 Cor. 14:21, Isaiah
28:11).
Vs. 14-36 This is one of the most famous sermons of all time. I wonder
if in the middle of this sermon, as Peter is talking, he was also thinking,
"What in the world is coming out of my mouth?"
Notice that it was 9 a.m. when this happened.
Vs. 17-21 These verses give us an interesting lesson in understanding
how prophecy can have a partial fulfillment. It is obvious that some part of
this prophecy from Joel applies here, but just a portion. The focus here is the
pouring out of the Spirit before the day
of the Lord. Yet, that day of the Lord is obviously the seven-year
Tribulation. This could give you the idea that something similar to this will
happen at the beginning of the Tribulation that will empower the Jews to come
to God and missionize the world during those first 3.5 years.
Notice that David is both referred to and quoted in this sermon. It's
hard to get away from David. Because of Jesus, David is an important person
throughout the New Testament. Among all the other things that Jesus fulfilled,
He fulfilled the covenant God made with David.
V. 36 This apparently was Peter's application, because here, he stopped
talking. Many of these people were present during the Passover and had been in
the mob shouting for Jesus' crucifixion. The Spirit led Peter to put the OT
Scriptures together in such a way, that with the Spirit's help, the crowd was
moved to repentance.
Vs. 37-39 This is pretty amazing because they basically ask, "What
must we do to be saved?" Notice that they addressed all of the apostles.
So why was this baptism important here? We are not saved through
baptism. Here, it was a test of sincerity and a sign of devotion to Jesus. No
one who hated the name of Jesus, and there were many of those, would stomach
being baptized in that name. It showed genuine repentance on their parts,
having been part of that mob that demanded Jesus' death. The formula,
"Father, Son and Holy Spirit," might have been used as prescribed in
the Great Commission; but here, because of their previous stand against Jesus, they were being baptized
with an emphasis on His name. This showed that they had turned to Him and it
revealed the truth of their faith.
The promise of the Holy Spirit was important for the Jews and was,
apparently, how they understood God's promise of a new heart. In the prophets,
the promise of redemption is often promised as receiving a new heart and having
a heart of flesh and having the law written on their hearts. When they
understood that God was now giving His Spirit to those who belonged to Jesus,
they understood Jesus as fulfilling this promise.
V. 40 While the portions of the sermon we’ve read were written
verbatim, here Luke tells us that there was more that was said.
V. 41 So, now what? What do you do with 3000 people? Jesus didn't equip
them to handle this. Or did He? When you see Jesus teach His men, most often,
they were with Him, observing Him do what they would be doing in the future.
Jesus fed the 5000 and the 4000 and told the disciples to set the people in
groups. So the disciples knew how to handle a crowd. You break them down into
groups of hundreds and fifties, like the feeding of the people. And because of
the synagogue system, they also had a model of how to meet, create order and
assign leadership.
Vs. 42-47 I've heard people lament that the church today is removed
from this genuine oneness, but these conditions were very unique. We see
something similar to this when a town is hit by a tornado, or if there is some
other kind of pressing event. That is all to say that the Spirit brought about
the circumstances and there was a mission. To try to bring about the oneness
that only comes about by a common mission or rescue, without a common mission
or rescue embraced by everyone, is utterly futile; and that is what a lot of
Christians and churches are experiencing - futility. The harvest is where you
find Christ and His fellowship.
It is interesting that they devoted themselves to the apostles’
teaching. Notice that there are a couple of mentions of breaking bread, which I
understand as communion.
V. 45 was not communism, but open-hearted sharing. It is interesting
that this giving will set up one of the first cases of status seeking in the
church.
V. 47 In contrast to the day Jesus was crucified, Jerusalem is a happy
place now, kind of festive, like a spiritual Feast of the Harvest. All the
people were cool with those who had claimed Christ as their Savior and Lord,
and each day, people were being saved.
If Jerusalem proper had 25,000 people in it because of the feast, and
if 3000 of them trusted Christ on that first day of the feast, then one-eighth
of Jerusalem now believed. This must have been a noticeable thing, especially
the baptisms. They must have had to have used all the public fountains and
pools in and around Jerusalem. Of course, all of the apostles knew how to
baptize. Everyone in Jerusalem would have been exposed to this. It was a Feast
of the Harvest to remember.
Remember the chief priests, scribes, Pharisees and the elders? The only
feast these guys were having was on Maalox and Rolaids.
Psalm 122
This song, to be sung as the pilgrims came to Jerusalem for the feasts,
was written by David. It seems to be a prayer of peace for Jerusalem, for what
the city means.
Vs. 1-2 The thing that stands out to me is that the house of the Lord (in David's day it would have been the
tabernacle) is in the first verse and in the last verse. David's desire while
he was running was to be in God's presence. Even during those years in the
wilderness, God fixed David's heart on Jerusalem; and one of the first things
David did as king of the nation was to bring the ark, the presence of God, into
the city. David was used by God to make Jerusalem the center of the nation's
devotion to God and the place to seek Him.
Vs. 3-5 When you read of the thrones
for judgment, you begin to get the sense that this psalm has a prophetic
sense of the future of Jerusalem during the Millennium. The disciples will sit
on 12 thrones, judging (governing) the 12 tribes of Israel, and the Messiah
will judge the nations there at the beginning of His earthly reign.
Vs. 6-9 Notice the seeking of peace. Peace is to be prayed for
Jerusalem, because that is where the tabernacle is, and that is where people
seek peace with God. That peace is found in God's presence. The prayer for the peace of Jerusalem was that
God's presence would always dwell there. It didn't dwell there because of sin
and the city was destroyed a couple of times. In the future, Jerusalem will be
a city of peace because the eternal Son of Man, the Son of David, will dwell
there.
Proverbs 16:19-20
Amen, and it is the poor in spirit who seek the Word, whereas it is
hard for God to share His treasure with the proud.
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.
