Thu, Mar 31st - 7:30PM

STUDY IN HEBREWS

Thu, Mar 31st - 1:16PM

II SAMUEL STUDY

" Love and a cough cannot be hid."

                              ~George Herbert 

13: And David took more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron:  and there were yet sons and daughters born to David (5:13). 

There is the factual historical record.  God most definitely did not place His stamp of approval upon what David chose to do regarding more wives and concubines.  Polygamy is not something which God approves of, and we shall find out later on the consequences of these actions of David.  In his son Solomon it resulted in the division of the kingdom and finally brought about the Babylonian captivity.  Why?  Because David and Solomon were kings, were in positions of leadership, and their marital behavior was wrong.  God says that they were wrong in their actions concerning these women.  God's rules protect us from harm and provide us with maximum happiness and blessing. 

14: And these be the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shammuah, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,

15: Ibhar also, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia,

16: And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet (5:14-16). 

We do not know very much about the first two siblings, but from Nathan eventually came Mary the mother of Jesus.  From Solomon came Joseph, Mary's husband.  Jesus Christ received of the blood lines and legal title to the throne of David through Nathan and Solomon.  God uses all circumstances to work good toward us.  David commits polygamy, God uses some of those offspring to continue the bloodline of Christ Jesus.  God does not forgive David and Solomon for their sin, He merely works around it while still holding these two men accountable. 

17: But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold.

18: The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim (5:17-18). 

Remember when David fled from Saul and went to live among the Philistines?  Only Achish considered David to be a friend.  Now that David has returned to Israel and has been anointed as king over Israel, the Philistines are determined to eliminate him.

19: And David inquired of God, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines?  will You deliver them into my hand?  And God said unto David, Go up:  for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.

20: And David came to Baal-perazim, and David struck them there, and said, The LORD has broken forth upon my enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baal-perazim.

21: And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them (5:19-21). 

We see how David turned to God and asked Him if he ought to go out to fight these people.  He did not just up and go fight them, he asked God.  We need to ask God if we ought to be opposing certain people, if we ought to be protesting against certain causes, or if we ought to consider purchasing a brand new vehicle. 

   22: And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
   23: And when David inquired of Jehovah, he said, Thou shalt not go up: make a circuit behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees.
   24: And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then you shall stir yourself; for then is Jehovah gone out before you to smite the host of the Philistines.
   25: And David did so, as Jehovah commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Geba until you come to Gezer (5:22-25). 

God does not do things exactly the same way over and over again.  We can't assume that because God acted a certain way through me last time, that that is how He will act through me every time.  David was told to go against his enemy from a different direction the next time they came into conflict upon the valley of Rephaim.  David was told to listen for the sounds of marching to come from the tree tops before advancing upon the Philistines.  God was quite specific and remains quite specific in what He wants us to do also. 

Next time I shall begin chapter six of II Samuel.  The theme of this next chapter is basically David's wrong and right attempts to bring the ark to Jerusalem.  It is applicable to our lives today and we need to read it and learn its lessons so that we do not continuously commit the same mistakes that David did.  Grace and peace be yours.

~Eric

Wed, Mar 30th - 6:42PM

STUDY IN HEBREWS

 1: Therefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

 2: Looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God (12:1-2). 

This chapter begins with warning against drifting along aimlessly for this will lead to a return to sinning in some form.  Sin hounds us relentlessly, seeking to insinuate itself into our lives. 

The writer speaks of the peril of remaining stationary in our faith.  We can't become "couch potatoes" for sin shall suck us back down into the morass.  Verse one teaches that we are entered into a "race."  The Christian life is a race, and we must be prepared to endure it in order to be able to finish it.  It is not a sprint, but rather it is a marathon.  Perhaps one of the faults of Christians today is that of boasting of what they have done in the past, and not focusing upon what they can do right now.

In a sense, spiritually we must fight off lethargy just like when trapped out in extreme cold conditions.  To allow ourselves to be lulled into sleep removes us from working for God.  We have to force ourselves to remain awake, something which the disciples failed to do repeatedly in the Garden of Gethsamane with Jesus.  We can't just sit still, we have to keep on moving forward.  My cup gets filled by God and there just is no way that I can hope to keep it filled at that same level the rest of my life by doing nothing. 

"Therefore" we are told here to move on, and to live by faith.  This word unites chapter twelve with the previous chapter.  This great "cloud of witnesses" is another one of those groups of people which are pointed out to us in Hebrews.  Who are they?  Some feel that they are only those Old Testament prophets before the coming of Christ.  Perhaps for the apostles this was true, but for us today it also includes all of the saints who have gone on before us.  I am fairly confident that the witnesses are not sitting around watching us run our race today.  They have already run the race down here on earth and are finished.  They have left footprints which we can now follow.  The races which they ran can inspire us and encourage us to be more faithful.  Whether they became martyrs or not, they all ran their race by faith.  They all witness to us. 

The Christian life is likened to a Greek race.  Athletes practice and exercise in order to perform at the highest level possible and be successful.  Baseball pitchers practice their various pitches so that they can throw them in any situation during a game.  Football players practice the exact same way in order to execute specific plays during important games.  They prepare themselves to run their races.  Professional basketball consists of a long 82 game schedule that is much like a marathon.  Players must be prepared to endure the rigors of the long season just to qualify to participate in the playoffs which lead to a championship series.  So the Christian is told to prepare themselves in like fashion to endure a life in which they are to serve God and others.  We are to keep our eyes fixed upon the prize which awaits us at the end of the race:  life in the New Jerusalem!

That is all for today my friends.  I will continue with these two verses tomorrow.  Grace and peace be yours!

~Eric

Wed, Mar 30th - 12:10PM

II SAMUEL STUDY

"Why, why will we most gladly set days aside to honor the fathers of our nation---Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson---but draw back in dismay from giving honor to the Fathers of our Faith?"

                            ~Thomas Howard, Evangelical Is Not Enough 

As a short refresher, nation Israel has spent seven long years locked in civil war between the tribe of Judah, led by David, and the other eleven tribes joined together as Israel.  Finally, Abner is murdered by Joab and Ish-bosheth was murdered by two members of the Beerothites.  The horrors of the conflict finally force the eleven tribes to parlay with David. 

 2: Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were he that lead out and brought in Israel:  and the LORD said to you, You shall feed My people Israel, and you shall be a captain over Israel (5:2). 

My question for these representatives of the eleven tribes is this:  If you knew that God had informed David that he was the one to lead the nation, why have you been fighting against him for seven years?  I believe that they did not wish to submit to being under the authority of God.  But now they have no choice, unless they wish to be erradicated through continued rebellion. 

 3: So all the elders of Israel came to the king in Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD:  and they anointed David king over Israel.

 4: David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

 5: In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months:  and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah (5:3-5). 

Upon unification, Israel is about to enter into its greatest period of prosperity and expansion.  David is still a young man upon becoming king.  We are now to find out how Jerusalem became Israel's capital. 

 6: And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land:  which spoke to David, saying, Except ytake away the blind and the lame, you shall not come in here:  thinking, Daivd can't come in here.

 7: Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion:  the same is the city of David (5:6-7). 

David understood that he couldn't possibly rule all eleven tribes effectively from the far southern city of Hebron.  So he chose to move the capital to Jerusalem.  But it is not an easy move for the Jebusites who live there choose to oppose him, underestimating his abilities. 

In David's time Jerusalem was down near the Kidron valley.  The walls that surrounded the city in that time have been excavated down in that region.  Today's Jerusalem is closer to Mount Zion, where the palace of David was built.  Later still, below Mount Zion, the Temple was built.  David chose this place, it was his city.  Throughout the Psalms we can find David's love for these places.  Not everyone in history has loved Jerusalem.  Pontius Pilate hated the city and was only in it during the feast days to keep order.  Other times Pilate lived in Caesarea, located on the Mediterranean. 

Interestingly the Jebusites refused David entrance into the city itself.  So David went and seized the strong hold of Zion.  He took control of the top of the mount and not the city proper, in essence controlling the best vantage point around the city.  The Jebusites discovered that they were overwhelmed before even realizing that there was to be a battle.

 8: And David said on that day, Whosoever gets up to the gutter, and smites the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul, he shall be chief and captain.  Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house (5:8). 

It is difficult to determine the exact meaning of what David spoke.  I suspect that "the lame and the blind" here could be those who were spiritually crippled and refused to trust in Jehovah. 

 9: So David dwelled in the fort, and called it the city of David.  And David built round about from Millo and inward.

10: And David went on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him.

11: And Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons:  and they built David a house.

12: And David perceived that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that He had exalted His kingdom for His people Israel's sake (5:9-12). 

David grew mighty.  God was with him.  Hiram recognized he was an outstanding man.  David was in tune with God enough to understand why things were moving so quickly at this time.  It was not so much due to his physical efforts as it was due to God's efforts.  God blessed David's efforts in order to exalt God's kingdom so that the Israelites would know why things were going so much better now than in years past.  Today we must perceive that Christ has established us in our particular ministry, and that He has done so in order to exalt His kingdom for the benefit of His saints.

That is all for today, beloved.  Next we will be finding out some of the wrong choices of David and his right choices.  We shall see some of the immediate consequences of his choices while we shall have to wait on the consequences of others.  Until then, may Christ become your Passover Lamb this season if He has not before now.  May you choose to experience His all-encompassing love and compassion rather than continue to fumble about in the spiritual darkness, wondering why things never turn out right.  Grace and peace be yours.

~Eric

Tue, Mar 29th - 6:32PM

STUDY IN HEBREWS

Mon, Mar 28th - 9:50PM

NLC

I am finally finishing up my study in the new life in Christ.  Yes, it's true!  So, let's begin by looking at I Corinthians 13:1-3:

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing." 

We were considering what God's idea of love was, and how that translates then into how we are to relate to other Christians.  Now we see that three basic groups of believers are represented in this passage.  There are the "givers" and the "pentecostals" and the "prophets."  You can provide other names besides what I have done, but you get the idea.  I can speak in tongues better than anyone else, but if I do not love the brethren then it is meaningless.  I can sell everything that I own, give it to feed the poor, but without love of the brethren it is meaningless.  I can give voice to prophecy, but without love of the brethren it is meaningless.  I can have more faith than anyone else around, but without love of the brethren it is meaningless.  I might have a breathtaking singing voice but if I do not love the brethren it is worthless, junk.  God wants us to love each other as He loves us.

How am I to treat those who are not like me?  With unconditional love.  It means that I must love others without expecting anything in return.  That is what God does with us.  We all can't be singers up in the Praise Team, or preaching sermons in front of crowds of people.  We are to be who God designed us to be, and love our brethren.

The next Scripture to consider is Psalm 40:1-3:

"To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

And He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD." 

We find here a basic principle that we all ought to follow devoutly.  Waiting patiently upon God.  In our current society it is all about rushing about, frantic to get our shopping done and pick up the kiddies from their various after school activities which are supposedly designed to enhance the kiddies' chances of being accepted into the best universities in the land.  We bathe outselves in noise all the day long, never allowing ourselves a minute of peace and quiet, never stopping long enough to simply wait patiently for God.  How can we manage to pray, if we refuse to discipline ourselves enough to stop doing things and quiet our souls for a heart-to-heart with God?  Don't you get it?  Satan wants us to run around like ants in a disturbed anthill.  Satan wants us to lose ourselves in music, and television, and the internet, and all of the myriad of other amusements out there.  He wants us to remain distracted, unable and/or unwilling to think clearly about what we are not accomplishing with our lives.  Are our children growing up into outstanding citizens?  Are they honest, integrity-driven individuals who stand up for their friends and refuse to take advantage of those who are less fortunate? 

Anyways, this passage from out of the Psalms points out that God will deliver us from out of the depths of our troubles, and plant us firmly upon solid rock.  That rock is none other than Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.  God also provides us with a new song to sing.  The people who witness us as we go through our life with this "new song" become impressed, even fearful of the fact that they do not have such a song to sing in their lives, and leads them to come to Christ at the cross for forgiveness of their sins.  Is it supposed to be that everyone have the exact same kind of singing voice?  No, for then we would never have the privilege of listening to a quartet or duet, or an entire choir, sing with voices all melded together.  We would miss out on that blessing to our hearts.

The last passage for us to consider today is I Peter 2:4-10:

"To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believes on Him shall not be confounded.

Unto you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the Word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light:

Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." 

Why is it significant that we are called "lively stones" rather than just bricks?  Both are commonly used to construct buildings, so what is the difference?  Well, bricks are rather uniform in dimensions; seen one you have seen 'em all.  But stones come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.  People come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, we are not all conformed to one exact shape or size.  God wants us to understand that, to not forget that each of us is different from another in some way.  We are to embrace those differences and not use them to seperate or exclude others who are "not like us."  Just as it takes many stones or bricks to construct a building, it takes many people to build the church of God.

Another point to take away from this passage is that Jesus Christ is the "rejected stone" of His people and inspite of this He has become the cornerstone of God's church.  To those people who are disobedient to God's laws and precepts Christ is a stumblingblock, offensive to their senses, someone to mock.  But to us who have believed, Jesus becomes precious for He has called us from out of spiritual darkness into His glorious light.

Then we see that as we repent of our sins and turn away from those things which we used to do, we turn towards God and become members of a new royal priesthood, members of a chosen generation, all becoming part of one single body of unified believers in Christ Jesus.  His Holy Spirit teaches all of us the same message, the same truth, the same walk through life.  It does not matter what sort of culture we come from, or race, or creed, or status in life; we all become more like Christ every day and think more like Christ every day by reading God's Word and applying its precepts to our lives. 

So, what do I do with these truths?  I realize that I am part of a much bigger picture in God's eyes.  It does not minimize me, it energizes me.  There are things which I must be doing, work which God wants me to accomplish, people who must be reached with the Gospel.  There are new disciples who are desperately in need of learning truth in God's Word so that they can survive in a hostile culture.  There are people who are in extreme need of just one person to listen to them, to care about them, to notice that they exist.  There are personal relationships that need to be created, kindnesses that need to be shown, love needing to be shared.  There are songs to sing, both alone and in conjunction with others.  There are prayers that need to be offered up to God in heaven, things which need to be asked for, thanks which needs to be given.  And in all things we are to praise God for who He is and for what He has done.  I must never forget that I am now part of God's team, even if I am only the "waterboy" I am still a valuable part of the whole team and I must do my work to the best of my ability.  Not everyone can be the quarterback, or the ace pitcher, or the goalie.  There are many things which must be done by the team, and it takes concerted efforts by every team member in order for the team to do what God sets before it. 

I hope that this study has helped you understand what your part is in the body of Christ.  I hope that it spurs you to do further studying of God's Word and helps you become better prepared for whatever may lie ahead in the future.  Just remember:  God is good, all of the time! 

~Eric

Sun, Mar 27th - 12:43PM

A MEANS OF INTERPRETING GOD'S WORD

Sat, Mar 26th - 4:48PM

STUDY IN HEBREWS

Fri, Mar 25th - 12:22PM

II SAMUEL STUDY

""The Bible knows nothing of solitary relgion."

                       ~John Wesley

""The Church cannot be content to live in its stained-glass house and throw stones through the picture window of modern culture."

                       ~Robert McAfee Brown 

 1: Then came all the tribes of Israel to David in Hebron, and spoke, saying, Behold, we are your bone and your flesh (5:1). 

The eleven tribes came to David.  Finally, they exhibit some common sense by acknowledging that all of them are Hebrew, why are we fighting?  Civil war always tears a nation apart from the inside out and weakens it overall.  Civil wars frequently are followed by outside attacks from foreign governments seeking to take advantage of the situation. 

America's worst conflict was its own civil war.  Common sense did not carry the day and prevent states from choosing to secede from the Union.  People did not stop and take a long hard look at the long term ramifications of such actions.  It took years upon years to recover from the hardships imposed upon people because of states choosing secession over remaining in the Union.

Israel and Judah spent seven long years locked in civil war, killing each other, wasting resources and lives.  Finally, the division of the twelve tribes comes to an end, reunification takes place, wholeness is restored.  At that time this represented the entrance into the golden period of Israel.  It also represents/symbolizes the day when Christ will return and rule upon earth and usher in a glorious period of time spanning a thousand years.

That is all for today my friends.  Next time I shall continue looking at this period of reunification of the twelve tribes and what it led to next in the history of Israel.  I pray that you have grace, peace, and love in your life today and in the days to come!

~Eric

Thu, Mar 24th - 3:49PM

THE GLORY OF THE LORD

"So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud:  for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God (II Chronicles 5:14)." 

God showed His acceptance of Solomon's magnificent temple as His symbolic earthly dwelling place by the coming of the Shekinah glory cloud.  This had happened one other time before in the wilderness.  "Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34)." 

But as the glory once departed when the Ark of the Covenant fell into the hands of the Philistines (I Samuel 4:22), so it would later also depart when Solomon's Temple was ransacked by the Babylonians and all was carried away into exile (II Chronicles 36:17-20l Ezekiel 10:18, 11:25).

The Shekinah glory returned for a time when "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory (John 1:14)."  On one occasion Christ's glory was allowed to shine through even in a physical sense:  "And as He prayed, the fashion of His countenance was altered, and...they saw His glory (Luke 9:29-32)."  This took place on the Mount of Transfiguration where Moses and Elijah also appeared to the disciples.

There is also a great day coming when the ascended Lord will return with His heavenly host and temple, "coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30)."  This gory will be present forever when the heavenly tabernacle, the New Jerusalem, comes to earth (Revelation 21:3-10), "having the glory of God (verse 11)." 

Now in this present time, the body of each believer in Christ Jesus "is the temple of the Holy Ghost, therefore glorify God in the body (I Corinthians 6:19-20)."  "For God...has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (II Corinthians 4:6)."  We are to know this glory of God for we have been told that we have fallen short of "the glory of God."  Having fallen short of the mark, we must therefore strive to come to know this "glory of God."  Why?  Because He is coming back one day to dwell upon this planet and to make known that Christ Jesus is God of all.  Every knee will bow, every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of everything.  I believe that within the burning bush which confronted Moses there was a large measure of this "glory of God."  Moses had been told to observe the holiness of the ground upon which he stood.  Moses undoubtedly basked in "the glory of God" while upon the mount in the wilderness, for when he came down with the stone tablets his face glowed. 

So let us determine in our hearts to pursue God and not settle for falling short of "the glory of God."  Let us yearn to walk each day in such a fashion that we never push the Holy Spirit away.  We are to care for our bodies since they are now the temple for the Holy Spirit.  Let us heed the Spirit's call:  Come, come!  The gates to your prison cell stand open!  Come, and enter in to the Sabbath rest of Christ.

~Eric

Wed, Mar 23rd - 12:52PM

II SAMUEL STUDY

 1: And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.

 2: And Saul's son had two men that were captains of bands:  the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, the children of Benjamin:  (for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin):

 3: And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.

 4: And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet.  He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled:  and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame.  And his name was Mephibosheth (4:1-4). 

Mephibosheth is an unusual name, and should be remembered for it shall come to attention once again later on.  But why were the Beerothites fleeing?  We shall see.

 5: And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.

 6: And they came into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they struck him under the fifth rib:  and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped (4:5-6). 

These two brothers took it upon themselves to rid Israel of its king.  Perhaps if Abner had still been alive they would not have undertaken this action, but not that he is dead they counseled together and chose a course of action.  Obviously they believed that this was the proper course of action needed at this particular time.  As will be seen, they thought that this would make peace with David and they could receive a reward from him for solving a dilemna.  But what they did was bloody, ruthless, and ugly. 

 7: For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they struck him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and got themselves away through the plain all night.

 8: And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David in Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul your enemy, which sought your life; and the LORD has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed (4:7-8). 

These two men took the head to prove that Ish-bosheth was indeed dead.  They might be applauded for their determination, but they were foolish to believe that David would be ecstatic with their exploits. 

    9: And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As Jehovah lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,
   10: when one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his tidings.
   11: How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed, shall I not now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?
   12: And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron (4:9-12). 

Rechab and Baanah were murderers of a king.  David had them executed as such.  Ish-bosheth had been David's opponent but had not been a dishonorable man and had not deserved to be killed while sleeping on his bed.  The brothers ought to have taken a moment to consider what had happened to the murderer of king Saul who had actively sought to kill David, if they had they might have reconsidered killing their own king who had done nothing to try and kill David. 

That finishes this short chapter four.  Chapter five will provide us with the continuing efforts to reunify all twelve tribes of Israel.  Until we meet again, grace and peace be yours this day!

~Eric

Tue, Mar 22nd - 12:22PM

II SAMUEL STUDY

"We will neglect our cities to our peril, for in neglecting them we neglect the nation."

                          ~John F. Kennedy, Message to Congress, 1962 

    14: And David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, Deliver to me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
   15: And Ish-bosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Paltiel the son of Laish.
   16: And her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him, Go, return: and he returned.
   17: And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, In times past you sought for David to be king over you:
   18: now then do it; for Jehovah has spoken of David, saying, By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.
   19: And Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin: and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and to the whole house of Benjamin.
   20: So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast.
   21: And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires. And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.
   22: And, behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a foray, and brought in a great spoil with them: but Abner was not with David in Hebron; for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace.
   23: When Joab and all the host that was with him were come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he is gone in peace.
   24: Then Joab came to the king, and said, What have you done? behold, Abner came unto you; why is it that you have sent him away, and he is quite gone?
   25: You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you do.
   26: And when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah: but David knew it not.
   27: And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there in the body, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
   28: And afterward, when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before Jehovah for ever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner:
   29: let it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that has an issue, or that is a leper, or that leans on a staff, or that falls by the sword, or that lacks bread.
   30: So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle (3:14-30). 

From out of this large passage of Scripture we are informed of David's honest dealings with Abner in order to unite the twelve tribes under one king once more.  David's condition of having his first wife, Michal, returned to him causes some grief in the heart of her current husband.  Interestingly we do not find anything about Michal weeping and grief-stricken over being torn away from her current husband.  Now, Abner and David are ironing out this agreement without the knowledge of Joab, David's captain of the army.  Joab has been off on a military foray with a large portion of the army and when he returns to Hebron he finds out that Abner has come and gone.  He wants to know why the man was allowed to leave alive. 

Still carrying a grudge against Abner for murdering his brother Asahel, Joab sends men out to ask Abner to come back so that Joab can speak with him.  Now, I am not the brightest lightbulb in the carton, but why come back and talk with the brother of a man you murdered?  It was rather obvious that Abner was not a totally honorable man in his dealings with others, so why believe that Joab would be honorable to the point of not shedding blood?  Well, Abner comes back to Hebron and Joab draws him over to the side of the gate into Hebron.  Importance?  Very much so.  See, Hebron was one of those peculiar cities of refuge.  Once inside a refuge city a person was safe from being killed in vengeance, until they went outside of the city gates.  Joab understood this, did not wish to violate this basic element of Jewish culture and thus he kept Abner just outside of the gate.  It was there that Abner was killed pretty much the same way he had killed Asahel.  Joab chose to not allow vengeance be God's, but to execute Abner at his own hand. 

When king David heard of these events he lamented.  He understood that Abner's blood would be upon Joab and his family, not David's since David had been willing to deal honorably with the house of Saul. 

   31: And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David followed the bier.
   32: And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.
   33: And the king lamented for Abner, and said, Should Abner die as a fool dies?
   34: Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put into fetters: As a man falls before the children of iniquity, so did you fall. And all the people wept again over him.
   35: And all the people came to cause David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David sware, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or aught else, till the sun be down.
   36: And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people.
   37: So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner.
   38: And the king said unto his servants, Know you not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?
   39: And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me: Jehovah reward the evil-doer according to his wickedness (3:31-39). 

Here we find that David understood the deviousness that Joab had utilized to first entice Abner back to within striking distance, and then in killing him just outside of a city of refuge.  Why did David say that Abner died as a fool?  I think David figured that Abner ought to have insisted upon entering the city before speaking with anyone at the gate.  Abner should have suspected Joab's true intentions.  What message is there in this for us?

Just as Israel had several cities designated as refuges against vengeance, so too, we have a "city of refuge" in Jesus Christ.  Every single sinner may enter in and be safe from vengeance of God against sin.  But regardless of how high a man's IQ is or what his position in life might be, if he stands outside of the place of refuge, he is utterly lost.  This is why it is so important to remain "in Christ."  The hard, cold, truth could be spoken at many a funeral:  "Today a fool has just died.  He would not turn to Jesus Christ who is the ultimate place of refuge."  Are you residing in Christ, safely within the walls of His refuge?

That finishes up chapter three of II Samuel.  Next we will begin looking into chapter four in which the reunification of Israel continues to forge ahead.  We shall see more people who make  poor decisions, revealing their lack of honor and of comprehension of the will of God.  Personal greed, self service, and "brown nosing" all will be showcased and give us pause to wonder why mankind never learns from its ancient mistakes.  If we be so much smarter than our ancient counterparts, then why do we still behave the exact same way?  Oh, we have all of these fancy electronic gadgets, and appliances, and clothes, but inside of us nothing has changed at all. 

I pray that Christ bless you today.  May you be filled with grace and peace.  May you make wise choices today, doing that which pleases God.

~Eric

Mon, Mar 21st - 12:28PM

II SAMUEL STUDY

"Sight is not faith, and hearing is not faith, neither is feeling faith; but believing when we neither see, hear, nor feel is faith; and everywhere the Bible tells us our salvation is to be by faith.  Therefore we must believe before we feel, and often against our feelings, if we would honor God by our faith."

                      ~Hannah Whitall Smith 

Chapter three continues the account of the long civil war that raged within the nation.  Eventually David gained enough strength to achieve the upper hand.  Abner, after experiencing a fallingout with Ish-bosheth, deserted to David's side.  Joab, David's captain, suspected Abner and, seeking revenge for his brother Asahel's death, murdered him.

 1: Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David:  but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

 2: And unto David were sons born in Hebron:  and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;

 3: And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;

 4: And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

 5: And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife.  Those were born to David in Hebron (3:1-5). 

It is plainly seen that David had more than one wife.  This will create a great problem for David in the future.  God did not approve of this behavior.  Later on we shall find out what Absalom did to his father.  Who was Absalom's mom?  Maacah, daighter of Talmai, king of Geshur.  Who was this king of Geshur?  Looking back to I Samuel 27:8 we recall that David and his men invaded the Geshurites, the Gezrites, and the Amalekites.  He slew many of these people, including the king of Geshur, and as a result apparantly took the king's daughter captive.  Eventually she became married to David.  It will be their son who will cause great tragedy later on.  See, when sin is committed the consequences eventually become due and payable.  David sinned and he did not "get away with it."

  6: And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong in the house of Saul.

7: And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah:  and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, Why have you gone in unto my father's concubine?

 8: Then was Abner very angry for the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, which against Judah do show kindness this day unto the house of Saul your father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David, that you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman (3:6-8)?   

Abner, who had been the chief captain of Saul's army, had pushed Ish-bosheth onto the throne of Israel.  Being an older man he probably tended to not listen to the young king.  Consequently Abner did something he should not have done, ever.

See, it was the exclusive right of the man who was the successor to the throne to cohabit with the deceased king's concubines.  Abner trespassed on the rights of Ish-bosheth and then arrogantly became enraged when called out about it.  Frankly, the young king was justified in rebuking Abner, but Abner became so "wroth" with the king that he immediately began to formulate an "exit strategy."

 9: So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the Lord has sworn to David, even so I do to him;

10: To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beer-sheba.

11: And he could not answer Abner a word again, because he feared him (3:9-11). 

Abner made it plainly known his intention of leaving the house of Saul and ally himself with David.  Ish-bosheth did not dare say anything against Abner at this point for he had little to no army, and now no captain.  He was not a warrior like his deceased brother Jonathan.  He had been raised in the king's palace, amidst luxury and ease.  He feared Abner.

12: And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land?  saying also, Make your league with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with you, tobring about all Israel unto you.

13: And he said, Well; I will make a league with you:  but one thing I require of you, that is, You shall not see my face, except you first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when you come to see me (3:12-13). 

You will recall that Michal was David's first wife.  Saul had taken her away from David and given her in marriage to another man.  As if he did not already have enough wives, David requests that his very first wife be returned to him.  This will cause problems.  And yet, above all of these poor decisions, was a faith in God that never faltered nor failed.  More than anything else in his life David wanted a wonderful relationship with God.  We need to note this.  Inspite of all of our poor choices in life, as long as in our heart we genuinely desire to have a close relationship with Christ we can be forgiven by God and be known as someone who loved God.  David made mistakes, but he also repented of his sins once they become evident to him.  We need to do the same today.

That is all for today, beloved.  Next time we shall follow this account of the agreement reached by David and Abner.  We will find out what the end results were.  I hope that you experience peace and calm in your life today, that you have the grace of Christ in your heart.  And may Christ shine down on you and His love then shine through you out into the world, just as the song lyrics say.

~Eric

Sun, Mar 20th - 12:05PM

NLC

Sat, Mar 19th - 8:45PM

STUDY IN HEBREWS

Fri, Mar 18th - 12:46PM

A SON OF THANKFULNESS

"And she conceived again, and bare a son:  and she said, Now will I praise the LORD:  therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing (Genesis 29:35)." 

Here is the testimony of Jacob's first wife, Leah.  This will be the fourth child that she has given birth to.  This verse contains the first mention of the Hebrew yadah, often translated as "praise" or "thank" or "thanks."  She even named her son "Judah" which pretty much is the same Hebrew word.

God chose Judah to be the father of the tribe through which Christ would come into this world, even though there were three older brothers.  Every time Leah called Judah's name she was reminded of her original gratitude for the gift of this special son.

Later on, Judah was willing to give his life for that of his younger brother Benjamin (Genesis 43:9).  This was a picture of what another member of the tribe of Judah would do for all of mankind centuries later. 

In the very last reference to Judah in the Bible, this son of Judah is called "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" who will one day be acknowledged as King over all of the earth (Revelation 5:5).  The last mention of "thanks" in the Bible is when the elders in heaven cry out:  "We give You thanks, O LORD God Almighty, which are, and was, and are to come; because You have taken to You Your great power, and has reigned (Revelation 11:17)." 

We do indeed have much for which we are to be thankful towards God, but most of all we are thankful for the Son of God, the Son of Man, Seed of Abraham, Second Person of the Trinity.  He is our Lord and Savior, and our coming King!

That is all for now, beloved!  I pray that the remainder of this day, and this upcoming weekend, will be a blessing to you!  Grace and peace follow in your footsteps, wherever you may go.

~Eric

Thu, Mar 17th - 9:05PM

STUDY IN HEBREWS

Wed, Mar 16th - 7:13PM

NLC

Wed, Mar 16th - 3:10PM

TO BE FILLED AND FULFILLED

"For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Colossians 1:9)." 

Here we can see that Paul sought for the Colossian Christians the full knowledge of the will of God for their lives.  Not partial but complete.  What a prayer!  Unceasingly praying for others, desiring that they might become filled with the complete knowledge of God's will for their lives.  That is showing how much you love them!  Paul prayed many things for many different groups of believers.  For the believers at Rome he prayed that they might be filled "with all joy and peace in believing (Romans 15:13)."  For the Ephesian believers he prayed that they "might be filled with all the fulness of God (Ephesians 3:19)."  For the Philippian believers he prayed thusly, "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment...Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:9-11)."  And then he prayed for the Colossians again for their "full assurance of understanding (Colossians 2:2)." 

All of these prayer requests constitute an ideal description of a complete Christian.  This is an ideal which we all ought to strive and pray for, for both ourselves and others.  Here is the list:

"Filled with all joy and peace in believing."

"Filled with the fruits of righteousness."

"Filled with the knowledge of His will."

"Filled with the Spirit."

"Filled with all the fulness of God."

"Filled with assurance of understanding."

Do you get the message here today, beloved?  We are to be filled with God, not empty, not only partially filled.  The Greek word for "filled" is the same one as for "fulfilled."  So when we become "filled" with all these wonderful realities we achieve "fulfillment" of God's purpose in creating and redeeming us.  God's ultimate goal, of course, is for us to eventually measure up to "the fulness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13)." 

Are you feeling like your life is empty, devoid of purpose?  Then perhaps your life is bereft of being "filled" with the Spirit of the Living God.  Does your life feel like it is lacking any sort of direction?  Then seek out God anew and become "filled" with the knowledge of what God wants you to do with your life.  Feel insecure in today's ever-changing world?  Then turn to God whole-heartedly, give Him your heart, and be "filled with assurnce of understanding" which comes through His Holy Spirit within you.  Are you struggling with loss of loved ones or imminent death of a spouse or child?  Then turn your face towards the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and through Him be "filled with all joy and peace in believing" that He has taken away all of your sins and washed you white as the newly fallen snow in winter.  Turn to God and He shall show you the abundant life promised in the New Testament.  You shall be free indeed!

~Eric

Mon, Mar 14th - 6:28PM

STUDY IN HEBREWS

Mon, Mar 14th - 12:23PM

II SAMUEL STUDY

18:"It is difficult to make a man miserable while he feels he is worthy of himself and claims kindred to the great God who made him."

                                             ~Abraham Lincoln 

We resume studying II Samuel with a look at an event which will play an important role later on.

18: And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel:  and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.

19: And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.

20: Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Is it you, Asahel? And he answered, It is I.

21: And Abner said to him, Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay hold on one of the young men, and take his armor. But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.

22: And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn aside from following me: why should I smite you to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab your brother?

23: Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him in the body, so that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.

24: But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lies before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

25: And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one band, and stood on the top of a hill.

26: Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? know you not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, before you bid the people return from following their brethren?

27: And Joab said, As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone away, nor followed every one his brother.

28: So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.

29: And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah; and they passed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and came to Mahanaim.

30: And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel.

31: But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and threescore men died.

32: And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Beth-lehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and the day brake upon them at Hebron (2:18-32).

Zeruiah was one of David's sisters, thus these three brothers were his cousins.  Asahel might have been very fleet of foot, but he was no match in hand to hand combat against Abner.  To Abner's credit he does warn Asahel to quit before he suffers death.  Asahel persists and so Abner runs him through with his spear.  This pretty much guarentees that Joab will have bitterness in his heart towards Abner.  There could easily be hatred and the desire to seek revenge.  Abner wisely calls out to Joab and attempts to end this confrontation before the bloodshed spreads even wider and deeper than it already has.  Joab shows remarkable character by not persisting in seeking revenge for his brother's death.  Perhaps he understood that what his brother had attempted to do was rather foolhardy and had contributed to his own death at the hand of Abner.  At any rate, Joab calls off his soldiers and allows Abner and his men to retreat to safety.

David's men had killed some 360 of Abner's men and only lost 20 of their number.  We see that Asahel is given a burial next to his father in Bethlehem and then the remainder of David's men returned to Hebron at daylight.  David received a full report of the events that had transpired and ended with Asahel's death.  This completes chapter two.  A lesson to take away from this historical account is this:  Do not foolishly confront those who are physically capable of easily taking your life.  I have witnessed in my life many foolish people who run their mouths, arrogantly taunting others who are fully capable of putting them into a hospital with multiple broken bones.  Some have ended up receiving a thorough beating while others miraculously did not enter into any conflict.  We are warned by God to not allow our tongue to utter inflammatory words which will drag us into a physical battle.  We are to confront others in the love of Christ, speaking quietly and compassionately.  

Next time we shall begin chapter three and find that the civil war continues in nation Israel.  We will discover what Abner's ultimate fate was to be.  Until then, grace and peace be with you all.

~Eric 

Sun, Mar 13th - 3:21PM

NLC

Sat, Mar 12th - 1:12PM

STUDY IN HEBREWS

 6: But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (11:6). 

There it is laid out plain as day for us:  without faith it is impossible to please God.  Enoch pleased God not through his works but through his faith in God.  He did things God's way, believed God, walked with God.

Rewards are either spoken of, or inferred, throughout this Book of Hebrews.  This is because emphasis is placed upon the Christian life.  Salvation is not a reward, it is a free gift.  We work for our rewards but not for our salvation.  And the kicker is this: we do our works in faith to Christ Jesus.  All we do, we do in faith.  Enoch diligently sought out God each and every day, he walked with God by faith.  Do you doubt that the Bible is God's Word?  Then you have a lack of faith in God.  Do you doubt that God is able to do what He says He will do in the Bible?  Then you have a lack of faith in God.  You are unable to please God while remaining in such a state of unbelief.

 7: By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith (11:7). 

Noah may not have reached any of the Babylonians over his 120 years, but he surely won his family by his faith in God.  As we go back and review Genesis 6 we find that God had passed judgment upon the wickedness of mankind at that time.  We find that Noah was a just man and walked with God.  This walk with God entailed having faith in what God told him being taken as the truth.  Noah did not doubt that God was telling him the truth at all. 

God told the man that He was going to destroy the world with water, all would perish.  There are indications that it might not have had to rain up until this point in time.  This would explain why so many people did not believe what Noah tried to explain to them repeatedly.  But Noah believed God and began to construct an ark exactly the way God described it to him.  It took years to build this boat. 

We now come to Abraham, a man known as the man of faith.  It is how he is identified in God's Word.  This man is held up as th illustration of faith in the Book of Romans and Galatians.  Jesus Christ said, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day:  and he saw it, and was glad."  In this man then, we shall see the  worship of faith.

 8: By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing where he went (11:8). 

We see that the worship of God leads to obedience to God.  It leads to work for God.  We do not need to browbeat anyone, or coerce anyone, into doing what God wants them to do.  That is not the way.  People need to make a voluntary choice to worship God, to believe God, and to then obey God.  In verse eight the most important word is "obeyed."   Abraham did not sit and endlessly question God or criticize God.  Abraham simply went, leaving everything familiar behind. 

Going back to Genesis 12 we find that Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees and went off to Haran.  He remained there for some time before eventually reaching the land of Canaan.  Once reaching this point, God appeared to him and gave him the promise of all of that land to his descendants.  Everywhere this man went he built an altar to God in order to worship Him there.  All of it led Abraham to obey God for by faith he believed what God said to him.  We all need to learn this lesson shown to us by Abraham:  go where God says to go, do what God says to do while going there and do what He says to do once we get there.  In this way we will be obedient to God and shall then be blessed beyond our wildest dreams. 

That is all for now beloved.  Next time we shall finish up looking at Abraham and also Sara.  May you enjoy this day, one of the last of this winter!  My prayers go out to all those affected by the earthquakes and tsunami which has affected Japan and other parts of the Pacific rim. 

~Eric

Fri, Mar 11th - 8:16PM

STUDY IN HEBREWS

Thu, Mar 10th - 10:05PM

NLC

"I walked a mile with pleasure, She chatted all the way, But left me none the wiser for all she had to say.  I walked a mile with sorrow, And ne'er a word said she, But oh the things I learned from her, when sorrow walked with me."

                                    ~Robert Browning Hamilton 

Results of suffering

*   It is profitable for us if we learn to trust God in it (Hebrews 12:10).

*   It makes us partakers of His holiness and righteousness (Hebrews 12:10-11).

*   It can give us the pleasure of a powerful life as we allow others to see how God carries us through to victory (II Corinthians 12:9-10).

We must remember that experiencing sorrow enables us to learn valuable lessons which strengthens our character.  We gain knowledge as to how to help others through similar circumstances, and to encourage them.  So, remember that you aren't to simply look for HOW you can get out of your troubles, but you are to look for WHAT you can get out of them in terms of wisdom and maturity! 

Let's look at some examples of this in action.  Looking into Genesis 50:16-21 "But as for you, you thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive (verse 20)."  Here is how we are to view the various troubles that enter into our lives.  Others may mean evil toward us, but even in the midst of the evil perpetrated against us, God means it to do good.  Joseph was mistreated by his brothers but God turned it around for good several years later when a huge famine struck the region.  Joseph ended up through his brothers' evil actions becoming a very influential person in Egypt and able to then feed his entire family. 

In reading II Corinthians 4 it can be seen that Paul felt the same way as had Joseph.  The Christian can rejoice in his/her tribulations for Christ is in us, and Christ works His will through us.  We are to remain focused upon maintaining our faith through any and all troubles, this then becomes a powerful witness to those around us who observe how we react to life's problems.  Even in death we can influence others.  While dying all we need utter is, "I forgive you, for you know not what you do,"  or "Thank you, I am now going home to be with my Lord."  We can comfort family and friends upon our deathbed, rather than wailing and weeping over not living longer.

That is all for tonight my friends.  Next time I shall continue with three more passages that reflect upon how we are to react to trials and tribulations in our lives.  Peace be with you.

~Eric

Thu, Mar 10th - 12:43PM

II SAMUEL STUDY

"Keep your feet on the ground, but let your heart soar as high as it will.  Refuse to be average or to surrender to the chill of your spiritual environment."

                                             ~A.W.Tozer 

 8: But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

 9: And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel (2:8-9). 

We see here the division of the kingdom of Israel, and it presages the permanent division which will come in the future after Solomon's reign ends.  David is made king over the southern tribe of Judah, but the northern tribes follow after Ish-bosheth and set in motion the pattern for the distant future. 

10: Ish-bosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years.  But the house of Judah followed David.

11: And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months (2:10-11). 

Here is the civil war between the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom.  It depleted the resources and manpower of the nation overall.  It also shows the path that the northern kingdom chose to follow since once Ish-bosheth no longer reigned they continued to rebel against the anointed of God. 

12: And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

13: And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together by the pool of Gibeon:  and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool (2:12-13). 

Abner and Joab attempted to negotiate a resolution by that pool.  But, when you have determined people on one side or the other who refuse to compromise, or to see reason, negotiation is almost impossible.  The attempts become futile, and that is what happens in this instance. 

14: And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us.  And Joab said, Let them arise.

15: Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

16: And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together:  wherefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

17: And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David (2:14-17). 

This was supposed to be the solution, but as it turned out, all of the selected young men died in this contested battle by the pool.  And so a broader battle broke out and Abner and his men were beaten soundly by David's men led by Joab.  David is no longer the innocent shepherd who slew Goliath, but a veteran of many military campaigns.  He has attracted men of war to his side who are fiercely loyal to him.  David is a rugged man and quite talented at this sort of warfare.  Abner's army had superior numbers but still was defeated that day by David's men. 

Next time we shall follow the flight of Abner and find out what happened to him.  Until then, beloved, may the grace and peace of Christ our Lord and Savior be with you all. 

~Eric

Wed, Mar 9th - 12:44PM

II SAMUEL STUDY

"There is no virtue so truly great and godlike as justice."

                                                      ~Joseph Addison

 1 : And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Juday?  And the LORD said to him, Go up.  And David said, Where shall I go up to?  And He said, Unto Hebron (2:1). 

David sought out God's direction.  He did not simply personally choose where to go at this point in his life.  So too, we ought to seek out God's direction in our lives.  If we do not, then we can easily end up exactly where God would not want us to be.  In the kingdom of Israel there are problems brewing.  Abner, Saul's captain of the army, makes Saul's son Ish-bosheth the king over the eleven of the tribes of Israel.  Civil war is unavoidable.

"After this" refers to the deaths of Saul and his sons out on the battlefield and the grieving of their loss by David and all of his men.  David now wants to know what to do.  He knows that he was anointed to be the next king of Israel, but he still is not about to barge on in unless God wishes this to be the moment.  He still waits upon the Lord.  We must learn this lesson and be patient and wait upon Jesus for direction.

God told David to go to Hebron which is not very far from the Philistine border.  David is not to make a bold grab for complete power, but to go and make himself available to the people. 

 2: So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal's wife the Carmelite

 3: And his men that werer with him did David bring up, every man with his household:  and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

 4: And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.  And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul.

 5: And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, Blessed be you of the LORD, that you have showed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.

 6: And now the LORD show kindness and truth unto you:  and I also will requite you this kindness, because you have done this thing.

 7: Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and you be valiant:   for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them (2:2-7). 

David went up to Hebron and brought his wives and all of his men and their families with him.  Once he settles down in Hebron his own tribe of Judah comes to him (since he has made himself available) and anoint him as their king.

David found out who had actually buried Saul and communicated his gratitude to them for showing such respect to Saul.  David's good, and admirable, points often get overlooked because of his shortcomings.  But they are there nonetheless.  David was a wonderful man in many respects, and yet he had to pay a great price later in life because of his great sin in every day life.

So after paying them compliments, David requests of them their loyalty/support.  He asks them to give their devotion to him as their king.  He does this in a very diplomtic fashion for he realizes that these people still have a legitimate successor to Saul's throne, namely his son Ish-bosheth.  Many times in our lives today we stumble upon situations in which we ought to deal with others in a diplomatic fashion so that they will consider our words respectfully.  We must consider our words before we utter them so that they do not offend anyone, if at all possible. 

Well, that is all for today my friends.  Next time we shall find out what Abner had done while David moved himself to Hebron.  We shall discover how long David lived in Hebron.  Grace and peace on this rainy day in late winter!

~Eric

Mon, Mar 7th - 3:29PM

II SAMUEL STUDY

"To call a man evangelical who is not evangelistic is an utter contradiction."

                                         ~ G. Campbell Morgan 

18: (Also he asked them to teach the children of Judah the use of the bow:  behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.) (1:18). 

As we recall Saul, he did make some contributions to their culture.  The Israelites had had no iron weapons so Saul taught them to be archers.  The bow and arrow turned out to be a formidable weapon.  Here in North America the Indians used them to great success against the colonists and against other Indian tribes.

19: The beauty of Israel is slain upon your high places:  how are the mighty fallen!

20: Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph (1:19-20).  

David shows us his talent in writing poetic psalms by describing Saul.  We also can see that David does not want the Philistines to know any more than is absolutely possible about these events.  Gath was the Philistine capital.  Askelon was in the Gaza strip and was quite close to Jerusalem.  Their concern was in allowing the uncircumcised Gentiles to triumph over God's people.  That would have been utter failure on their part and they knew God would be angry and dissatisfied with them. 

21: Oh mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings:  for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.

22: From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty (1:21-22). 

We can see again the reference made to Saul having been God's anointed king of Israel, even though Saul had separated himself from God's favor.  David treated it reverently, not wishing to intrude upon that relationship between Saul and Jehovah.  And David informs us that neither of these men were to be considered as cowards, that they had both fought valiantly in battle.

23: Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided:  they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

24: You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

25: How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle!  O Jonathan, you were slain in your high places.

26: I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant had you been to me:  your live to me was wonderful, passing the love of women (1:23-26).  

Is this describing a homosexual relationship, as some claim it to be?  No, it is describing a deeply personal relationship between two men who came to feel as if they were, indeed, brothers by blood.  They looked out for each other's best interests, they did not do things which they knew would harm the other.  I believe one of the reasons David chose to not kill Saul was because he knew the grief it would cause Jonathan.  David did not choose the expedient path, he chose the patient path to the throne of Israel. 

David was married to Jonathan's sister and yet he said that his feelings for Jonathan were deeper than for her.  Did he do Michal a disservice here?  We ought to wait and see before passing judgment upon this man. 

For all of the heroism exhibited by David, and his devotion to serving God, he was not very successful in his love affairs.  Abigail is the only noble woman in all of his posse of women.  Bathsheba was not a noble woman.  Why was she up on her roof naked?  Yes, David had his problems with women, but he had no such issues with Jonathan.  I am sure that David missed his advice and company in the years afterwards. 

27: How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished! (1:27) 

I am sure that Jonathan's bravery and bent for tactics was remembered by David here.  Even as David will no longer be hounded and hunted at every turn by Saul, still he grieves over the killing of his king. 

We are going to see in the next chapter that David is made king over Judah, but not Israel.  We are to meet Abner, who was Saul's captain.  Not all of Saul's sons had been slain out on the battlefield.  His younger son, Ish-bosheth was made king over the eleven remaining tribes and as a result civil war broke out.  This would apparantly presage what the future would hold for the Hebrews:  a divided kingdom.  After Solomon's death the kingdom became fractured, with a king ruling Judah and a king ruling over Israel.  But at this time the kingdom was to become unified under one king.  So the section which we are coming to is historical in nature.  Far from being uninteresting, we need to seek out and find spiritual lessons buried within its pages.  But that is for next time, beloved.

May the grace and peace of Christ Jesus bathe you this day.  May you choose to walk in service to the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  May you realize that faith in God is not a leap into darkness nor is it guesswork. 

~Eric

Sun, Mar 6th - 11:59AM

STUDY IN HEBREWS

Sat, Mar 5th - 12:19PM

STUDY IN HEBREWS

Thu, Mar 3rd - 6:46PM

NLC

Thu, Mar 3rd - 12:18PM

I SAMUEL STUDY

"An American Indian was giving his testimony in a gathering of Christian members of his tribe.  He told of his conversion and of how in the beginning he felt as though he would never sin again; he was so happy in knowing His Savior.  But, he explained, as time went on he became conscious of an inward conflict, which he described womewhat as follows:

"It seems, my brothers, that I have two dogs fighting in my heart:  one is a very good dog, a beautiful white dog, and he is always watching out for my best interests.  The other is a very bad dog, a black dog, who is always trying to destroy the things that I want to see built up.  These dogs give me a lot of trouble because they are always quarreling and fighting with each other."

One of his hearers looked up and asked laconically, "Which one wins?"  The other instantly replied, "Whichever one I say 'Sic 'im' to."

Surely there could not be a more apt illustration of the two natures in the believer.  "If we walk in the Spirit we shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh."  But if we pander to the flesh, we will be certain to go down in defeat.

                                           ~H.A. Ironside 

 11: Then David took hold of his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:

12: And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until evening, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.

13: And David said to the young man that had told him, Who are you?  And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.

14: And David said unto him, How were you not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the LORD's anointed (1:11-14)? 

Not surprisingly, David and his men wept and mourned the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, and of all of the people who had been slain in fighting the Philistines.  But, then David wishes to understand who this young man is, and how is it that he presumed that it was okay to slay the king of Israel who was anointed by God.  The young man reveals that he is a member of the Amalekites, those people who have been sworn enemies of the Hebrews since they crossed the wilderness after leaving Egyptian bondage.  IF this young man did, indeed, finish killing Saul then it is poetic justice since king Saul had been ordered by God to kill all of the Amalekites previously and Saul did not do so.  Being an Amalekite this young man was unafraid of killing Saul, Jehovah was not the god of the Amalekites, what did he care about the king having been "anointed" to be king over Israel?  But this was an important issue with David, if you remember, for he had had more than one opportunity to slay Saul and he had refused to do so simply because Saul was the anointed of God.  No one had the right to slay Saul for God had placed the crown upon his head.  David felt that it was up to God to remove Saul, not him nor any other person. 

We must keep in mind that there is always danger in interfering with God's work.  Attempting to insert our wishes into God's program, plan, and interests leads to judgment being levied against us from heaven above. 

15: And David called one of the young men, and said, God near, and fall upon him.  And he struck him that he died.

16: And David said to him, Your blood be upon your head; for your mouth has testified against you, saying, I have slain the LORD's anointed.

17: And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son (1:15-17). 

David judged this Amalekite for having the audacity to slay the king of Israel.  If this young man had made up this story in order to impress David, it most certainly was a fatal mistake.  David's grief was very real, very genuine, for he understood the significance of God's anointed king having been slain.  David grieved over the loss of Jonathan, a friend and more of a "brother" than perhaps even his own biological brothers.  It was a huge loss for David.  In our lives, when we lose someone very close to us, we must allow our grief to be expressed and not try to bottle it up within ourselves.  That is a recipe for disaster down the road.  All of that pent up emotion will eat away at us from the inside-out. 

Next time we shall continue along and discover how David became king over all of Israel, for it did not happen all at once.  May this day find grace and truth flowing from between your lips, and love in your embrace!

~Eric

Wed, Mar 2nd - 8:54PM

NLC

Wed, Mar 2nd - 1:26PM

I SAMUEL STUDY

 "Where there is faith, there is love;  Where there is love, there is peace; Where there is peace, there is God; And where there is God, there is no need."

                                                   ~Leo Tolstoy 

A young Amalekite, who came out of the camp of Israel, finally makes it to Ziklag to report of the death of Saul and his sons.  This young man makes a rather foolish claim, and he suffers the logical consequences. 

 1: Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had spent two days in Ziklag;

 2: It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head:  and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance (1:1-2). 

We open up II Samuel witnessing a young man, someone who survived the Philistine slaughter of Israelis, finally reaching Ziklag to report to David the fact that his enemy, Saul, is now dead.  The lesson here to still remember to this very day is this:  there will be turmoil and warfare for any nation, people, or individual, who is out of the will of God.  Isaiah spoke the truth in 57:21 of his book, in fact, he spoke it three times!  It was a very dark day for Israel back then.  King Saul dead, his sons dead, the army of Israel either slain or fleeing in absolute defeat, and entire cities abandoned and now occupied by the Philistines. 

David had no idea what had transpired during that battle, he had been off recapturing his belongings and family from the raiding Amalekites.  Let us read about what this young man told David.

 3: And DAvid said to him, From where do you come?  And he said to him, Out of the camp of Israel have I escaped.

 4: And David said to him, How went the matter?  I pray that you tell me.  And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.

 5: And David said to the young man that told him, How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?

 6: And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.

 7: And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me.  And I answered, Here am I.

 8: And he said to me, Who are you?  And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

 9: He said unto me again, Stand, I pray you, upon me, and slay me:  for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.

10: So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen:  and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord (1:3-10). 

Is this young man being honest here?  If so, then we have a contradiction in the accounts of how Saul died.  Since he is an Amalekite, I think it much more likely that he came upon Saul after he had fallen upon his own sword.  He may even have been close by and overheard the request made of the armor-bearer, but this man did not kill king Saul.  He did go and strip the crown and the bracelet from off of the king's corpse to bring to David.  I believe that this young man sought to gain favor from the man who would become the new king of Israel.  It would appear that the man expected to be rewarded for killing the king who stood in the way of David's ascension to the throne.  How could David be considered this man's lord?  Israel and the Amalekites were enemies who had not figured out how to reconile their great differences.  Inconceivable at this point in time to believe such a pardon could be expected.

Next time we shall discover what David's response to all of this would be.  May Christ's grace and peace be with you today!

~Eric

Wed, Mar 2nd - 7:11AM

STUDY IN HEBREWS