Mathew 6

WEEK 6                                        Matthew 6

THURSDAY  Reflections

Matthew 6 lays out what it means to have true righteousness. This continuation of the Sermon on the Mount covers giving with sincerity, praying with surrender, fasting with integrity, and our relationship to money. This chapter with the rest of the Sermon on the Mount sums up what the life of the disciple should look like.

 

The one point I want to look at today is found in verse 24, “No one can serve two masters.” Though Jesus is talking about money specifically here, I believe that the truth is much broader. There are so many things in this world which want to take control of our lives. We must make a choice, are we going to serve them or God? We can’t center our lives on entertainment, sex, food, friendship, or anything else and think we aren’t making them gods in our lives. There is only room for one god in our lives, Jesus says.

 

The danger with money over the other things is money slides so easily into the god position. Jesus makes it clear that if we seek the kingdom of God then God will meet our needs (verse 33-34). However, when we look at money it is easy to see it as being the solution to meeting our needs instead of God. Therefore, Jesus warns us about it.

 

The question we need to ask is, who are we trusting to meet our needs: money or God? 

Mat 6:1-34

(1)  Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

(2)  Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

(3)  But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

(4)  That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

(5)  And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

(6)  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

(7)  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

(8)  Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

(9)  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

(10)  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

(11)  Give us this day our daily bread.

(12)  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

(13)  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

(14)  For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

(15)  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

(16)  Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

(17)  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

(18)  That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

(19)  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

(20)  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

(21)  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

(22)  The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

(23)  But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

(24)  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

(25)  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

(26)  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

(27)  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

(28)  And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

(29)  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

(30)  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

(31)  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

(32)  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

(33)  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

(34)  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Song of Solomon 6

WEEK  6                                 Song of Solomon 6

WEDNESDAY  Reflections

And more love poetry, for the poet and the romantic this probably is a beautiful story. For many it causes them to roll their eyes and wonder again what this has to do with them. In this, I see the heart of the person in love, they are focused only on their beloved. Yes, there are others around but the lover only wants the one they love (verses 8-9).

The old song title says it all, I Only Have Eyes for You. This again I will push into the spiritual as we need only to have eyes for God. God isn't one among many we can have. There is only one and we need to only have eyes for God.



Son 6:1-13
(1)  Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.
(2)  My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
(3)  I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.
(4)  Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.
(5)  Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.
(6)  Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.
(7)  As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.
(8)  There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.
(9)  My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
(10)  Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?
(11)  I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.
(12)  Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.
(13)  Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.

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Song of Solomon 5

WEEK  6                                  Song of Solomon 5

TUESDAY  Reflections

The Song of Songs, as it is sometimes translated, is not an easy book to comment on if you're a father of a teenager who will read what you are writing. I blush at some of the very sensual connotations found in its words. However, love and sex are God's creation. Sex in the proper context is beautiful. However, sin and abuse have changed that for too many. Others see this as a very private activity that embarrasses them when it is discussed openly. However, Jewish Rabbis taught that this was important to read with their families, and it would be done at the beginning of passover. It was hoped that it could teach young people, especially daughters, how to prepare for the emotion of love. Therefore, maybe we should consider the Song of Solomon in a different light.  

My one comment on this chapter: In the last part of verse 1 of chapter 5, the comment is made to "drink your fill, O lovers." This isn't a reference to becoming engaged in overdrinking but ties into the idea of being filled with love. For those in the throes of romantic love, in God's design, is filled with love, is a thing to be encouraged and celebrated. Which is why we celebrate weddings?     

Ecc 5:1-20
(1)  Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
(2)  Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
(3)  For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.
(4)  When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
(5)  Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
(6)  Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
(7)  For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
(8)  If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.
(9)  Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
(10)  He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
(11)  When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?
(12)  The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
(13)  There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
(14)  But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
(15)  As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
(16)  And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
(17)  All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
(18)  Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.
(19)  Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
(20)  For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.

1 Kings 1

WEEK  6                                         1 Kings 1

MONDAY  Reflections

This chapter begins with a strange tale. A young woman is found to lay in bed with David to prove that he had the strength to rule. The idea was that a young woman might bring him the motivation to show his strength. However, David was not able to consummate the relationship. Her fate is now tied to his kingship, and the kingdom needs to find a new ruler. This information is vital to understand what is happening here and in later chapters. 

In this chapter, Adonijah tries to set himself up as king as he sees his father is unable to rule. Bathsheba makes a plea to David to have Solomon made king first, and he is. The plans of Adonijah are spoiled, and he is called before Solomon on what we would call the charge of treason. Adonijah pleads for his life, and Solomon offers mercy. The condition for mercy is that Adonijah prove he is a worthy man. This means Adonijah mustn't do anything that looks like he might be trying to overthrow Solomon. Solomon might remember the way David ignored Absalom's actions and isn't going to take any chances.

This action of Solomon shows mercy, which is something we can emulate. However, Solomon wasn't going to ignore Adonijah's action in the future. He wasn't going to pretend nothing happened, but he was offering mercy. This is often where some go wrong. They either don't offer mercy/forgiveness, or they aren't watching out when someone has a history of wrongdoing and are caught unaware.

1Ki 1:1-53
(1)  Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.
(2)  Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.
(3)  So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
(4)  And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not.
(5)  Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
(6)  And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom.
(7)  And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.
(8)  But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.
(9)  And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants:
(10)  But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.
(11)  Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not?
(12)  Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.
(13)  Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign?
(14)  Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words.
(15)  And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.
(16)  And Bathsheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou?
(17)  And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.
(18)  And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not:
(19)  And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not called.
(20)  And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
(21)  Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.
(22)  And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in.
(23)  And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.
(24)  And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?
(25)  For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah.
(26)  But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called.
(27)  Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?
(28)  Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king.
(29)  And the king sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,
(30)  Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.
(31)  Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.
(32)  And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.
(33)  The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:
(34)  And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.
(35)  Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.
(36)  And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so too.
(37)  As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.
(38)  So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon.
(39)  And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.
(40)  And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.
(41)  And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?
(42)  And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings.
(43)  And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king.
(44)  And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule:
(45)  And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard.
(46)  And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.
(47)  And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed.
(48)  And also thus said the king, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.
(49)  And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.
(50)  And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.
(51)  And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword.
(52)  And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.
(53)  So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house.

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Jeremiah 42

WEEK  5                                          Jeremiah 42

SATURDAY  Reflections

Finally, after destruction and death, the leaders who remain come to Jeremiah for advice. The interesting thing is that the advice is nearly the same as it has been: submit to Nebuchadnezzar, which means stay. I have to wonder if now after Jerusalem has been conquered and destroyed, the people are thinking God might have a different opinion of Nebuchadnezzar. God is saying the same thing he said before: I am with Nebuchadnezzar, so stay where you are. The warning is the same, too: refuse to listen to God, and you're going to face war and death. 

God rarely changes his command. If you are not willing to listen to Him the first time don't think he has changed because circumstances have. 

Jer 42:1-22
(1)  Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near,
(2)  And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:)
(3)  That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.
(4)  Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.
(5)  Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us.
(6)  Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.
(7)  And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah.
(8)  Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,
(9)  And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him;
(10)  If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.
(11)  Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.
(12)  And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.
(13)  But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God,
(14)  Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell:
(15)  And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there;
(16)  Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.
(17)  So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.
(18)  For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.
(19)  The LORD hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day.
(20)  For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it.
(21)  And now I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor any thing for the which he hath sent me unto you.
(22)  Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn.

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