Matthew 2

WEEK  2                                                 Matthew 2

THURSDAY  Reflections

We read about God’s mercy to Cain and now the answer to sin is on the scene. Jesus is born, the king of the Jews, the Messiah to not only for the Jews but for the entire world. Now the King is born not in a palace but in a small rural town. Yet the birth is not unnoticed by the world and it brings both good and bad reactions.

When I see this, I am reminded that Jesus arriving on the scene causes two dramatically opposing responses. The first is the response of the wise men who come to worship him. The second is the response of Herod who wants to kill him. The first is a response of surrender. The second a plot to stay in control. These are the choices we must make. We choose either to surrender to Christ or to try and destroy his power in our life. No, we may not try and kill someone, but if we choose to reject Christ, we decide not to give place to the rightful king and the result is the same.

The problem with the second choice, rejecting Christ the king, the innocent suffer. How much suffering takes place in our world because people reject the kingship of Jesus? What usually happens is it is the innocent as well as the guilty who suffer. How many have cried and wailed refusing comfort because someone has rejected the way of Jesus?

Mat 2:1-23
(1)  Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
(2)  Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
(3)  When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
(4)  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
(5)  And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
(6)  And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
(7)  Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
(8)  And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
(9)  When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
(10)  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
(11)  And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
(12)  And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
(13)  And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
(14)  When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
(15)  And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
(16)  Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
(17)  Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
(18)  In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
(19)  But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
(20)  Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.
(21)  And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
(22)  But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
(23)  And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

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Psalm 145

WEEK  2                                                 Psalm 145

WEDNESDAY  Reflections

The LORD is gracious and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. (Psalm 145:8-9 KJV)

I love these verses from Psalm 145. In times when we feel weak or have fallen, they are a comfort. One mistake or sin or even several isn't enough to cause God to throw us aside. Yes, there are consequences but God is good and He is very patient. I might not believe in unconditional eternal security but we are far more secure than we realize. I have to believe if you ever worry about not being in God's great mercy then you don't have to worry, you are.

Psa 145:1-21
(1)  David's Psalm of praise. I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.
(2)  Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.
(3)  Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
(4)  One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.
(5)  I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.
(6)  And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.
(7)  They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.
(8)  The LORD is gracious and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
(9)  The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
(10)  All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.
(11)  They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;
(12)  To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.
(13)  Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
(14)  The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
(15)  The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
(16)  Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
(17)  The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
(18)  The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
(19)  He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
(20)  The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
(21)  My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

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2 Samuel 18

WEEK  2                                           2 Samuel 18

TUESDAY  Reflections

It seems to be a bit of irony that Absalom's pride and joy, his hair, was the thing that got him captured and killed. However, this is often the case in life. A military leader's audacity gives them victories and then gets them killed. A person who gives themselves over to sex gets an STD. A person's ego which carried them up the corporate ladder gets them thrown off the top. A small warning might be found in this: What gives us pride in may end up costing us everything.

When it comes to Joab's dealing with Absalom one could argue he did what needed to be done. One the other hand he disobeyed the king and perhaps prevented Absalom from facing David and having a change of heart. God doesn't say which is the right answer here. God lets people make their choices and then face the consequences. For most of us, the answer to what we should do is very clear and can be found in the Scriptures. The only question is are we familiar enough with scripture to know what we should do in those few gray areas.

2Sa 18:1-33
(1)  And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
(2)  And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.
(3)  But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.
(4)  And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.
(5)  And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.
(6)  So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;
(7)  Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.
(8)  For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
(9)  And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.
(10)  And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.
(11)  And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.
(12)  And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.
(13)  Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.
(14)  Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.
(15)  And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.
(16)  And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.
(17)  And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.
(18)  Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place.
(19)  Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies.
(20)  And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.
(21)  Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.
(22)  Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?
(23)  But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.
(24)  And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.
(25)  And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
(26)  And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.
(27)  And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.
(28)  And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
(29)  And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.
(30)  And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still.
(31)  And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.
(32)  And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.
(33)  And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

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2 Samuel 17

WEEK  2                                            2 Samuel 17

MONDAY  Reflections

In the middle of the takeover of the kingdom, God seems to step in and change one thing. God caused Absalom and the elders of Israel to believe David's man rather than Ahithophel, the trusted advisor they had been following. Ahithophel’s advice was sound military and political strategy. His advice would have caught David unprepared, and everything Ahithophel predicted would have come true.

 

Ahithophel understood not following this advice would mean that David and his people could prepare for a counter-attack. With David's experience and the help of his mighty men, the tide would turn. Ahithophel's wisdom probably told him that this one action would mean David would retake the throne, and he would be killed, and his family would suffer. Rather than seek mercy from David and God, face that end, Ahithophel set his house in order and killed himself. 

 

God could have done something big to change the outcome of this rebellion, but God instead misdirected Absalom. A reminder that sometimes God gives victory by doing small things.  

2Sa 17:1-29
(1)  Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night:
(2)  And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only:
(3)  And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace.
(4)  And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.
(5)  Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.
(6)  And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do after his saying? if not; speak thou.
(7)  And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time.
(8)  For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.
(9)  Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.
(10)  And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men.
(11)  Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.
(12)  So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one.
(13)  Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there.
(14)  And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.
(15)  Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled.
(16)  Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.
(17)  Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and told them; and they went and told king David.
(18)  Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man's house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court; whither they went down.
(19)  And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known.
(20)  And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They be gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
(21)  And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.
(22)  Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan.
(23)  And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.
(24)  Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.
(25)  And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa was a man's son, whose name was Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.
(26)  So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead.
(27)  And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,
(28)  Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse,
(29)  And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.

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Jeremiah 38

WEEK 1                                               Jeremiah 38

SATURDAY  Reflections

By all appearance, Zedekiah was a very weak king. Previously the king protected Jeremiah, then he turned him back over to his enemies, then he rescues Jeremiah on the advice of his servants, then he tells Jeremiah to lie. I point this out but it is not what I want to examine today. Today I want to look at treason.

One can understand why Jeremiah was hated. Jeremiah was committing treason. He was telling the soldiers and the people to surrender to the enemy. He was propagating fear among people. Jeremiah was the enemy of all patriotic Israelites. However, he was declaring God’s word faithfully. Jeremiah was telling the truth. The truth got Jeremiah thrown in prison, into a cistern, and it nearly got him killed. 

Isn't it fun to serve God? Not for Jeremiah, but as bad as it was God continued to protect Jeremiah's life. It wasn't pleasant or comfortable, but no one living at that time in Judah was going to be enjoying life and many would lose their lives. Jeremiah had the knowledge he was speaking the truth. It was horrible at times, but as we know life doesn't end with death. Jeremiah was given the knowledge that though this seemed like the end it wasn't (Jeremiah 32). We know that today death is not the end and the Christian has hope for something better, so we need not fear death, let alone troubles. 

Jer 38:1-28
(1)  Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying,
(2)  Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.
(3)  Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it.
(4)  Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.
(5)  Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.
(6)  Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.
(7)  Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;
(8)  Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house, and spake to the king, saying,
(9)  My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.
(10)  Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
(11)  So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.
(12)  And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.
(13)  So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
(14)  Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.
(15)  Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?
(16)  So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.
(17)  Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:
(18)  But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.
(19)  And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.
(20)  But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.
(21)  But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath shewed me:
(22)  And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.
(23)  So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.
(24)  Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.
(25)  But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:
(26)  Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.
(27)  Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.
(28)  So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.

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