Read: 1 Kings 2:1-3:3; Acts 5:1-42; Psalm 125:1-5; Proverbs 16:25
Before David died he encouraged Solomon to be strong and follow after the Lord and keep his commands. If he did this, God would establish his kingdom forever. He also gave Solomon instructions about some loose ends that needed tying. There were people who needed to be honored and people that needed to be judged for their actions. Joab had killed Abner, the army commander of Israel and Amasa, the army commander of Judah. David had not sanctioned any of these murders and Joab had killed in a time of peace because they were a threat to his job. He had also conspired with Adonijah to take over the kingdom. He would need to pay with his own life.
Shimei was the man who had cursed David as he fled from Absalom. David had promised to let him live, so he told Solomon to get creative in how to punish him. Solomon moved Shimei to Jerusalem and told him that if he ever left Jerusalem, he would kill him. Shimei agreed until three years later when his slave escaped to another city. He went after him which gave Solomon the opportunity to kill him.
David told Solomon to honor the sons of Barzillai who had fed David and his army when they fled Absalom. Now, Solomon had done all David had asked of him.
He also killed his brother, Adonijah when he used his own mother, Bathsheba to get him a royal wife. Solomon saw that Adonijah was still manipulative and would always be a threat to his kingdom if he didn’t do away with him, so he killed him.
Solomon defrocked Abiathar from the priesthood because he had sided with Adonijah and sent him home. Zadok became the official priest. Solomon had now drained his swamp and his kingdom was established. He had used Benaniah to help him so he became the commander of his army. His name means “built of Jehovah.”
The last few verses we read today are the saddest. Solomon had established his kingdom and loved the Lord, but he made an alliance with the Pharaoh of Egypt and married his daughter bringing her into his palace. This particular wife represents the Church who has been ransomed out of a heathen nation and betrothed to the king of kings.
Yesterday, the last thing we read was about a man named Joseph who had sold a piece of land and brought all the money and gave it to the apostles. Today, we read the story of Ananias and his wife, Sapphira. They apparently wanted the same glory that went to Joseph, only Ananias and his wife had schemed that they would keep some of it but not tell that part. They didn’t have to give it but when they lied about it and said they were giving all of it to the church, God was not pleased and killed them on the spot.
When God is moving greatly like he was during their time, there is great responsibility required. They had tried to deceive God and man but it didn’t work.
The apostles went out and did the same works Jesus had done. They preached the kingdom of God and the resurrection of Jesus and they followed it with healing the sick and doing miracles. The Sanhedrin now had their hands full of twelve “Jesus’s”. Filled with jealousy, they threw the apostles in jail. That night God’s angel rescued them and told them to stand in the temple courts and proclaim the good news about Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
When the Sanhedrin arrived at the jail to get the apostles out for questioning they found an empty jail. They got news of where the apostles were and had them called in. When questioned, the apostles told them they had to obey God instead of man. The religious leaders didn’t know what to do with these apostles.
Gamaliel, a teacher of the law explained that it would be better to let them go than to kill them. If they were from man then their zeal would fizzle out on its own but if they were from God, then there was no fighting God and winning. That was wise advise so they had the apostles flogged and sent home. The apostles went home rejoicing at the privilege of being able to suffer for the sake of Christ.
Lord, may we have that attitude about our lives and the kingdom.
Friday, June 7, 2019
Thursday, June 6, 2019
Thur.’s Devo - The Clash of Kingdoms
Read: 1 Kings 1-53; Acts 4:1-37; Psalm 124:1-8; Proverbs 16:24
Today we begin reading 1 Kings. First and Second Kings was probably written by Jeremiah and covers the 400 years of the kings of Israel and Judah up to the destruction of the first temple. First and Second Kings were once in one big volume named “Book of Kingdoms.” It begins with the end of David’s kingdom and beginning of Solomon’s.
David had promised Bathsheba that her child would be the next king after him to pay her back for what he did to her. Another of David’s sons, Adonijah had other plans. He though he should be the king so he gathered support from the priest, Abiathar and Joab, the army commander. He took chariots and horses and fifty men to sacrifice sheep and cattle at the Stone of Zoheleth which means “the serpent’s stone”. It overhangs the Kidron Valley which was a dumping place for idols.
When David learned of what Adonijah had done he told Bathsheba to take Solomon to the Gihon Springs and anoint him king. The Gihon Spring is a natural spring called “the Fountain of the Virgin.” It would become the official place to crown kings.
The people celebrated Solomon’s crowning and saw that David approved. Adonijah’s followers fled and he went to take hold of the horns of the altar for mercy. Solomon sent word that he could live as long as he didn’t cause any trouble.
The devil is going to fight every major promotion in our lives. We should not be surprised when we face opposition. If we don’t give up, God will come to our defense and put us where we are suppose to be.
In Acts, Peter had just healed the crippled man and took the opportunity to stand up in the temple and preach a sermon about Jesus being resurrected and exalted to the right hand of God. Jesus had come first to bless them and if they put their trust in him, he would be their savior.
The Sadducees who were there and other leaders were irate at Peter especially when he talked about the resurrection. The Sadducees didn’t believe in a resurrection and the others didn’t want to hear that Jesus was the Messiah because they had killed him. There solution was to put Peter and John in jail. This didn’t stop Peter from proclaiming Jesus to be the Messiah. The leaders were astonished at their boldness and speech since they were not schooled in their schools. They couldn’t deny the miracle so they warned them not to talk about Jesus anymore and let them go.
This did not deter them from continuing to speak about what Jesus did and was still doing through them. More and more people were coming into the kingdom and the people were totally devoting their lives and their possessions to the cause of Christ.
Lord, help us to walk in the same boldness that the early disciples did.
Today we begin reading 1 Kings. First and Second Kings was probably written by Jeremiah and covers the 400 years of the kings of Israel and Judah up to the destruction of the first temple. First and Second Kings were once in one big volume named “Book of Kingdoms.” It begins with the end of David’s kingdom and beginning of Solomon’s.
David had promised Bathsheba that her child would be the next king after him to pay her back for what he did to her. Another of David’s sons, Adonijah had other plans. He though he should be the king so he gathered support from the priest, Abiathar and Joab, the army commander. He took chariots and horses and fifty men to sacrifice sheep and cattle at the Stone of Zoheleth which means “the serpent’s stone”. It overhangs the Kidron Valley which was a dumping place for idols.
When David learned of what Adonijah had done he told Bathsheba to take Solomon to the Gihon Springs and anoint him king. The Gihon Spring is a natural spring called “the Fountain of the Virgin.” It would become the official place to crown kings.
The people celebrated Solomon’s crowning and saw that David approved. Adonijah’s followers fled and he went to take hold of the horns of the altar for mercy. Solomon sent word that he could live as long as he didn’t cause any trouble.
The devil is going to fight every major promotion in our lives. We should not be surprised when we face opposition. If we don’t give up, God will come to our defense and put us where we are suppose to be.
In Acts, Peter had just healed the crippled man and took the opportunity to stand up in the temple and preach a sermon about Jesus being resurrected and exalted to the right hand of God. Jesus had come first to bless them and if they put their trust in him, he would be their savior.
The Sadducees who were there and other leaders were irate at Peter especially when he talked about the resurrection. The Sadducees didn’t believe in a resurrection and the others didn’t want to hear that Jesus was the Messiah because they had killed him. There solution was to put Peter and John in jail. This didn’t stop Peter from proclaiming Jesus to be the Messiah. The leaders were astonished at their boldness and speech since they were not schooled in their schools. They couldn’t deny the miracle so they warned them not to talk about Jesus anymore and let them go.
This did not deter them from continuing to speak about what Jesus did and was still doing through them. More and more people were coming into the kingdom and the people were totally devoting their lives and their possessions to the cause of Christ.
Lord, help us to walk in the same boldness that the early disciples did.
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
Wed.’s Devo - Power and Fire
Read: 2 Samuel 23:24-24:25; Acts 3:1-26; Psalm 123:1-4; Proverbs 16:21-23
David’s thirty-seven most valiant warriors were listed and Uriah, the Hittite was one of them. That shows how powerful lust can be and how it can cloud the best judgment. It wins when we get distracted and are asleep spiritually. When our guard is down the enemy will come in like a flood.
God got mad at Israel so He gave David a plan that would break his law and he could judge them. Usually the saying…”as the leadership goes, there goes the people.” But in this case it was the other way around. Apparently the sin of the people was pride because that was what God used in David’s life. God only stirred up what was already there and brought it to the surface. David sent his men to number the people. God had made a provision for numbering the people in Exodus 30:14, and everyone that was numbered had to pay a cost for their life to the Lord. David did not require that or offer it himself. In Exodus 30:12 it says that the ransom money the people give when they are numbered will keep the plague from coming among them.
A plague was the punishment David chose for the people. I wonder if he knew this verse and that he was fulfilling the law by choosing it. The plague lasted three days and David saw it with his own eyes as it approached him. It stopped at the threshing floor of Araunah. Araunah means “I shall shout for joy and make you to shine.” David bought the land and oxen to sacrifice and many years later, Solomon built the temple there. It was the place of mercy and forgiveness - the light of the world.
The disciples were at the Temple because it is the Sabbath and that is what they did every Sabbath. Everything was back to normal except them. They were baptized in the Holy Spirit and fire. They saw the crippled beggar who had sat there every Sabbath of their lives. Only this time, they were not the same people. The Holy Spirit compelled Peter to speak to this man. After seeing Jesus heal person after person when he walked on the earth, suddenly Peter had the urge to do the same thing he had seen Jesus do. Peter took him by the hand and lifted him up. Strength came to his legs and he was able, for the first time in his life, to enter into the temple. When he drew a crowd, Peter took the opportunity to preach the good news of Jesus crucified and resurrected.
I truly believe that this is a picture of the power and fire we are to be walking in in our day. We are going to see this kind of thing happening more and more as we step out in faith with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Lord, may we act on your impulses and do what you are wanting us to do.
David’s thirty-seven most valiant warriors were listed and Uriah, the Hittite was one of them. That shows how powerful lust can be and how it can cloud the best judgment. It wins when we get distracted and are asleep spiritually. When our guard is down the enemy will come in like a flood.
God got mad at Israel so He gave David a plan that would break his law and he could judge them. Usually the saying…”as the leadership goes, there goes the people.” But in this case it was the other way around. Apparently the sin of the people was pride because that was what God used in David’s life. God only stirred up what was already there and brought it to the surface. David sent his men to number the people. God had made a provision for numbering the people in Exodus 30:14, and everyone that was numbered had to pay a cost for their life to the Lord. David did not require that or offer it himself. In Exodus 30:12 it says that the ransom money the people give when they are numbered will keep the plague from coming among them.
A plague was the punishment David chose for the people. I wonder if he knew this verse and that he was fulfilling the law by choosing it. The plague lasted three days and David saw it with his own eyes as it approached him. It stopped at the threshing floor of Araunah. Araunah means “I shall shout for joy and make you to shine.” David bought the land and oxen to sacrifice and many years later, Solomon built the temple there. It was the place of mercy and forgiveness - the light of the world.
The disciples were at the Temple because it is the Sabbath and that is what they did every Sabbath. Everything was back to normal except them. They were baptized in the Holy Spirit and fire. They saw the crippled beggar who had sat there every Sabbath of their lives. Only this time, they were not the same people. The Holy Spirit compelled Peter to speak to this man. After seeing Jesus heal person after person when he walked on the earth, suddenly Peter had the urge to do the same thing he had seen Jesus do. Peter took him by the hand and lifted him up. Strength came to his legs and he was able, for the first time in his life, to enter into the temple. When he drew a crowd, Peter took the opportunity to preach the good news of Jesus crucified and resurrected.
I truly believe that this is a picture of the power and fire we are to be walking in in our day. We are going to see this kind of thing happening more and more as we step out in faith with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Lord, may we act on your impulses and do what you are wanting us to do.
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
Tue.’s Devo - The Holy Spirit is Given
Read: 2 Samuel 22:21-23:23; Acts 2:1-47; Psalm 122:1-9; Proverbs 16:19-20
David tells us when he finishes this beautiful song that God put the words in his mouth. It is Jesus’ last song to his father when he was finished with his life on earth. It is a list of all that Jesus accomplished and how he finished well. He secured an everlasting covenant for us of salvation and kindness.
Those who reject his kindness will be punished and destroyed. It is their choice.
David then honored all the ones who were faithful to him and stood with him to do valiant acts of service. We will be rewarded for the things we do for the Lord. David had three that were his mightiest men just as Jesus had his three that were his closest. We can be as close to Jesus as we want to be.
In Acts, it was the day of Pentecost. Pentecost means “fiftieth”. Jesus died on Passover and two days later was First Fruits. On this day the priest would go out to the field and cut the first fruit of the wheat harvest and bring it into the temple. He would take a seed or omer from the plant and every day add another seed, counting them until he had a bowl of fifty. That day would be Pentecost and they would celebrate the harvest.
So, on the day that God had appointed to fulfill Pentecost, he sent his Holy Spirit so that he could reap a harvest of souls. Pentecost was fulfilled in the Old Testament when Moses went up on the mountain and received the law. It was the marriage contract for Israel. The Holy Spirit is the marriage contract for the Church. It is our seal of covenant with God. The Holy Spirit came down on a group of men and broke their language barrier. They could now speak the language of people who before they could have not been able to reach. That is what the Holy Spirit does. He allows us to speak to people we have nothing in common with. The Holy Spirit bridges the “language barrier”.
When the law was given, three thousand people died because they sinned. In the New Testament, when the Holy Spirit was given, three thousand sinners were saved. The Holy Spirit came to give us grace which is the ability not to sin but to overcome all sin. It was the game changer.
Lord, help us to see that when we let the Holy Spirit out, we have no barriers. He speaks the language of the heart.
David tells us when he finishes this beautiful song that God put the words in his mouth. It is Jesus’ last song to his father when he was finished with his life on earth. It is a list of all that Jesus accomplished and how he finished well. He secured an everlasting covenant for us of salvation and kindness.
Those who reject his kindness will be punished and destroyed. It is their choice.
David then honored all the ones who were faithful to him and stood with him to do valiant acts of service. We will be rewarded for the things we do for the Lord. David had three that were his mightiest men just as Jesus had his three that were his closest. We can be as close to Jesus as we want to be.
In Acts, it was the day of Pentecost. Pentecost means “fiftieth”. Jesus died on Passover and two days later was First Fruits. On this day the priest would go out to the field and cut the first fruit of the wheat harvest and bring it into the temple. He would take a seed or omer from the plant and every day add another seed, counting them until he had a bowl of fifty. That day would be Pentecost and they would celebrate the harvest.
So, on the day that God had appointed to fulfill Pentecost, he sent his Holy Spirit so that he could reap a harvest of souls. Pentecost was fulfilled in the Old Testament when Moses went up on the mountain and received the law. It was the marriage contract for Israel. The Holy Spirit is the marriage contract for the Church. It is our seal of covenant with God. The Holy Spirit came down on a group of men and broke their language barrier. They could now speak the language of people who before they could have not been able to reach. That is what the Holy Spirit does. He allows us to speak to people we have nothing in common with. The Holy Spirit bridges the “language barrier”.
When the law was given, three thousand people died because they sinned. In the New Testament, when the Holy Spirit was given, three thousand sinners were saved. The Holy Spirit came to give us grace which is the ability not to sin but to overcome all sin. It was the game changer.
Lord, help us to see that when we let the Holy Spirit out, we have no barriers. He speaks the language of the heart.
Monday, June 3, 2019
Mon.’s Devo - David’s Last Battle
Read: 2 Samuel 20:14-22:20; Acts 1:1-26; Psalm 121 1-8; Proverbs 16:18
Sheba fled with his army to Abel Beth Maacah. Joab and his troops surrounded the walled city and besieged it. No one could come in or out so they would eventually die of lack of water and food. A very wise woman asked to talk to Joab to find out why they were there. When she found out it had to do with one man, she told him that they would throw his head would over the wall. She convinced the city to kill Sheba to save their lives. When they did, Joab left them alone and went home.
A famine came on the land of Israel which is a sign of disobedience to God. David knew this so he asked the Lord, why he was angry with them. God told him it was because Saul had killed the Gibeonites in his zeal for Israel. The Gibeonites had been friends of Israel who aided them in passing into the promised land. God had told Israel not to hurt them, but Saul had tried to annihilate them.
David went to the Gibeonites and asked how he could atone for their loss. They wanted seven of Saul’s male descendants so they could kill them themselves. David spared Mephibosheth for Jonathan’s sake. When they killed them they left their bodies out in the open for the birds and the wild animals to eat. Rizpah, one of the daughters of the slain went out every day and kept the birds from eating them during the day and the wild animals from eating them at night. David found out about it and gathered their bones along with Saul and Jonathan’s and had them buried in Zela, Saul’s hometown.
Once again, David and his men went to war with the Philistines. When David was almost killed by a giant, Abishai rescued him and decided David did not need to be fighting anymore. He was too old. Four giants were killed in different battles with the Philistines.
David had written a song when he was delivered from Saul and sang it at every victory. It is a Messianic Psalm which means that it was a song written about Jesus also. (It is also word for word again in Psalm 18.) If you study it closely you will see it is the picture of what happened when the lights went off for 3 hours on the cross. God came down wrapped in a dark cloud and ministered to Jesus. It talks about the thundering and the lighting and the earthquake that happened at the cross.
Today we start reading the acts of the apostles. Jesus had appeared to many of his followers for forty days after his resurrection. During this time he instructed them to go to Jerusalem and wait for the gift. The gift was to baptize them with the Holy Spirit. All the the gospels talked about this baptism which was different from John’s baptism in water. This would be a baptism of fire. It would give them power to be witnesses to the world.
When Jesus went up to heaven, they saw him ascend through the clouds. Two angels told them that one day he would come back the same way. They went back to Jerusalem where they hid out upstairs in a room. There they stayed in constant fellowship and prayer. There were 120 of them and Peter stood up to report the death of Judas. His body was thrown into a field where his blood was spilled. They needed to replace him so there would be 12 again. They drew lots and it fell on Matthias.
Jesus, like David had come to the end of his fighting. He could now rest in heaven just as David would rest in his palace. It was time for an new army to arise and take over.
Every generation produces a new crop of soldiers for the army of God. It is our job to equip them and make them ready. We are all at different stages of our development but this is our time to live the kingdom of God on the earth.
Lord, let your kingdom shine through us.
Sheba fled with his army to Abel Beth Maacah. Joab and his troops surrounded the walled city and besieged it. No one could come in or out so they would eventually die of lack of water and food. A very wise woman asked to talk to Joab to find out why they were there. When she found out it had to do with one man, she told him that they would throw his head would over the wall. She convinced the city to kill Sheba to save their lives. When they did, Joab left them alone and went home.
A famine came on the land of Israel which is a sign of disobedience to God. David knew this so he asked the Lord, why he was angry with them. God told him it was because Saul had killed the Gibeonites in his zeal for Israel. The Gibeonites had been friends of Israel who aided them in passing into the promised land. God had told Israel not to hurt them, but Saul had tried to annihilate them.
David went to the Gibeonites and asked how he could atone for their loss. They wanted seven of Saul’s male descendants so they could kill them themselves. David spared Mephibosheth for Jonathan’s sake. When they killed them they left their bodies out in the open for the birds and the wild animals to eat. Rizpah, one of the daughters of the slain went out every day and kept the birds from eating them during the day and the wild animals from eating them at night. David found out about it and gathered their bones along with Saul and Jonathan’s and had them buried in Zela, Saul’s hometown.
Once again, David and his men went to war with the Philistines. When David was almost killed by a giant, Abishai rescued him and decided David did not need to be fighting anymore. He was too old. Four giants were killed in different battles with the Philistines.
David had written a song when he was delivered from Saul and sang it at every victory. It is a Messianic Psalm which means that it was a song written about Jesus also. (It is also word for word again in Psalm 18.) If you study it closely you will see it is the picture of what happened when the lights went off for 3 hours on the cross. God came down wrapped in a dark cloud and ministered to Jesus. It talks about the thundering and the lighting and the earthquake that happened at the cross.
Today we start reading the acts of the apostles. Jesus had appeared to many of his followers for forty days after his resurrection. During this time he instructed them to go to Jerusalem and wait for the gift. The gift was to baptize them with the Holy Spirit. All the the gospels talked about this baptism which was different from John’s baptism in water. This would be a baptism of fire. It would give them power to be witnesses to the world.
When Jesus went up to heaven, they saw him ascend through the clouds. Two angels told them that one day he would come back the same way. They went back to Jerusalem where they hid out upstairs in a room. There they stayed in constant fellowship and prayer. There were 120 of them and Peter stood up to report the death of Judas. His body was thrown into a field where his blood was spilled. They needed to replace him so there would be 12 again. They drew lots and it fell on Matthias.
Jesus, like David had come to the end of his fighting. He could now rest in heaven just as David would rest in his palace. It was time for an new army to arise and take over.
Every generation produces a new crop of soldiers for the army of God. It is our job to equip them and make them ready. We are all at different stages of our development but this is our time to live the kingdom of God on the earth.
Lord, let your kingdom shine through us.
Sunday, June 2, 2019
Sun.’s Devo -David Restores His Kingdom
Read: 2 Samuel 19:11-20:13; John 21:1-25; Psalm 120:1-7; Proverbs 16:16-17
David sent a message to the palace to ask Zadok why he was the last person to bring the king back to his palace. David told him to tell Amasa that he would be in charge of his army instead of Joab. Joab had killed Absalom against David’s command and
Amasa was his nephew so he was related by blood.
The palace sent back word to David to return home. He got to the Jordan and the first person he met was Shimei, who was accompanied by the men of Judah who had cursed David and his men as they had passed by days earlier. He came to ask forgiveness and plead for his life. Abishai wanted to kill Shimei for cursing God’s anointed but David didn’t want to make adversaries of them so he spared their lives.
Next he met Ziba who had lied to David about Mephibosheth. He was there with his 15 sons and 20 servants to welcome the king home.
When Mephibosheth came, he hadn’t shaved or washed his clothes since David had left. David asked him why he didn’t come to him and he explained that Ziba had lied about him and with his disability, he couldn’t travel. David believed him and gave half of the land he had given to Ziba back to Mephibosheth.
David wanted to make sure he didn’t lose any friends in his homecoming. He wasn’t coming to make war but to bring reconciliation and peace. He made that clear in how he came back.
He couldn’t keep the peace between Judah and Israel. Israel had followed after Absalom and Judah had followed David. When the men of Judah brought David back, there was a big argument between them. They fought over who had more rights to David’s favor.
Sheba, a Benjamin saw this as a great opportunity to promote himself so he blew a trumpet and called all of Israel to himself. Judah clung to David. David came home to a divided kingdom. He took his concubines who were suppose to have remained faithful to him but didn’t and put them in a separate room where they lived apart from him. Then, David gave Judah three days to assemble an army to pursue Sheba and his army.
David’s army met and Joab killed Amasa to become the uncontested army commander.
In John, Jesus appeared to the disciples again while they were fishing. He told them to throw their nets on the other side of the boat. Even though they didn’t know who he was then, they obeyed and it yielded so many fish they could hardly lift it. John, then. knew it was Jesus.
When they got to the shore, Jesus was cooking fish and bread on a fire, but he didn’t look like himself. The disciples were afraid to ask him if he was Jesus but they knew inside that he was. Mary hadn’t recognized Jesus in the garden either. She had thought he was the gardener. The body of the resurrected Jesus was different than the one they had walked with on earth.
Jesus appears on earth in so many forms. He comes in the forms of people who embody his presence. He tried to get this point over to Peter when he told him three times to feed his sheep. He wanted Peter to see that he was to go and do the same things he had seen Jesus did. He wants us to do the same.
Lord, may we embody your spirit and do the things that you did on earth until you come or until we die and come to you.
David sent a message to the palace to ask Zadok why he was the last person to bring the king back to his palace. David told him to tell Amasa that he would be in charge of his army instead of Joab. Joab had killed Absalom against David’s command and
Amasa was his nephew so he was related by blood.
The palace sent back word to David to return home. He got to the Jordan and the first person he met was Shimei, who was accompanied by the men of Judah who had cursed David and his men as they had passed by days earlier. He came to ask forgiveness and plead for his life. Abishai wanted to kill Shimei for cursing God’s anointed but David didn’t want to make adversaries of them so he spared their lives.
Next he met Ziba who had lied to David about Mephibosheth. He was there with his 15 sons and 20 servants to welcome the king home.
When Mephibosheth came, he hadn’t shaved or washed his clothes since David had left. David asked him why he didn’t come to him and he explained that Ziba had lied about him and with his disability, he couldn’t travel. David believed him and gave half of the land he had given to Ziba back to Mephibosheth.
David wanted to make sure he didn’t lose any friends in his homecoming. He wasn’t coming to make war but to bring reconciliation and peace. He made that clear in how he came back.
He couldn’t keep the peace between Judah and Israel. Israel had followed after Absalom and Judah had followed David. When the men of Judah brought David back, there was a big argument between them. They fought over who had more rights to David’s favor.
Sheba, a Benjamin saw this as a great opportunity to promote himself so he blew a trumpet and called all of Israel to himself. Judah clung to David. David came home to a divided kingdom. He took his concubines who were suppose to have remained faithful to him but didn’t and put them in a separate room where they lived apart from him. Then, David gave Judah three days to assemble an army to pursue Sheba and his army.
David’s army met and Joab killed Amasa to become the uncontested army commander.
In John, Jesus appeared to the disciples again while they were fishing. He told them to throw their nets on the other side of the boat. Even though they didn’t know who he was then, they obeyed and it yielded so many fish they could hardly lift it. John, then. knew it was Jesus.
When they got to the shore, Jesus was cooking fish and bread on a fire, but he didn’t look like himself. The disciples were afraid to ask him if he was Jesus but they knew inside that he was. Mary hadn’t recognized Jesus in the garden either. She had thought he was the gardener. The body of the resurrected Jesus was different than the one they had walked with on earth.
Jesus appears on earth in so many forms. He comes in the forms of people who embody his presence. He tried to get this point over to Peter when he told him three times to feed his sheep. He wanted Peter to see that he was to go and do the same things he had seen Jesus did. He wants us to do the same.
Lord, may we embody your spirit and do the things that you did on earth until you come or until we die and come to you.
Saturday, June 1, 2019
Sat.’s Devo - Absalom’s Death and Jesus’ Resurrection
Read: 2 Samuel 18:1-19:10; John 20:1-31; Psalm 119:153-176; Proverbs 16:14-15
In preparation of fighting Absalom, David divided his army into three groups under the commands of Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. They convinced David not to go out with them because if he died their whole cause would be over. David agreed but gave them one last order: don’t kill Absalom but deal kindly with him. All the men heard the order as they marched out to war.
The forest was so hazardous that it accounted for more casualties than the sword. Absalom’s great head of hair was caught in the branches of a tree while his donkey kept walking, leaving him suspended in the air. One of David’s men saw him and ran and told Joab. Joab was angry that the man wouldn’t kill Absalom so he came and did it himself. They took his body down and threw it in a ditch and covered it with stones. Then they sounded the trumpet and everyone retreated. The war was over.
Joab sent a Cushite runner to tell David what had happened but Ahimaaz begged to run also. He beat the Cushite and got to David first. He wanted to soften the blow of the truth about Absalom. He told David that he heard a commotion and wasn’t sure. The Cushite arrived and told him the rest. David went into great mourning and cried like a baby over Absalom.
Joab had to go in and speak the hard truth to him. If David didn’t get up and thank his army for risking their lives to give him back his kingdom, he wouldn’t have a kingdom to go back to. He finally did.
Absalom was a type of the Anti-Christ who is always trying to usurp God’s kingdom. He had no son, so he had erected a monument to himself so people would remember him. The devil has no son because there is no love in him or ability to produce life. He is only about promoting himself.
In John, it was the day after the Sabbath so Mary had gotten up before it was light and gone to the tomb. When she got there the stone was rolled away so she ran back and got Simon Peter and John. They saw the open grave and the grave cloths lying there but the one that had been around his head was folded up as if it had never been used. I have heard many theories about this but the one I remember is that a carpenter would fold up his towel when he had finished a piece of furniture to show that it was finished and he was pleased at his work.
Peter and John went back home wondering but Miriam stayed outside the grave crying. Two angels appeared in the tomb where Jesus had been and asked Miriam why she was crying. Miriam explained that they had taken Jesus body but she didn’t know where. She turned to see a man she thought to be the gardener. When Jesus spoke to her, she ran to embrace him. He wouldn’t let her touch him because he hadn’t ascended to heaven yet. She had caught him on his way up.
She ran and told the disciples what had happened and that night Jesus appeared to them also. Jesus breathed on them the Holy Spirit and told them that now they would be able to forgive others sins.
Thomas was the only one who was not there and when they told him about it he said he would have to see for himself to believe. So Jesus appeared so Thomas could see him himself and believe. Thomas gets a bad rap for not believing by their testimony but Jesus wanted Thomas to be an eye witness of his resurrection so he came back to show Thomas.
Jesus said, “blessed are those who won’t see and yet believe” which is referring to us who believe by faith.
Lord, thank you for giving us the faith to believe in what we have never seen with our eyes. Your existence is obvious in creation and all the things you do for us. Thank you!
In preparation of fighting Absalom, David divided his army into three groups under the commands of Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. They convinced David not to go out with them because if he died their whole cause would be over. David agreed but gave them one last order: don’t kill Absalom but deal kindly with him. All the men heard the order as they marched out to war.
The forest was so hazardous that it accounted for more casualties than the sword. Absalom’s great head of hair was caught in the branches of a tree while his donkey kept walking, leaving him suspended in the air. One of David’s men saw him and ran and told Joab. Joab was angry that the man wouldn’t kill Absalom so he came and did it himself. They took his body down and threw it in a ditch and covered it with stones. Then they sounded the trumpet and everyone retreated. The war was over.
Joab sent a Cushite runner to tell David what had happened but Ahimaaz begged to run also. He beat the Cushite and got to David first. He wanted to soften the blow of the truth about Absalom. He told David that he heard a commotion and wasn’t sure. The Cushite arrived and told him the rest. David went into great mourning and cried like a baby over Absalom.
Joab had to go in and speak the hard truth to him. If David didn’t get up and thank his army for risking their lives to give him back his kingdom, he wouldn’t have a kingdom to go back to. He finally did.
Absalom was a type of the Anti-Christ who is always trying to usurp God’s kingdom. He had no son, so he had erected a monument to himself so people would remember him. The devil has no son because there is no love in him or ability to produce life. He is only about promoting himself.
In John, it was the day after the Sabbath so Mary had gotten up before it was light and gone to the tomb. When she got there the stone was rolled away so she ran back and got Simon Peter and John. They saw the open grave and the grave cloths lying there but the one that had been around his head was folded up as if it had never been used. I have heard many theories about this but the one I remember is that a carpenter would fold up his towel when he had finished a piece of furniture to show that it was finished and he was pleased at his work.
Peter and John went back home wondering but Miriam stayed outside the grave crying. Two angels appeared in the tomb where Jesus had been and asked Miriam why she was crying. Miriam explained that they had taken Jesus body but she didn’t know where. She turned to see a man she thought to be the gardener. When Jesus spoke to her, she ran to embrace him. He wouldn’t let her touch him because he hadn’t ascended to heaven yet. She had caught him on his way up.
She ran and told the disciples what had happened and that night Jesus appeared to them also. Jesus breathed on them the Holy Spirit and told them that now they would be able to forgive others sins.
Thomas was the only one who was not there and when they told him about it he said he would have to see for himself to believe. So Jesus appeared so Thomas could see him himself and believe. Thomas gets a bad rap for not believing by their testimony but Jesus wanted Thomas to be an eye witness of his resurrection so he came back to show Thomas.
Jesus said, “blessed are those who won’t see and yet believe” which is referring to us who believe by faith.
Lord, thank you for giving us the faith to believe in what we have never seen with our eyes. Your existence is obvious in creation and all the things you do for us. Thank you!
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