April 2021 – If Not For Grace

30 Apr 202129 Apr 2021

The Lord is Merciful and Gracious

“⁶The Lord executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. ⁷He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. ⁸The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
⁹He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. ¹⁰He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.” Psalm 103:6-10 NKJV

Don’t stop reading this Psalm there!!! Keep going!! This is sandwiched in our reading today and the Lord is SO GOOD to have us read all of this today! Why? Well, because again the Lord is speaking to me directly through His word. Probably to you as well. And the primary thing He is saying is that He loves us and wants a relationship with us.

Dear Heavenly Father – As always, please open eye to see and our ears to hear what you are saying! Lord – open our understanding that we may know you. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. And please keep us and bless us and shine your face upon us and pour out grace over us and give us peace! Thank you! – In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Today’s reading is from the book of Psalms, chapters 102-104 (embedded below for your convenience).

We start with God’s eternal love – and it is true and good! Then we speak of His mercies. And finish with worshiping Him for His creation and providence. And after the night I had last night – this is exactly the formula I needed. I also needed verses 9 and 10 (above) put in perspective of the rest of these verses.

So let me tell you about my night. I am 2 days away from launching a business (when this publishes it will be one day)!! If you have been following along you know all the blessings and confirmations God has given so no one can say this isn’t of God (especially when there are attacks or issues).

So, let us talk about the difference between an attack from the enemy and an issue. The enemy’s nature is to kill, steal and destroy – to lie – and to bring confusion and chaos. If it isn’t those things, it is probably human error and an issue. A trial, none the less; but these things happen.
So for example, when I needed a tax professional I had a struggle, then I picked on and her business’s building lost power (chaotic story not worth sharing) – this was an attack. This poor woman was momentarily a victim of the enemy so she couldn’t help me. Long story, made short – I met with her. I am praying diligently for her and one of her assistants and God had ordained it to bless all of us!

Last night I had an issue. Human error. I dropped the ball with following up on the tax paperwork for the business. I do have a billion things going on and I am doing it all, with God’s help – and that doesn’t make it right that I did not write myself a note to follow up on such a crucial topic. I realized at 10 pm. I had an initial moment of panic and I couldn’t even think how to get into the system or how to do it. I wasn’t thinking clear. So I took a deep breath – I literally googled how to and started from scratch knowing it would lead me into the state system where my answered were. I got in and learned they were waiting on me to verify my email address again! And I had follow-up forms that needed to be completed. I stayed up and did all the forms and submitted them. Received the confirmation that says I will get it in 5 to 10 days.

Then it was late. I was tired. I have been pushing myself too hard, but it is just for this week and it’s set up and done. I lay in bed. And think about the ramifications of this error.
The website won’t publish without it, because I have already set up my business with the host as a type of business that needs to collect taxes. I put all the time into marketing and advertising the grand opening and now it will be delayed. I am talking it out and invited God to listen – but I am not sure I was really talking to Him! I declared that I was well aware that God is bigger than New York State document processing centers and could make this happen quicker. I had complete and unwavering faith that He would somehow fix it or I would have to move the opening day back a few days. God’s will and God’s time. I was fine.

I was NOT fine with my careless error. I was entrusted all the components of this and I dropped the ball. Since I was a child I was told I was too much of a spaz and couldn’t really do a million things at once successfully. I have always been told to just paint pretty pictures because I could never succeed at anything else. I was always told all the things wrong with me and why I couldn’t.

DO YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENED THERE???

And instead of saying: “Hold my anointing oil and watch what I can do through Christ who strengthens me and wait and see that the LORD is good!”
I instead said – yeah, I am a loser.

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 NKJV

So I tried to ignore the condemning voice – I focused on how I would market the opening day delay – find a way to spin it for good. I was thinking through what excitement I could stir about it and keep the interest up. But….

Instead I reasoned out how terrible of a sinner I was – and the sins I still struggle with and that time in fourth grade that I lied and never repented of! Oh yeah… it spun quickly out of control. My bedroom became abnormally dark and the air was heavy. I went back to trying to pray – with no use. Why would God listen anyway – I am not worthy of His time.

I realized – I fear being outside of the Lord’s will and NOT having His hand on me. I fear Him rejecting me. I realize fear isn’t the spirit God gave us!

No! I shall fight. I got up and started quoting verses on the Holy Spirit! That is the spirit we are given! Sound mind, love and power!!! I changed the Facebook post that was scheduled for morning – and opened my Bible to find verses to swing (since the Word is a sword and I was in need of swinging a sword)!

Then I see a note about praying and interceding for others – and understanding who God is. I had opened to Ephesians 1.

I said I know my God loves me, but if I am wrong and He has run out of grace for me and I am going down…. Then like Sampson, I am hurting the enemy while going down! And If I am not going down, I am still taking him down!!! I said one more quick prayer of repentance to make sure I was as right with God as I can make myself – it is up to Him to apply the Blood of Christ and wash me clean – it is up to Him to count it righteousness. As I tried to pray my throat closed and I felt choked. It was so dark except for the light of my clock showing me the night was almost over! And I thought, if I cannot speak and cannot breathe, I will pray in my head until my heart stops.

I thought of my list of people I am praying for – and one by one in my head I named them and claimed them for Christ! I named them and plead for Jesus to intervene. I named them and prayed Ephesians 1:15-21 (thanks Mark for the brief conversation on it yesterday and God leading me there). And I prayed and cried out and prayed and prayed….

The alarm on the clock buzzed at 5:30 as usual. I had fallen asleep at some point but it had to have only been a couple hours, if that, of sleep.

I woke up hungry for God. Hungry for grace. Hungry for love. Was it a “Good Morning”? I don’t know. I felt disjointed. Frustrated. I did not feel like I won – but I was awake, so I did not lose. “Having done all, stand.”

I had to get to work on figuring out what next – how to shift the business – how to make the coffee which all took way to long. I watch morning prayer time with pastor 2 times because my mind wandered off during the first time I tried to pray with him. He focused on healing – heal me lord from the hurts that cause me to be vulnerable to this type of attack from the enemy!

The tax glitch was human error – not an attack. The chaos through the night started with a whisper in my ear and I surrendered to it a little, giving the enemy room to come in and hit me hard. God won. God always wins. He knew – He was there before it, He was there through it – He was here in the morning. He is still here and still in control.

I turned on the laptop later in the morning, to find an email from the state. They processed my paperwork and will send me the results via snail mail. I immediately start digging for a way to contact them, maybe get it emailed or faxed. I go back to the website tax form to see what information I need. I find the state updated my online profile with approval info and I am able to dig around and get all the info except for one thing. I research it online and through the help resource on my website building tool and finally around noon it was all worked out. God is so good. SO GOOD!

So today we read about God’s eternal love, His mercies and grace, and understanding Him as the creator and understanding His providence. And I have a very real experience with it all. He is so good.

RELATIONSHIP:
Do you already have a relationship with a powerful God who cares about your every need because He loves you? Did you know my God can communicate with you and protect you – He has a plan for you to prosper if you just submit to His will and let His plan play out in your life!!! God wants a relationship with you and has already made a plan for your life. He loves you so much He sent His son to this world, to die as a sacrifice for your sins and rise from death with victory over sin and the ability to have a personal relationship with you.
“⁹If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 NIV
Here is a prayer for you to pray:
Jesus, I believe you are the way, the truth, the life, and the only way to the Father. I believe you are the son of God, you came to Earth and lived. That you died on the cross as a sacrifice for my sins, and rose again so that I may be saved from my sins and be able to get to know you. I declare: Jesus, you are Lord!
Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me through a real personal relationship grow and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus I pray ~ Amen

MEMORY WORK: Hebrews 2:14 – Jesus defeated the devil!
NKJV – “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,”
NAS – “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, so that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,”
ESV – “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,”
NLT – “Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.”
NIV – “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil”

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Psalms 102-104 NKJV

The Lord’s Eternal Love

A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the Lord.

102 Hear my prayer, O Lord,
And let my cry come to You.
²Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble;
Incline Your ear to me;
In the day that I call, answer me speedily.

³For my days ^[a]are consumed like smoke,
And my bones are burned like a hearth.
⁴My heart is stricken and withered like grass,
So that I forget to eat my bread.
⁵Because of the sound of my groaning
My bones cling to my ^[b]skin.
⁶I am like a pelican of the wilderness;
I am like an owl of the desert.
⁷I lie awake,
And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.

⁸My enemies reproach me all day long;
Those who deride me swear an oath against me.
⁹For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And mingled my drink with weeping,
¹⁰Because of Your indignation and Your wrath;
For You have lifted me up and cast me away.
¹¹My days are like a shadow that lengthens,
And I wither away like grass.

¹²But You, O Lord, shall endure forever,
And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.
¹³You will arise and have mercy on Zion;
For the time to favor her,
Yes, the set time, has come.
¹⁴For Your servants take pleasure in her stones,
And show favor to her dust.
¹⁵So the ^[c]nations shall fear the name of the Lord,
And all the kings of the earth Your glory.
¹⁶For the Lord shall build up Zion;
He shall appear in His glory.
¹⁷He shall regard the prayer of the destitute,
And shall not despise their prayer.

¹⁸This will be written for the generation to come,
That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.
¹⁹For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary;
From heaven the Lord viewed the earth,
²⁰To hear the groaning of the prisoner,
To release those appointed to death,
²¹To declare the name of the Lord in Zion,
And His praise in Jerusalem,
²²When the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.

²³He weakened my strength in the way;
He shortened my days.
²⁴I said, “O my God,
Do not take me away in the midst of my days;
Your years are throughout all generations.
²⁵Of old You laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
²⁶They will perish, but You will ^[d]endure;
Yes, they will all grow old like a garment;
Like a cloak You will change them,
And they will be changed.
²⁷But You are the same,
And Your years will have no end.
²⁸The children of Your servants will continue,
And their descendants will be established before You.”

Praise for the Lord’s Mercies

A Psalm of David.

103 Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
²Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
³Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
⁴Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
⁵Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶The Lord executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.
⁷He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
⁸The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
⁹He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
¹⁰He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

¹¹For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
¹²As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
¹³As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
¹⁴For He ^[e]knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
¹⁶For the wind passes over it, and it is ^[f]gone,
And its place remembers it no more.
¹⁷But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
¹⁸To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

¹⁹The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And His kingdom rules over all.

²⁰Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
²¹Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You ^[g]ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
²²Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Praise to the Sovereign Lord for His Creation and Providence

104 Bless the Lord, O my soul!

O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
²Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.

³He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,
Who makes the clouds His chariot,
Who walks on the wings of the wind,
⁴Who makes His angels spirits,
His ^[h]ministers a flame of fire.

⁵You who ^[i]laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever,
⁶You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
The waters stood above the mountains.
⁷At Your rebuke they fled;
At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.
⁸^[j]They went up over the mountains;
They went down into the valleys,
To the place which You founded for them.
⁹You have set a boundary that they may not pass over,
That they may not return to cover the earth.

¹⁰He sends the springs into the valleys;
They flow among the hills.
¹¹They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
¹²By them the birds of the heavens have their home;
They sing among the branches.
¹³He waters the hills from His upper chambers;
The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works.

¹⁴He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
And vegetation for the service of man,
That he may bring forth food from the earth,
¹⁵And wine that makes glad the heart of man,
Oil to make his face shine,
And bread which strengthens man’s heart.
¹⁶The trees of the Lord are full of sap,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
¹⁷Where the birds make their nests;
The stork has her home in the fir trees.
¹⁸The high hills are for the wild goats;
The cliffs are a refuge for the rock^[k] badgers.

¹⁹He appointed the moon for seasons;
The sun knows its going down.
²⁰You make darkness, and it is night,
In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.
²¹The young lions roar after their prey,
And seek their food from God.
²²When the sun rises, they gather together
And lie down in their dens.
²³Man goes out to his work
And to his labor until the evening.

²⁴O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions—
²⁵This great and wide sea,
In which are innumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great.
²⁶There the ships sail about;
There is that Leviathan^[l]
Which You have ^[m]made to play there.

²⁷These all wait for You,
That You may give them their food in due season.
²⁸What You give them they gather in;
You open Your hand, they are filled with good.
²⁹You hide Your face, they are troubled;
You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
³⁰You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the earth.

³¹May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
³²He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.

³³I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
³⁴May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord.
³⁵May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!
^[n]Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

Psalm 102:3 Lit. end in
Psalm 102:5 flesh
Psalm 102:15 Gentiles
Psalm 102:26 continue
Psalm 103:14 Understands our constitution
Psalm 103:16 not
Psalm 103:21 servants
Psalm 104:4 servants
Psalm 104:5 Lit. founded the earth upon her bases
Psalm 104:8 Or The mountains rose up; The valleys sank down
Psalm 104:18 rock hyraxes
Psalm 104:26 A large sea creature of unknown identity
Psalm 104:26 Lit. formed
Psalm 104:35 Heb. Hallelujah

29 Apr 202129 Apr 2021

So many thoughts in a busy wait

“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” Daniel 6:10 NKJV

Please hang in there with me as I manage through all that is on my plate and my thoughts are a bit all over the place. I suppose some days you fulfil your relationship obligation with more of a sense of loving duty than a burning desire. But I fulfill them none the less, acknowledging that I need to sit quietly and listen more in this season of busy and hurry.

Today’s reading is from the book of First Chronicles, chapters 7-10 (embedded below for your convenience). Lots of spoilers in today’s reading– like the fact that most of the Chronicles are also already recorded in the book of Kings! And like Jerusalem fell to Babylon in Daniel’s time. However, after all the genealogies and the census of Jerusalem this book summarizes the story of King Saul quickly and catches us up to where we are in the Chronological read through of the Bible. And if you can remember – we are in the time period between Saul and David as king!

God had David wait in Hebron – although to David, he is just living and doing what God says to do. He doesn’t know he is in a season of waiting like we know, looking in. While David is in Hebron – God is working and preparing and getting the right people in the right places and removing the wrong people.

It is fitting we are catching up on genealogies and Psalms during David’s stay in Hebron – it is a transitional moment a cross the board. And Chronicles was written by contemporaries to Daniel – Daniel who was in a waiting period in exile. This makes me wonder, is it also a transitional moment for us?

Here we are waiting on the promises of God for the calling on my life yet I am also working diligently on the tasks He has given me.

Here we are waiting on the next move of the world…. In the USA, In New York State, we are still fairly shut down, although I live in an area where more people rebel against the mask mandate than in other areas – which brings me to the side note about rebellion…. Nay nay!!! Don’t get caught up in that!! Stay humble and follow the Lord. I know it is a tight rope line. But like in the days of Daniel – God forbid you get tossed into the fire or into the lion’s den when you were NOT called to be there – instead you were in your own flesh rebelling against the law! Daniel was careful to pick and choose which laws to obey and disobey and they only one he disobeyed was the one that said he could not pray.

There are hard choices in the waiting.
David having to judge murderous crimes; crimes that gave the outcome the Lord Himself had ordained – yet murder is wrong and hard choices needed to be made.
And Daniel with his choices on obeying laws.
I am opening a business while collecting unemployment – I have lots of hard choices. Many people do not obey the rules, because you lose money if you obey the rules. I am obeying the rules.
For 2 months NO funds or assistance whatsoever. I was literally hungry – easiest fasting and prayer I ever did!!! And I did not do without only because of God!!! Do not fear ‘no money’ – God really does provide!!!
Now the money is easy. Seriously, this unemployment is a lie from the pit of hell. It comes too easily – and then it will be gone because I am just leaping out in faith! I need to sell 15 to 20 products a week just to live. If everyone I know personally, buys one product – I will survive a week! It is not a strong business model – but it is the one God gave me. So I am trusting Him and following the letter of the law. So He will be glorified. I am giving up easy money and lying to get the money while working off the books or something. I have started an LLC and I am meeting with the accountant to set up payroll – she said I need a month of sales into the business to see the cash flow so I can be hired by myself legally. It is all very complicated. I could take the easy road and have extra money and self-glorification – or I could do it the right way, above reproach and giving no place to the devil! So that GOD is the only one who can get the glory!

And as I struggle with this week and launching a business and ALL the little things at once, I think it is kinda the point: the whole ‘me out of control’ and ‘God in control’.

I guess when I gave it all to God, He actually took it and I am learning to be completely reliant on him. He does that. And this is in no way a complaint, because I am happier than ever inside His will!

A little housekeeping: There is a new TAB at the top of the blog! I have added a new page!!! On Facebook every Saturday I post a “Silly Lilli’s Corner” a quick Biblical lesson as I learn about my relationship with God through my tiny rescue puppy. I am thrilled to be sharing them here as well. Please check them out.

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: 1 Chronicles 7-10 NKJV

The Family of Issachar

7 The sons of Issachar were Tola, ^[a]Puah, ^[b]Jashub, and Shimron—four in all. ²The sons of Tola were Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father’s house. The sons of Tola were mighty men of valor in their generations; their number in the days of David was twenty-two thousand six hundred. ³The son of Uzzi was Izrahiah, and the sons of Izrahiah were Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Ishiah. All five of them were chief men. ⁴And with them, by their generations, according to their fathers’ houses, were thirty-six thousand troops ready for war; for they had many wives and sons.

⁵Now their brethren among all the families of Issachar were mighty men of valor, listed by their genealogies, eighty-seven thousand in all.

The Family of Benjamin

⁶The sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher, and Jediael—three in all. ⁷The sons of Bela were Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri—five in all. They were heads of their fathers’ houses, and they were listed by their genealogies, twenty-two thousand and thirty-four mighty men of valor.

⁸The sons of Becher were Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jerimoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. All these are the sons of Becher. ⁹And they were recorded by genealogy according to their generations, heads of their fathers’ houses, twenty thousand two hundred mighty men of valor. ¹⁰The son of Jediael was Bilhan, and the sons of Bilhan were Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tharshish, and Ahishahar.

¹¹All these sons of Jediael were heads of their fathers’ houses; there were seventeen thousand two hundred mighty men of valor fit to go out for war and battle. ¹²^[c]Shuppim and ^[d]Huppim were the sons of ^[e]Ir, and Hushim was the son of ^[f]Aher.

The Family of Naphtali

¹³The sons of Naphtali were ^[g]Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and ^[h]Shallum, the sons of Bilhah.

The Family of Manasseh (West)

¹⁴The descendants of Manasseh: his Syrian concubine bore him Machir the father of Gilead, the father of Asriel. ¹⁵Machir took as his wife the sister of ^[i]Huppim and ^[j]Shuppim, whose name was Maachah. The name of Gilead’s ^[k]grandson was Zelophehad, but Zelophehad begot only daughters. ¹⁶(Maachah the wife of Machir bore a son, and she called his name Peresh. The name of his brother was Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rakem. ¹⁷The son of Ulam was Bedan.) These were the descendants of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.

¹⁸His sister Hammoleketh bore Ishhod, ^[l]Abiezer, and Mahlah.

¹⁹And the sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.

The Family of Ephraim

²⁰The sons of Ephraim were Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eladah his son, Tahath his son, ²¹Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead. The men of Gath who were born in that land killed them because they came down to take away their cattle. ²²Then Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him.

²³And when he went in to his wife, she conceived and bore a son; and he called his name ^[m]Beriah, because tragedy had come upon his house. ²⁴Now his daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon and Uzzen Sheerah; ²⁵and Rephah was his son, as well as Resheph, and Telah his son, Tahan his son, ²⁶Laadan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, ²⁷^[n]Nun his son, and Joshua his son.

²⁸Now their possessions and dwelling places were Bethel and its towns: to the east ^[o]Naaran, to the west Gezer and its towns, and Shechem and its towns, as far as ^[p]Ayyah and its towns; ²⁹and by the borders of the children of Manasseh were Beth Shean and its towns, Taanach and its towns, Megiddo and its towns, Dor and its towns. In these dwelt the children of Joseph, the son of Israel.

The Family of Asher

³⁰The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. ³¹The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel, who was the father of ^[q]Birzaith. ³²And Heber begot Japhlet, ^[r]Shomer, ^[s]Hotham, and their sister Shua. ³³The sons of Japhlet were Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These were the children of Japhlet. ³⁴The sons of Shemer were Ahi, Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram. ³⁵And the sons of his brother Helem were Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal. ³⁶The sons of Zophah were Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, ³⁷Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, ^[t]Jithran, and Beera. ³⁸The sons of Jether were Jephunneh, Pispah, and Ara. ³⁹The sons of Ulla were Arah, Haniel, and Rizia.

⁴⁰All these were the children of Asher, heads of their fathers’ houses, choice men, mighty men of valor, chief leaders. And they were recorded by genealogies among the army fit for battle; their number was twenty-six thousand.

The Family Tree of King Saul of Benjamin

8 Now Benjamin begot Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, ^[u]Aharah the third, ²Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. ³The sons of Bela were ^[v]Addar, Gera, Abihud, ⁴Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, ⁵Gera, ^[w]Shephuphan, and Huram.

⁶These are the sons of Ehud, who were the heads of the fathers’ houses of the inhabitants of Geba, and who forced them to move to Manahath: ⁷Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera who forced them to move. He begot Uzza and Ahihud.

⁸Also Shaharaim had children in the country of Moab, after he had sent away Hushim and Baara his wives. ⁹By Hodesh his wife he begot Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, ¹⁰Jeuz, Sachiah, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of their fathers’ houses.

¹¹And by Hushim he begot Abitub and Elpaal. ¹²The sons of Elpaal were Eber, Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod with its towns; ¹³and Beriah and Shema, who were heads of their fathers’ houses of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove out the inhabitants of Gath. ¹⁴Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth, ¹⁵Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, ¹⁶Michael, Ispah, and Joha were the sons of Beriah. ¹⁷Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, ¹⁸Ishmerai, Jizliah, and Jobab were the sons of Elpaal. ¹⁹Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, ²⁰Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, ²¹Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath were the sons of ^[x]Shimei. ²²Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, ²³Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, ²⁴Hananiah, Elam, Antothijah, ²⁵Iphdeiah, and Penuel were the sons of Shashak. ²⁶Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, ²⁷Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zichri were the sons of Jeroham.

²⁸These were heads of the fathers’ houses by their generations, chief men. These dwelt in Jerusalem.

²⁹Now ^[y]the father of Gibeon, whose wife’s name was Maacah, dwelt at Gibeon. ³⁰And his firstborn son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab, ³¹Gedor, Ahio, ^[z]Zecher, ³²and Mikloth, who begot ^[aa]Shimeah. They also dwelt ^[ab]alongside their ^[ac]relatives in Jerusalem, with their brethren. ³³Ner^[ad] begot Kish, Kish begot Saul, and Saul begot Jonathan, Malchishua, ^[ae]Abinadab, and ^[af]Esh-Baal. ³⁴The son of Jonathan was ^[ag]Merib-Baal, and Merib-Baal begot Micah. ³⁵The sons of Micah were Pithon, Melech, ^[ah]Tarea, and Ahaz. ³⁶And Ahaz begot ^[ai]Jehoaddah; Jehoaddah begot Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begot Moza. ³⁷Moza begot Binea, ^[aj]Raphah his son, Eleasah his son, and Azel his son.

³⁸Azel had six sons whose names were these: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel. ³⁹And the sons of Eshek his brother were Ulam his firstborn, Jeush the second, and Eliphelet the third.

⁴⁰The sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor—archers. They had many sons and grandsons, one hundred and fifty in all. These were all sons of Benjamin.

Priests and Levites in Jerusalem

9 So all Israel was ^[ak]recorded by genealogies, and indeed, they were inscribed in the book of the kings of Israel. But Judah was carried away captive to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness. ²And the first inhabitants who dwelt in their possessions in their cities were Israelites, priests, Levites, and the Nethinim.

Dwellers in Jerusalem

³Now in Jerusalem the children of Judah dwelt, and some of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim and Manasseh: ⁴Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the descendants of Perez, the son of Judah. ⁵Of the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn and his sons. ⁶Of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel, and their brethren—six hundred and ninety. ⁷Of the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah; ⁸Ibneiah the son of Jeroham; Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri; Meshullam the son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah; ⁹and their brethren, according to their generations—nine hundred and fifty-six. All these men were heads of a father’s house in their fathers’ houses.

The Priests at Jerusalem

¹⁰Of the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, and Jachin; ¹¹^[al]Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the officer over the house of God; ¹²Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchijah; Maasai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer; ¹³and their brethren, heads of their fathers’ houses—one thousand seven hundred and sixty. They were ^[am]very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.

The Levites at Jerusalem

¹⁴Of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari; ¹⁵Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Micah, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph; ¹⁶Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.

The Levite Gatekeepers

¹⁷And the gatekeepers were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their brethren. Shallum was the chief. ¹⁸Until then they had been gatekeepers for the camps of the children of Levi at the King’s Gate on the east.

¹⁹Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, from his father’s house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service, ^[an]gatekeepers of the tabernacle. Their fathers had been keepers of the entrance to the camp of the Lord. ²⁰And Phinehas the son of Eleazar had been the officer over them in time past; the Lord was with him. ²¹Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was ^[ao]keeper of the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

²²All those chosen as gatekeepers were two hundred and twelve. They were recorded by their genealogy, in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed them to their trusted office. ²³So they and their children were in charge of the gates of the house of the Lord, the house of the tabernacle, by assignment. ²⁴The gatekeepers were assigned to the four directions: the east, west, north, and south. ²⁵And their brethren in their villages had to come with them from time to time for seven days. ²⁶For in this trusted office were four chief gatekeepers; they were Levites. And they had charge over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God. ²⁷And they lodged all around the house of God because ^[ap]they had the responsibility, and they were in charge of opening it every morning.

Other Levite Responsibilities

²⁸Now some of them were in charge of the serving vessels, for they brought them in and took them out by count. ²⁹Some of them were appointed over the furnishings and over all the implements of the sanctuary, and over the fine flour and the wine and the oil and the incense and the spices. ³⁰And some of the sons of the priests made the ointment of the spices.

³¹Mattithiah of the Levites, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the trusted office over the things that were baked in the pans. ³²And some of their brethren of the sons of the Kohathites were in charge of preparing the showbread for every Sabbath.

³³These are the singers, heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites, who lodged in the chambers, and were free from other duties; for they were employed in that work day and night. ³⁴These heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites were heads throughout their generations. They dwelt at Jerusalem.

The Family of King Saul

³⁵Jeiel the father of Gibeon, whose wife’s name was Maacah, dwelt at Gibeon. ³⁶His firstborn son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, ³⁷Gedor, Ahio, ^[aq]Zechariah, and Mikloth. ³⁸And Mikloth begot ^[ar]Shimeam. They also dwelt alongside their relatives in Jerusalem, with their brethren. ³⁹Ner begot Kish, Kish begot Saul, and Saul begot Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-Baal. ⁴⁰The son of Jonathan was Merib-Baal, and Merib-Baal begot Micah. ⁴¹The sons of Micah were Pithon, Melech, ^[as]Tahrea, and^[at] Ahaz. ⁴²And Ahaz begot ^[au]Jarah; Jarah begot Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begot Moza; ⁴³Moza begot Binea, ^[av]Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, and Azel his son.

⁴⁴And Azel had six sons whose names were these: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan; these were the sons of Azel.

Tragic End of Saul and His Sons

10 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. ²Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan, ^[aw]Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons. ³The battle became fierce against Saul. The archers hit him, and he was wounded by the archers. ⁴Then Saul said to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and abuse me.” But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it. ⁵And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died. ⁶So Saul and his three sons died, and all his house died together. ⁷And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their cities and fled; then the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

⁸So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to ^[ax]strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. ⁹And they stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent word throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among the people. ¹⁰Then they put his armor in the ^[ay]temple of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.

¹¹And when all Jabesh Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹²all the valiant men arose and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons; and they brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

¹³So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had ^[az]committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. ¹⁴But he did not inquire of the Lord; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

Footnotes

1 Chronicles 7:1 Puvah, Gen. 46:13
1 Chronicles 7:1 Job, Gen. 46:13
1 Chronicles 7:12 Shupham, Num. 26:39
1 Chronicles 7:12 Hupham, Num. 26:39
1 Chronicles 7:12 Iri, v. 7
1 Chronicles 7:12 Ahiram, Num. 26:38
1 Chronicles 7:13 Jahzeel, Gen. 46:24
1 Chronicles 7:13 Shillem, Gen. 46:24
1 Chronicles 7:15 Hupham, v. 12; Num. 26:39
1 Chronicles 7:15 Shupham, v. 12; Num. 26:39
1 Chronicles 7:15 Lit. the second
1 Chronicles 7:18 Jeezer, Num. 26:30
1 Chronicles 7:23 Lit. In Tragedy
1 Chronicles 7:27 Heb. Non
1 Chronicles 7:28 Naarath, Josh. 16:7
1 Chronicles 7:28 Many Heb. mss., Bg., LXX, Tg., Vg. Gazza
1 Chronicles 7:31 Or Birzavith or Birzoth
1 Chronicles 7:32 Shemer, 1 Chr. 7:34
1 Chronicles 7:32 Helem, 1 Chr. 7:35
1 Chronicles 7:37 Jether, v. 38
1 Chronicles 8:1 Ahiram, Num. 26:38
1 Chronicles 8:3 Ard, Num. 26:40
1 Chronicles 8:5 Shupham, Num. 26:39, or Shuppim, 1 Chr. 7:12
1 Chronicles 8:21 Shema, 1 Chr. 7:13
1 Chronicles 8:29 Jeiel, 1 Chr. 9:35
1 Chronicles 8:31 Zechariah, 1 Chr. 9:37
1 Chronicles 8:32 Shimeam, 1 Chr. 9:38
1 Chronicles 8:32 Lit. opposite
1 Chronicles 8:32 brethren
1 Chronicles 8:33 Also the son of Gibeon, 1 Chr. 9:36, 39
1 Chronicles 8:33 Jishui, 1 Sam. 14:49
1 Chronicles 8:33 Ishbosheth, 2 Sam. 2:8
1 Chronicles 8:34 Mephibosheth, 2 Sam. 4:4
1 Chronicles 8:35 Tahrea, 1 Chr. 9:41
1 Chronicles 8:36 Jarah, 1 Chr. 9:42
1 Chronicles 8:37 Raphaiah, 1 Chr. 9:43
1 Chronicles 9:1 enrolled
1 Chronicles 9:11 Seraiah, Neh. 11:11
1 Chronicles 9:13 Lit. mighty men of strength
1 Chronicles 9:19 Lit. thresholds
1 Chronicles 9:21 gatekeeper
1 Chronicles 9:27 the watch was committed to them
1 Chronicles 9:37 Zecher, 1 Chr. 8:31
1 Chronicles 9:38 Shimeah, 1 Chr. 8:32
1 Chronicles 9:41 Tarea, 1 Chr. 8:35
1 Chronicles 9:41 So with Arab., Syr., Tg., Vg. (cf. 8:35); MT, LXX omit and Ahaz
1 Chronicles 9:42 Jehoaddah, 1 Chr. 8:36
1 Chronicles 9:43 Raphah, 1 Chr. 8:37
1 Chronicles 10:2 Jishui, 1 Sam. 14:49
1 Chronicles 10:8 plunder
1 Chronicles 10:10 Lit. house
1 Chronicles 10:13 Lit. transgressed

28 Apr 202127 Apr 2021

Our Sovereign God Reigns

“The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved. Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.
The floods have lifted up, O Lord, The floods have lifted up their voice; The floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier Than the noise of many waters, Than the mighty waves of the sea.
Your testimonies are very sure; Holiness adorns Your house, O Lord, forever.” Psalm 93 NKJV

As I speak to others, I still think we as humans see God as so much smaller than He is. Even, I (who stands on saying He is bigger than our comprehension) have limited God in ways. I feel it is our biggest shortcoming! I pray God gives us more grace in the understanding of who He is!

Today’s reading is from the book of Psalms, chapters 81, 88, and 92-93 (embedded below for your convenience). And it brings us on a little adventure. I do not know who planned out to read these passages together –It brings us through a day in our lives. A day if we were honest with ourselves and God about our position.

Starting with Psalms 81 and an appeal for repentance – and repentance. As Jesus Talk the Disciples how to pray – he said to ask for forgiveness daily. So repenting is a daily activity. God forbid we move away from understanding how frail we are and unable to manage even 1 day without sin. We need the grace, and grace upon grace!

Then a prayer for hopelessness in chapter 88. I don’t know about you – but I feel so hopeless when confronted by my humanity. My sin nature. Which I cannot overcome – lest I boast and do not need a real and living God. I look around at the waves of battles coming up against me and the obstacles and the needs. This is not an easy season – yet it is bathed in grace and I am not hopeless. And before I can become hopeless, God puts a prayer like this before me!
For those of you who see the Facebook and Instagram content – you see today we are meditating on seeking God first. Here is a beautiful example. I could be hopeless – but I seek God first, wake up and do my prayers and studies and before Hopelessness can set in I have a prayer to fight it off. Yes, I am tempted to feel hopeless, unsupported, and overwhelmed. But the temptation doesn’t have time to be humored – I am in the word of God learning new things and digging deeper – without intention, my thoughts automatically resist the negative while meditating on the goodness of the Lord!

The there is this lovely worship and praise Psalm – chapter 92. Knowing He loves me so much He calls me to straighten out each morning – get past the urges to be of this world. And leads me into worship and praise! He is so good! SO GOOD! SO, SO GOOD. There is no other word – good is solid and sovereign and so much better than “great” – HE IS GOOD!

“The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved. Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. “

God is so Good! So so good!

“The floods have lifted up, O Lord, The floods have lifted up their voice; The floods lift up their waves.”

Yes the weapon is formed, but it doesn’t prosper. The battle is the Lords! You do know it isn’t against you – it is against God that the enemy rages. You are in the way, you are being used and meaningless to the enemy. The enemy knows how BIG and SOVEREIGN God is and he knows how important you are to God – so he uses you to hurt God. He lies to you so you will not understand how BIG and SOVEREIGN God is! These floods lift up! But the “LORD on high is mightier”!!!

“The LORD on high is mightier!!!”

Ask for the understanding. God our Father and scoop down and pick you up above the floods. Like I scoop up my little 10 lb puppy. If I know to protect a dog – how much more does our Father know to protect us!

“The Lord on high is mightier Than the noise of many waters, Than the mighty waves of the sea.
Your testimonies are very sure; Holiness adorns Your house, O Lord, forever.” Psalm 93 NKJV

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Psalms 81, 88, and 92-93 NKJV

Psalm 81
An Appeal for Israel’s Repentance

To the Chief Musician. On^[a] an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of Asaph.

81 Sing aloud to God our strength;
Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.
²Raise a song and strike the timbrel,
The pleasant harp with the lute.

³Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,
At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.
⁴For this is a statute for Israel,
A law of the God of Jacob.
⁵This He established in Joseph as a testimony,
When He went throughout the land of Egypt,
Where I heard a language I did not understand.

⁶“I removed his shoulder from the burden;
His hands were freed from the baskets.
⁷You called in trouble, and I delivered you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of ^[b]Meribah. Selah

⁸“Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you!
O Israel, if you will listen to Me!
⁹There shall be no foreign god among you;
Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
¹⁰I am the Lord your God,
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

¹¹“But My people would not heed My voice,
And Israel would have none of Me.
¹²So I gave them over to ^[c]their own stubborn heart,
To walk in their own counsels.

¹³“Oh, that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!
¹⁴I would soon subdue their enemies,
And turn My hand against their adversaries.
¹⁵The haters of the Lord would pretend submission to Him,
But their ^[d]fate would endure forever.
¹⁶He would have fed them also with ^[e]the finest of wheat;
And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you.”

Footnotes

Psalm 81:1 Heb. Al Gittith
Psalm 81:7 Lit. Strife or Contention
Psalm 81:12 the dictates of their heart
Psalm 81:15 Lit. time
Psalm 81:16 Lit. fat of wheat

Psalm 88

A Prayer for Help in Despondency

A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath Leannoth.” A ^[a]Contemplation of Heman the Ezrahite.

88 O Lord, God of my salvation,
I have cried out day and night before You.
²Let my prayer come before You;
^[b]Incline Your ear to my cry.

³For my soul is full of troubles,
And my life draws near to the grave.
⁴I am counted with those who go^[c] down to the pit;
I am like a man who has no strength,
⁵^[d]Adrift among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You remember no more,
And who are cut off from Your hand.

⁶You have laid me in the lowest pit,
In darkness, in the depths.
⁷Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah
⁸You have ^[e]put away my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an abomination to them;
I am shut up, and I cannot get out;
⁹My eye wastes away because of affliction.

Lord, I have called daily upon You;
I have stretched out my hands to You.
¹⁰Will You work wonders for the dead?
Shall ^[f]the dead arise and praise You? Selah
¹¹Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave?
Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
¹²Shall Your wonders be known in the dark?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

¹³But to You I have cried out, O Lord,
And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
¹⁴Lord, why do You cast off my soul?
Why do You hide Your face from me?
¹⁵I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth;
I suffer Your terrors;
I am distraught.
¹⁶Your fierce wrath has gone over me;
Your terrors have ^[g]cut me off.
¹⁷They came around me all day long like water;
They engulfed me altogether.
¹⁸Loved one and friend You have put far from me,
And my acquaintances into darkness.

Footnotes

Psalm 88:1 Heb. Maschil
Psalm 88:2 Listen to
Psalm 88:4 Die
Psalm 88:5 Lit. Free
Psalm 88:8 taken away my friends
Psalm 88:10 shades, ghosts
Psalm 88:16 destroyed me

Psalms 92-93

Praise to the Lord for His Love and Faithfulness

A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day.

92 It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
²To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
³On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.
⁴For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands.

⁵O Lord, how great are Your works!
Your thoughts are very deep.
⁶A senseless man does not know,
Nor does a fool understand this.
⁷When the wicked ^[a]spring up like grass,
And when all the workers of iniquity flourish,
It is that they may be destroyed forever.

⁸But You, Lord, are on high forevermore.
⁹For behold, Your enemies, O Lord,
For behold, Your enemies shall perish;
All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

¹⁰But my ^[b]horn You have exalted like a wild ox;
I have been anointed with fresh oil.
¹¹My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies;
My ears hear my desire on the wicked
Who rise up against me.

¹²The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
¹³Those who are planted in the house of the Lord
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
¹⁴They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be ^[c]fresh and ^[d]flourishing,
¹⁵To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

The Eternal Reign of the Lord

93 The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be ^[e]moved.
²Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting.

³The floods have ^[f]lifted up, O Lord,
The floods have lifted up their voice;
The floods lift up their waves.
⁴The Lord on high is mightier
Than the noise of many waters,
Than the mighty waves of the sea.

⁵Your testimonies are very sure;
Holiness adorns Your house,
O Lord, ^[g]forever.

Footnotes

Psalm 92:7 sprout
Psalm 92:10 Strength
Psalm 92:14 Full of oil or sap, lit. fat
Psalm 92:14 green
Psalm 93:1 shaken
Psalm 93:3 raised up
Psalm 93:5 Lit. for length of days

27 Apr 202126 Apr 2021

A Royal Calling

“⁴Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, ⁵you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,
“Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”
⁷Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,
“The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,”
⁸and
“A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.”
They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
⁹But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2: 4-10 NKJV

“A royal priesthood” – we have read a few times about how God had separated the Levites because they are the chosen tribe to be the priests. They were no longer counted and no longer received an inheritance – their life was just service to God and God provided. And never did a Levite go without in recorded History – not even the corrupted evil few who during different times in Biblical history exploited their calling. And then, here is Peter, calling gentiles a royal priesthood…

Today’s reading is from the book of First Chronicles, chapter 6 (embedded below for your convenience).

As we read today’s reading we see that again the priest are set apart, genealogies are spoken of separately and the family of Aaron, even more so! Even their dwellings are separate in writing as well as locations. If God’s chosen royal priests are so holy and separate – how dare Peter call a generation of gentiles a chosen royal priesthood?!

Not to mention how Peter – the man who was renamed “Rock” by Jesus himself – refers to a passage the Jews traditionally used to refer to the Messiah and says He is a rock – the cornerstone of the church and the gentiles he is writing to and by extension, us as well.

How many times have we read 1 Peter and the above passage and been excited by being chosen!
“For many are called, but few are chosen” Matthew 22:14 NKJV
And we don’t give much thought to how offensive this must have been to the Jewish people. Do we understand the amount of holiness, ritual, sacrifice, and years of education go into the Levites? We understand what it means to be a priest? Therefore do we understand what Peter is saying we are called to?

Are we actually able to sacrifice it all and go hard for the Lord like a hungry a zealous servant? Are we willing to be humble and obedient – owning nothing else but our servitude to Him? Letting Him take it all if it is required of us?

It is this royal calling I think of whenever I read about the Levites.

A royal calling like David had – God looking for a man after His own heart. Fallible, yet hungry and willing. I want to strive for it. What do I have to hold on to? Literally nothing – because none of this is mine to begin with and I can take God to the grave with me.

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: 1 Chronicles 6 NKJV

The Family of Levi

6 The sons of Levi were Gershon,^[a] Kohath, and Merari. ²The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ³The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. And the sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ⁴Eleazar begot Phinehas, and Phinehas begot Abishua; ⁵Abishua begot Bukki, and Bukki begot Uzzi; ⁶Uzzi begot Zerahiah, and Zerahiah begot Meraioth; ⁷Meraioth begot Amariah, and Amariah begot Ahitub; ⁸Ahitub begot Zadok, and Zadok begot Ahimaaz; ⁹Ahimaaz begot Azariah, and Azariah begot Johanan; ¹⁰Johanan begot Azariah (it was he who ministered as priest in the temple^[b] that Solomon built in Jerusalem); ¹¹Azariah begot Amariah, and Amariah begot Ahitub; ¹²Ahitub begot Zadok, and Zadok begot ^[c]Shallum; ¹³Shallum begot Hilkiah, and Hilkiah begot Azariah; ¹⁴Azariah begot Seraiah, and Seraiah begot Jehozadak. ¹⁵Jehozadak went into captivity when the Lord carried Judah and Jerusalem into captivity by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

¹⁶The sons of Levi were Gershon,^[d] Kohath, and Merari. ¹⁷These are the names of the sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei. ¹⁸The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ¹⁹The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. Now these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers: ²⁰Of Gershon were Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, ²¹^[e]Joah his son, ^[f]Iddo his son, Zerah his son, and ^[g]Jeatherai his son. ²²The sons of Kohath were ^[h]Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, ²³Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, ²⁴Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. ²⁵The sons of Elkanah were Amasai and Ahimoth. ²⁶As for Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah were ^[i]Zophai his son, ^[j]Nahath his son, ²⁷^[k]Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, and Elkanah his son. ²⁸The sons of Samuel were ^[l]Joel the firstborn, and Abijah ^[m]the second. ²⁹The sons of Merari were Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, ³⁰Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son.

Musicians in the House of the Lord

³¹Now these are the men whom David appointed over the service of song in the house of the Lord, after the ark came to rest. ³²They were ministering with music before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they served in their office according to their order.

³³And these are the ones who ^[n]ministered with their sons: Of the sons of the Kohathites were Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, ³⁴the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of ^[o]Eliel, the son of ^[p]Toah, ³⁵the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, ³⁶the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, ³⁷the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, ³⁸the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. ³⁹And his brother Asaph, who stood at his right hand, was Asaph the son of Berachiah, the son of Shimea, ⁴⁰the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah, ⁴¹the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, ⁴²the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, ⁴³the son of Jahath, the son of Gershon, the son of Levi.

⁴⁴Their brethren, the sons of Merari, on the left hand, were ^[q]Ethan the son of ^[r]Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, ⁴⁵the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, ⁴⁶the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shamer, ⁴⁷the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.

⁴⁸And their brethren, the Levites, were appointed to every kind of service of the tabernacle of the house of God.

The Family of Aaron

⁴⁹But Aaron and his sons offered sacrifices on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the Most Holy Place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. ⁵⁰Now these are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, ⁵¹Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, ⁵²Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, ⁵³Zadok his son, and Ahimaaz his son.

Dwelling Places of the Levites

⁵⁴Now these are their dwelling places throughout their settlements in their territory, for they were given by lot to the sons of Aaron, of the family of the Kohathites: ⁵⁵They gave them Hebron in the land of Judah, with its surrounding ^[s]common-lands. ⁵⁶But the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. ⁵⁷And to the sons of Aaron they gave one of the cities of refuge, Hebron; also Libnah with its common-lands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its common-lands, ⁵⁸^[t]Hilen with its common-lands, Debir with its common-lands, ⁵⁹^[u]Ashan with its common-lands, and Beth Shemesh with its common-lands. ⁶⁰And from the tribe of Benjamin: Geba with its common-lands, ^[v]Alemeth with its common-lands, and Anathoth with its common-lands. All their cities among their families were thirteen.

⁶¹To the rest of the family of the tribe of the Kohathites they gave by lot ten cities from half the tribe of Manasseh. ⁶²And to the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, they gave thirteen cities from the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. ⁶³To the sons of Merari, throughout their families, they gave twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben, from the tribe of Gad, and from the tribe of Zebulun. ⁶⁴So the children of Israel gave these cities with their ^[w]common-lands to the Levites. ⁶⁵And they gave by lot from the tribe of the children of Judah, from the tribe of the children of Simeon, and from the tribe of the children of Benjamin these cities which are called by their names.

⁶⁶Now some of the families of the sons of Kohath were given cities as their territory from the tribe of Ephraim. ⁶⁷And they gave them one of the cities of refuge, Shechem with its common-lands, in the mountains of Ephraim, also Gezer with its common-lands, ⁶⁸Jokmeam with its common-lands, Beth Horon with its common-lands, ⁶⁹Aijalon with its common-lands, and Gath Rimmon with its common-lands. ⁷⁰And from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Aner with its common-lands and Bileam with its common-lands, for the rest of the family of the sons of Kohath.

⁷¹From the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh the sons of Gershon were given Golan in Bashan with its common-lands and ^[x]Ashtaroth with its common-lands. ⁷²And from the tribe of Issachar: ^[y]Kedesh with its common-lands, Daberath with its common-lands, ⁷³Ramoth with its common-lands, and Anem with its common-lands. ⁷⁴And from the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its common-lands, Abdon with its common-lands, ⁷⁵Hukok with its common-lands, and Rehob with its common-lands. ⁷⁶And from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its common-lands, Hammon with its common-lands, and Kirjathaim with its common-lands.

⁷⁷From the tribe of Zebulun the rest of the children of Merari were given ^[z]Rimmon with its common-lands and Tabor with its common-lands. ⁷⁸And on the other side of the Jordan, across from Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, they were given from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its common-lands, Jahzah with its common-lands, ⁷⁹Kedemoth with its common-lands, and Mephaath with its common-lands. ⁸⁰And from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its common-lands, Mahanaim with its common-lands, ⁸¹Heshbon with its common-lands, and Jazer with its common-lands.

Footnotes

1 Chronicles 6:1 Or Gershom, v. 16
1 Chronicles 6:10 Lit. house
1 Chronicles 6:12 Meshullam, 1 Chr. 9:11
1 Chronicles 6:16 Heb. Gershom, an alternate spelling for Gershon, vv. 1, 17, 20, 43, 62, 71
1 Chronicles 6:21 Ethan, v. 42
1 Chronicles 6:21 Adaiah, v. 41
1 Chronicles 6:21 Ethni, v. 41
1 Chronicles 6:22 Izhar, vv. 2, 18
1 Chronicles 6:26 Zuph, v. 35; 1 Sam. 1:1
1 Chronicles 6:26 Toah, v. 34
1 Chronicles 6:27 Eliel, v. 34
1 Chronicles 6:28 So with LXX, Syr., Arab.; cf. v. 33 and 1 Sam. 8:2
1 Chronicles 6:28 Heb. Vasheni
1 Chronicles 6:33 Lit. stood with
1 Chronicles 6:34 Elihu, 1 Sam. 1:1
1 Chronicles 6:34 Tohu, 1 Sam. 1:1
1 Chronicles 6:44 Jeduthun, 1 Chr. 9:16; 25:1, 3, 6; 2 Chr. 35:15; Ps. 62:title
1 Chronicles 6:44 Or Kushaiah
1 Chronicles 6:55 open lands
1 Chronicles 6:58 Holon, Josh. 21:15
1 Chronicles 6:59 Ain, Josh. 21:16
1 Chronicles 6:60 Almon, Josh. 21:18
1 Chronicles 6:64 open lands
1 Chronicles 6:71 Beeshterah, Josh. 21:27
1 Chronicles 6:72 Kishon, Josh. 21:28
1 Chronicles 6:77 Heb. Rimmono, an alternate spelling of Rimmon, 1 Chr. 4:32

26 Apr 202125 Apr 2021

God’s plan, Restoration and Grace

“Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” Psalm 73:1-3 KJV

When my mind is full of thoughts and concepts and precepts of the word of God and then God gives me a reading that covers it all… That is what I experience today. All of my thoughts and feeling were leading me astray down a path which is bound with condemnation, when Jesus came to set us free! Quickly God rescued me from such foolish thoughts – Oh how He loves us!!!

Today’s reading is from the book of Psalms, chapters 73, and 77-78 (embedded below for your convenience).

Chapter 73 is fitting for the world we live in, probably more so than when it was written – my logic is this: Jesus, Himself said we were in the end times, so how much more so today. And the Bible says before Jesus returns the day will get more evil – and we are seeing this very thing on a global scale. And we see those who do evil, prospering. We almost want to give up – why do we suffer persecution and why do we struggle for His name’s sake? Our rewards are unseen and in heaven – and when we receive our crowns, we will lay them back at the feet of our Lord – and we get a mansion in heaven but then we don’t get to stay there because the whole purpose is a new heaven and a new earth in a Garden of Eden utopia (not in man’s understanding of it – but God’s will). So what is the point of it all? Shouldn’t we just take the easy road instead?! (In case you haven’t noticed – being a Christian isn’t the easy road.)

God’s ways are NOT our ways – so trust His process and know there is tragedy for the wicked, and those who trust in God are blessed exceedingly abundantly. And this doesn’t mean financial riches, although God does bless some with finances.

So, that was one of the thought on my mind: that I am seeing so many evil people prospering while God’s children struggle. And this has been a patterns throughout the Bible and God knows and has already wrote about it to encourage us. The other thoughts that leads to are: well, am I really righteous? Am I really one of the good guys? I also have my struggles and my flesh – I have been promised redemption and restoration and I sit here a woman without covering waiting on the Lord to put it in the elder’s hearts to cover me, be a father to the fatherless, and anoint me. I have been offered membership into their ‘club’ – but I don’t think they understand my spiritual ask. I need the restoration the Lord has promised and it isn’t a membership made by man. And again I recall in humility how frail humanity is and how I am an unworthy sinner – it is no wonder the modern local church isn’t kind enough to anoint me and cover me. ……… As my thought spin and spiral I see it is the corruption from years under a false prophet with the heavy hand of legalism. And in grace – wonderful, glorious, transformative grace I am freed! As God says, today’s reading starts with the encouragement above and then lead to a Psalm about God’s redemptive works – then onto one about how kind and loving and merciful God has been to the ever rebellious Israel – and how God still loves me.

We were looking at the life of David and are heading back to it – and David was a sinner, murder and had a flesh struggle everyone could see – yet David was a man after God’s own heart. More importantly – it is ok if we are a David! Yes, God loves us through our rebellion, through our sin struggles and even through denying Him (like Peter did in the New Testament). It is ok to be like Israel, or like David or like Peter – it is perfectly fine to be human and fillable. The key has always been to get HUMBLE – get low – and God will take care of the rest.

Today’s reading all boils down to – Jesus loves me. God the Father loves me – so much, He helped me get to a point of having these things on my mind and prepared my heart, and prepared the readings so that all these things came together just for me – so I could be freed from every chain and He could show me just how much He loves me – even broken and a mess.

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Psalms 73 & 77-78 NKJV

The Tragedy of the Wicked, and the Blessedness of Trust in God

A Psalm of Asaph.

73 Truly God is good to Israel,
To such as are pure in heart.
²But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
My steps had nearly slipped.
³For I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴For there are no ^[a]pangs in their death,
But their strength is firm.
⁵They are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like other men.
⁶Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
Violence covers them like a garment.
⁷Their ^[b]eyes bulge with abundance;
They have more than heart could wish.
⁸They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;
They speak ^[c]loftily.
⁹They set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue walks through the earth.

¹⁰Therefore his people return here,
And waters of a full cup are drained by them.
¹¹And they say, “How does God know?
And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
¹²Behold, these are the ungodly,
Who are always at ease;
They increase in riches.
¹³Surely I have ^[d]cleansed my heart in vain,
And washed my hands in innocence.
¹⁴For all day long I have been plagued,
And chastened every morning.

¹⁵If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.
¹⁶When I thought how to understand this,
It was ^[e]too painful for me—
¹⁷Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their end.

¹⁸Surely You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
¹⁹Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!
They are utterly consumed with terrors.
²⁰As a dream when one awakes,
So, Lord, when You awake,
You shall despise their image.

²¹Thus my heart was grieved,
And I was ^[f]vexed in my mind.
²²I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
²³Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
²⁴You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.

²⁵Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
²⁶My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the ^[g]strength of my heart and my portion forever.

²⁷For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish;
You have destroyed all those who ^[h]desert You for harlotry.
²⁸But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works.

Footnotes

Psalm 73:4 pains
Psalm 73:7 Tg. face bulges; LXX, Syr., Vg. iniquity bulges
Psalm 73:8 Proudly
Psalm 73:13 kept my heart pure in vain
Psalm 73:16 troublesome in my eyes
Psalm 73:21 Lit. pierced in my kidneys
Psalm 73:26 Lit. rock
Psalm 73:27 Are unfaithful to You

The Consoling Memory of God’s Redemptive Works

To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.

77 I cried out to God with my voice—
To God with my voice;
And He gave ear to me.
²In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;
My soul refused to be comforted.
³I remembered God, and was troubled;
I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah

⁴You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
⁵I have considered the days of old,
The years of ancient times.
⁶I call to remembrance my song in the night;
I meditate within my heart,
And my spirit ^[a]makes diligent search.

⁷Will the Lord cast off forever?
And will He be favorable no more?
⁸Has His mercy ceased forever?
Has His promise failed ^[b]forevermore?
⁹Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah

¹⁰And I said, “This is my ^[c]anguish;
But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
¹¹I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
¹²I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds.
¹³Your way, O God, is in ^[d]the sanctuary;
Who is so great a God as our God?
¹⁴You are the God who does wonders;
You have declared Your strength among the peoples.
¹⁵You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

¹⁶The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were afraid;
The depths also trembled.
¹⁷The clouds poured out water;
The skies sent out a sound;
Your arrows also flashed about.
¹⁸The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
¹⁹Your way was in the sea,
Your path in the great waters,
And Your footsteps were not known.
²⁰You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.

God’s Kindness to Rebellious Israel

A Contemplation^[e] of Asaph.

78 Give ear, O my people, to my law;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
²I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter ^[f]dark sayings of old,
³Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us.
⁴We will not hide them from their children,
Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.

⁵For He established a testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers,
That they should make them known to their children;
⁶That the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
⁷That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments;
⁸And may not be like their fathers,
A stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation that did not ^[g]set its heart aright,
And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

⁹The children of Ephraim, being armed and ^[h]carrying bows,
Turned back in the day of battle.
¹⁰They did not keep the covenant of God;
They refused to walk in His law,
¹¹And forgot His works
And His wonders that He had shown them.

¹²Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers,
In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
¹³He divided the sea and caused them to pass through;
And He made the waters stand up like a heap.
¹⁴In the daytime also He led them with the cloud,
And all the night with a light of fire.
¹⁵He split the rocks in the wilderness,
And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.
¹⁶He also brought streams out of the rock,
And caused waters to run down like rivers.

¹⁷But they sinned even more against Him
By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.
¹⁸And they tested God in their heart
By asking for the food of their fancy.
¹⁹Yes, they spoke against God:
They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
²⁰Behold, He struck the rock,
So that the waters gushed out,
And the streams overflowed.
Can He give bread also?
Can He provide meat for His people?”

²¹Therefore the Lord heard this and was furious;
So a fire was kindled against Jacob,
And anger also came up against Israel,
²²Because they did not believe in God,
And did not trust in His salvation.
²³Yet He had commanded the clouds above,
And opened the doors of heaven,
²⁴Had rained down manna on them to eat,
And given them of the ^[i]bread of heaven.
²⁵Men ate angels’ food;
He sent them food to ^[j]the full.

²⁶He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens;
And by His power He brought in the south wind.
²⁷He also rained meat on them like the dust,
Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas;
²⁸And He let them fall in the midst of their camp,
All around their dwellings.
²⁹So they ate and were well filled,
For He gave them their own desire.
³⁰They were not ^[k]deprived of their craving;
But while their food was still in their mouths,
³¹The wrath of God came against them,
And slew the stoutest of them,
And struck down the choice men of Israel.

³²In spite of this they still sinned,
And did not believe in His wondrous works.
³³Therefore their days He consumed in futility,
And their years in fear.

³⁴When He slew them, then they sought Him;
And they returned and sought earnestly for God.
³⁵Then they remembered that God was their rock,
And the Most High God their Redeemer.
³⁶Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth,
And they lied to Him with their tongue;
³⁷For their heart was not steadfast with Him,
Nor were they faithful in His covenant.
³⁸But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity,
And did not destroy them.
Yes, many a time He turned His anger away,
And did not stir up all His wrath;
³⁹For He remembered that they were but flesh,
A breath that passes away and does not come again.

⁴⁰How often they provoked^[l] Him in the wilderness,
And grieved Him in the desert!
⁴¹Yes, again and again they tempted God,
And limited the Holy One of Israel.
⁴²They did not remember His ^[m]power:
The day when He redeemed them from the enemy,
⁴³When He worked His signs in Egypt,
And His wonders in the field of Zoan;
⁴⁴Turned their rivers into blood,
And their streams, that they could not drink.
⁴⁵He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them,
And frogs, which destroyed them.
⁴⁶He also gave their crops to the caterpillar,
And their labor to the locust.
⁴⁷He destroyed their vines with hail,
And their sycamore trees with frost.
⁴⁸He also gave up their cattle to the hail,
And their flocks to fiery ^[n]lightning.
⁴⁹He cast on them the fierceness of His anger,
Wrath, indignation, and trouble,
By sending angels of destruction among them.
⁵⁰He made a path for His anger;
He did not spare their soul from death,
But gave ^[o]their life over to the plague,
⁵¹And destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt,
The first of their strength in the tents of Ham.
⁵²But He made His own people go forth like sheep,
And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
⁵³And He led them on safely, so that they did not fear;
But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
⁵⁴And He brought them to His holy border,
This mountain which His right hand had acquired.
⁵⁵He also drove out the nations before them,
Allotted them an inheritance by ^[p]survey,
And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.

⁵⁶Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God,
And did not keep His testimonies,
⁵⁷But turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers;
They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
⁵⁸For they provoked Him to anger with their high places,
And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.
⁵⁹When God heard this, He was furious,
And greatly abhorred Israel,
⁶⁰So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,
The tent He had placed among men,
⁶¹And delivered His strength into captivity,
And His glory into the enemy’s hand.
⁶²He also gave His people over to the sword,
And was furious with His inheritance.
⁶³The fire consumed their young men,
And their maidens were not given in marriage.
⁶⁴Their priests fell by the sword,
And their widows made no lamentation.

⁶⁵Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
⁶⁶And He beat back His enemies;
He put them to a perpetual reproach.

⁶⁷Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph,
And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
⁶⁸But chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion which He loved.
⁶⁹And He built His sanctuary like the heights,
Like the earth which He has established forever.
⁷⁰He also chose David His servant,
And took him from the sheepfolds;
⁷¹From following the ewes that had young He brought him,
To shepherd Jacob His people,
And Israel His inheritance.
⁷²So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart,
And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

Footnotes

Psalm 77:6 ponders diligently
Psalm 77:8 Lit. unto generation and generation
Psalm 77:10 Lit. infirmity
Psalm 77:13 Or holiness
Psalm 78:1 Heb. Maschil
Psalm 78:2 obscure sayings or riddles
Psalm 78:8 Lit. prepare its heart
Psalm 78:9 Lit. bow shooters
Psalm 78:24 Lit. grain
Psalm 78:25 satiation
Psalm 78:30 Lit. separated
Psalm 78:40 rebelled against Him
Psalm 78:42 Lit. hand
Psalm 78:48 lightning bolts
Psalm 78:50 Or their beasts
Psalm 78:55 surveyed measurement, lit. measuring cord

25 Apr 202119 Apr 2021

Weekend Reading (April 25)

Dear Heavenly Father, Please open my understanding as I read the Bible so that I may be able to know you better. Please help your word be planted in my mind, so I may recall it as needed. Bless me with wisdom and knowledge, please. In the name of Jesus we pray ~ amen

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: 1 Chronicles 3-5 NKJV

The Family of David

3 Now these were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: The firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second, ^[a]Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelitess; ²the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; ³the fifth, Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah.

⁴These six were born to him in Hebron. There he reigned seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years. ⁵And these were born to him in Jerusalem: ^[b]Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon—four by ^[c]Bathshua the daughter of ^[d]Ammiel. ⁶Also there were Ibhar, ^[e]Elishama, ^[f]Eliphelet, ⁷Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ⁸Elishama, ^[g]Eliada, and Eliphelet—nine in all. ⁹These were all the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines, and Tamar their sister.

The Family of Solomon

¹⁰Solomon’s son was Rehoboam; ^[h]Abijah was his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, ¹¹^[i]Joram his son, ^[j]Ahaziah his son, ^[k]Joash his son, ¹²Amaziah his son, ^[l]Azariah his son, Jotham his son, ¹³Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, ¹⁴Amon his son, and Josiah his son. ¹⁵The sons of Josiah were Johanan the firstborn, the second ^[m]Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, and the fourth ^[n]Shallum. ¹⁶The sons of Jehoiakim were ^[o]Jeconiah his son and ^[p]Zedekiah his son.

The Family of Jeconiah

¹⁷And the sons of ^[q]Jeconiah ^[r]were Assir, Shealtiel his son, ¹⁸and Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jecamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. ¹⁹The sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel were Meshullam, Hananiah, Shelomith their sister, ²⁰and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-Hesed—five in all.

²¹The sons of Hananiah were Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, and the sons of Shechaniah. ²²The son of Shechaniah was Shemaiah. The sons of Shemaiah were Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat—six in all. ²³The sons of Neariah were Elioenai, Hezekiah, and Azrikam—three in all. ²⁴The sons of Elioenai were Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani—seven in all.

The Family of Judah

4 The sons of Judah were Perez, Hezron, ^[s]Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. ²And ^[t]Reaiah the son of Shobal begot Jahath, and Jahath begot Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites. ³These were the sons of the father of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi; ⁴and Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah.

These were the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah the father of Bethlehem.

⁵And Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. ⁶Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. ⁷The sons of Helah were Zereth, Zohar, and Ethnan; ⁸and Koz begot Anub, Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.

⁹Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name ^[u]Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” ¹⁰And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my ^[v]territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.

¹¹Chelub the brother of Shuhah begot Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. ¹²And Eshton begot Beth-Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of ^[w]Ir-Nahash. These were the men of Rechah.

¹³The sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel were ^[x]Hathath, ¹⁴and Meonothai who begot Ophrah. Seraiah begot Joab the father of Ge Harashim,^[y] for they were craftsmen. ¹⁵The sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh were Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah was ^[z]Kenaz. ¹⁶The sons of Jehallelel were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. ¹⁷The sons of Ezrah were Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. And ^[aa]Mered’s wife bore Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. ¹⁸(^[ab]His wife Jehudijah bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Sochoh, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.) And these were the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took.

¹⁹The sons of Hodiah’s wife, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and of Eshtemoa the Maachathite. ²⁰And the sons of Shimon were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.

²¹The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of the linen workers of the house of Ashbea; ²²also Jokim, the men of Chozeba, and Joash; Saraph, who ruled in Moab, and Jashubi-Lehem. Now the ^[ac]records are ancient. ²³These were the potters and those who dwell at ^[ad]Netaim and ^[ae]Gederah; there they dwelt with the king for his work.

The Family of Simeon

²⁴The sons of Simeon were ^[af]Nemuel, Jamin, ^[ag]Jarib, ^[ah]Zerah, and Shaul, ²⁵Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, and Mishma his son. ²⁶And the sons of Mishma were Hamuel his son, Zacchur his son, and Shimei his son. ²⁷Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers did not have many children, nor did any of their families multiply as much as the children of Judah.

²⁸They dwelt at Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, ²⁹^[ai]Bilhah, Ezem, ^[aj]Tolad, ³⁰Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, ³¹Beth Marcaboth, ^[ak]Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David. ³²And their villages were ^[al]Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan—five cities— ³³and all the villages that were around these cities as far as ^[am]Baal. These were their dwelling places, and they maintained their genealogy: ³⁴Meshobab, Jamlech, and Joshah the son of Amaziah; ³⁵Joel, and Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel; ³⁶Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, and Benaiah; ³⁷Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah— ³⁸these mentioned by name were leaders in their families, and their father’s house increased greatly.

³⁹So they went to the entrance of Gedor, as far as the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks. ⁴⁰And they found rich, good pasture, and the land was broad, quiet, and peaceful; for some Hamites formerly lived there.

⁴¹These recorded by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and they attacked^[an] their tents and the Meunites who were found there, and utterly destroyed them, as it is to this day. So they dwelt in their place, because there was pasture for their flocks there. ⁴²Now some of them, five hundred men of the sons of Simeon, went to Mount Seir, having as their captains Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. ⁴³And they ^[ao]defeated the rest of the Amalekites who had escaped. They have dwelt there to this day.

The Family of Reuben

5 Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel—he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright; ²yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although ^[ap]the birthright was Joseph’s— ³the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

⁴The sons of Joel were Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, ⁵Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, ⁶and Beerah his son, whom ^[aq]Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria carried into captivity. He was leader of the Reubenites. ⁷And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was registered: the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah, ⁸and Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who dwelt in Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baal Meon. ⁹Eastward they settled as far as the ^[ar]entrance of the wilderness this side of the River Euphrates, because their cattle had ^[as]multiplied in the land of Gilead.

¹⁰Now in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand; and they dwelt in their tents throughout the entire area east of Gilead.

The Family of Gad

¹¹And the children of Gad dwelt next to them in the land of Bashan as far as Salcah: ¹²Joel was the chief, Shapham the next, then Jaanai and Shaphat in Bashan, ¹³and their brethren of their father’s house: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jachan, Zia, and Eber—seven in all. ¹⁴These were the children of Abihail the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz; ¹⁵Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was chief of their father’s house. ¹⁶And the Gadites dwelt in Gilead, in Bashan and in its villages, and in all the ^[at]common-lands of Sharon within their borders. ¹⁷All these were registered by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.

¹⁸The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh had forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty valiant men, men able to bear shield and sword, to shoot with the bow, and skillful in war, who went to war. ¹⁹They made war with the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. ²⁰And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them, for they cried out to God in the battle. He ^[au]heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him. ²¹Then they took away their livestock—fifty thousand of their camels, two hundred and fifty thousand of their sheep, and two thousand of their donkeys—also one hundred thousand of their men; ²²for many fell dead, because the war was God’s. And they dwelt in their place until the captivity.

The Family of Manasseh (East)

²³So the children of the half-tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land. Their numbers increased from Bashan to Baal Hermon, that is, to Senir, or Mount Hermon. ²⁴These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were mighty men of valor, famous men, and heads of their fathers’ houses.

²⁵And they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. ²⁶So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, that is, Tiglath-Pileser^[av] king of Assyria. He carried the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into captivity. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan to this day.

Footnotes

1 Chronicles 3:1 Chileab, 2 Sam. 3:3
1 Chronicles 3:5 Shammua, 1 Chr. 14:4; 2 Sam. 5:14
1 Chronicles 3:5 Bathsheba, 2 Sam. 11:3
1 Chronicles 3:5 Eliam, 2 Sam. 11:3
1 Chronicles 3:6 Elishua, 1 Chr. 14:5; 2 Sam. 5:15
1 Chronicles 3:6 Elpelet, 1 Chr. 14:5
1 Chronicles 3:8 Beeliada, 1 Chr. 14:7
1 Chronicles 3:10 Abijam, 1 Kin. 15:1
1 Chronicles 3:11 Jehoram, 2 Kin. 1:17; 8:16
1 Chronicles 3:11 Or Azariah or Jehoahaz
1 Chronicles 3:11 Jehoash, 2 Kin. 12:1
1 Chronicles 3:12 Uzziah, Is. 6:1
1 Chronicles 3:15 Eliakim, 2 Kin. 23:34
1 Chronicles 3:15 Jehoahaz, 2 Kin. 23:31
1 Chronicles 3:16 Jehoiachin, 2 Kin. 24:8, or Coniah, Jer. 22:24
1 Chronicles 3:16 Mattaniah, 2 Kin. 24:17
1 Chronicles 3:17 Jehoiachin, 2 Kin. 24:8, or Coniah, Jer. 22:24
1 Chronicles 3:17 Or the captive were Shealtiel
1 Chronicles 4:1 Chelubai, 1 Chr. 2:9 or Caleb, 1 Chr. 2:18
1 Chronicles 4:2 Haroeh, 1 Chr. 2:52
1 Chronicles 4:9 Lit. He Will Cause Pain
1 Chronicles 4:10 border
1 Chronicles 4:12 Lit. City of Nahash
1 Chronicles 4:13 LXX, Vg. add and Meonothai
1 Chronicles 4:14 Lit. Valley of Craftsmen
1 Chronicles 4:15 Or Uknaz
1 Chronicles 4:17 Lit. she
1 Chronicles 4:18 Or His Judean wife
1 Chronicles 4:22 Lit. words
1 Chronicles 4:23 Lit. Plants
1 Chronicles 4:23 Lit. Hedges
1 Chronicles 4:24 Jemuel, Gen. 46:10; Ex. 6:15; Num. 26:12
1 Chronicles 4:24 Jachin, Gen. 46:10; Num. 26:12
1 Chronicles 4:24 Zohar, Gen. 46:10; Ex. 6:15
1 Chronicles 4:29 Balah, Josh. 19:3
1 Chronicles 4:29 Eltolad, Josh. 19:4
1 Chronicles 4:31 Hazar Susah, Josh. 19:5
1 Chronicles 4:32 Ether, Josh. 19:7
1 Chronicles 4:33 Baalath Beer, Josh. 19:8

1 Chronicles 4:41 Lit. struck
1 Chronicles 4:43 Lit. struck
1 Chronicles 5:2 the right of the firstborn
1 Chronicles 5:6 Heb. Tilgath-Pilneser
1 Chronicles 5:9 beginning
1 Chronicles 5:9 increased
1 Chronicles 5:16 open lands
1 Chronicles 5:20 Lit. was entreated for them
1 Chronicles 5:26 Heb. Tilgath-Pilneser

24 Apr 202119 Apr 2021

Weekend Reading (April 24)

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Psalms chapters 43-45, 49, 84-85, 87 NKJV

Prayer to God in Time of Trouble

43 Vindicate me, O God,
And plead my cause against an ungodly nation;
Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!
²For You are the God of my strength;
Why do You cast me off?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

³Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your ^[a]tabernacle.
⁴Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And on the harp I will praise You,
O God, my God.

⁵Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The ^[b]help of my countenance and my God.

Redemption Remembered in Present Dishonor

To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation^[c] of the sons of Korah.

44 We have heard with our ears, O God,
Our fathers have told us,
The deeds You did in their days,
In days of old:
²You drove out the ^[d]nations with Your hand,
But them You planted;
You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out.
³For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword,
Nor did their own arm save them;
But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance,
Because You favored them.

⁴You are my King, ^[e]O God;
^[f]Command victories for Jacob.
⁵Through You we will push down our enemies;
Through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us.
⁶For I will not trust in my bow,
Nor shall my sword save me.
⁷But You have saved us from our enemies,
And have put to shame those who hated us.
⁸In God we boast all day long,
And praise Your name forever. Selah

⁹But You have cast us off and put us to shame,
And You do not go out with our armies.
¹⁰You make us turn back from the enemy,
And those who hate us have taken ^[g]spoil for themselves.
¹¹You have given us up like sheep intended for food,
And have scattered us among the nations.
¹²You sell Your people for next to nothing,
And are not enriched by selling them.

¹³You make us a reproach to our neighbors,
A scorn and a derision to those all around us.
¹⁴You make us a byword among the nations,
A shaking of the head among the peoples.
¹⁵My dishonor is continually before me,
And the shame of my face has covered me,
¹⁶Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles,
Because of the enemy and the avenger.

¹⁷All this has come upon us;
But we have not forgotten You,
Nor have we dealt falsely with Your covenant.
¹⁸Our heart has not turned back,
Nor have our steps departed from Your way;
¹⁹But You have severely broken us in the place of jackals,
And covered us with the shadow of death.

²⁰If we had forgotten the name of our God,
Or stretched^[h] out our hands to a foreign god,
²¹Would not God search this out?
For He knows the secrets of the heart.
²²Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

²³Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord?
Arise! Do not cast us off forever.
²⁴Why do You hide Your face,
And forget our affliction and our oppression?
²⁵For our soul is bowed down to the ^[i]dust;
Our body clings to the ground.
²⁶Arise for our help,
And redeem us for Your mercies’ sake.

The Glories of the Messiah and His Bride

To the Chief Musician. Set to ^[j]“The Lilies.” A ^[k]Contemplation of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.

45 My heart is overflowing with a good theme;
I recite my composition concerning the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ^[l]ready writer.

²You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.
³^[m]Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One,
With Your glory and Your majesty.
⁴And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness;
And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.
⁵Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies;
The peoples fall under You.

⁶Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
⁷You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.
⁸All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia,
Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.
⁹Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women;
At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.

¹⁰Listen, O daughter,
Consider and incline your ear;
Forget your own people also, and your father’s house;
¹¹So the King will greatly desire your beauty;
Because He is your Lord, worship Him.
¹²And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift;
The rich among the people will seek your favor.

¹³The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace;
Her clothing is woven with gold.
¹⁴She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors;
The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You.
¹⁵With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought;
They shall enter the King’s palace.

¹⁶Instead of Your fathers shall be Your sons,
Whom You shall make princes in all the earth.
¹⁷I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations;
Therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever.

Footnotes

Psalm 43:3 dwelling places
Psalm 43:5 Lit. salvation
Psalm 44:1 Heb. Maschil
Psalm 44:2 Gentiles, heathen
Psalm 44:4 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Vg. and my God
Psalm 44:4 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. Who commands
Psalm 44:10 plunder
Psalm 44:20 Worshiped
Psalm 44:25 Ground, in humiliation
Psalm 45:1 Heb. Shoshannim
Psalm 45:1 Heb. Maschil
Psalm 45:1 skillful
Psalm 45:3 Belt on

The Confidence of the Foolish

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

49 Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
²Both low and high,
Rich and poor together.
³My mouth shall speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.
⁴I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will disclose my ^[a]dark saying on the harp.

⁵Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
⁶Those who trust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches,
⁷None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor give to God a ransom for him—
⁸For the redemption of their souls is costly,
And it shall cease forever—
⁹That he should continue to live eternally,
And not ^[b]see the Pit.

¹⁰For he sees wise men die;
Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.
¹¹^[c]Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,
Their dwelling places to all generations;
They call their lands after their own names.
¹²Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not ^[d]remain;
He is like the beasts that perish.

¹³This is the way of those who are foolish,
And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah
¹⁴Like sheep they are laid in the grave;
Death shall feed on them;
The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning;
And their beauty shall be consumed in ^[e]the grave, far from their dwelling.
¹⁵But God will redeem my soul from the power of ^[f]the grave,
For He shall receive me. Selah

¹⁶Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;
¹⁷For when he dies he shall carry nothing away;
His glory shall not descend after him.
¹⁸Though while he lives he blesses himself
(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
¹⁹He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never see light.^[g]
²⁰A man who is in honor, yet does not understand,
Is like the beasts that perish.

Footnotes

Psalm 49:4 riddle
Psalm 49:9 experience corruption
Psalm 49:11 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. Their graves shall be their houses forever
Psalm 49:12 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. understand (cf. v. 20)
Psalm 49:14 Or Sheol
Psalm 49:15 Or Sheol
Psalm 49:19 The light of life

The Blessedness of Dwelling in the House of God

To the Chief Musician. On^[a] an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

84 How lovely ^[b]is Your tabernacle,
O Lord of hosts!
²My soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

³Even the sparrow has found a home,
And the swallow a nest for herself,
Where she may lay her young—
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.
⁴Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;
They will still be praising You. Selah

⁵Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
⁶As they pass through the Valley of ^[c]Baca,
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with ^[d]pools.
⁷They go from strength to strength;
^[e]Each one appears before God in Zion.

⁸O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
⁹O God, behold our shield,
And look upon the face of Your ^[f]anointed.

¹⁰For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather ^[g]be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
¹¹For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.

¹²O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Prayer that the Lord Will Restore Favor to the Land

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

85 Lord, You have been favorable to Your land;
You have brought back the captivity of Jacob.
²You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people;
You have covered all their sin. Selah
³You have taken away all Your wrath;
You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.

⁴Restore us, O God of our salvation,
And cause Your anger toward us to cease.
⁵Will You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?
⁶Will You not revive us again,
That Your people may rejoice in You?
⁷Show us Your mercy, Lord,
And grant us Your salvation.

⁸I will hear what God the Lord will speak,
For He will speak peace
To His people and to His saints;
But let them not turn back to ^[h]folly.
⁹Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,
That glory may dwell in our land.

¹⁰Mercy and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed.
¹¹Truth shall spring out of the earth,
And righteousness shall look down from heaven.
¹²Yes, the Lord will give what is good;
And our land will yield its increase.
¹³Righteousness will go before Him,
And shall make His footsteps our pathway.

Footnotes

Psalm 84:1 Heb. Al Gittith
Psalm 84:1 are Your dwellings
Psalm 84:6 Lit. Weeping
Psalm 84:6 Or blessings
Psalm 84:7 LXX, Syr., Vg. The God of gods shall be seen
Psalm 84:9 Commissioned one, Heb. messiah
Psalm 84:10 stand at the threshold
Psalm 85:8 foolishness

The Glories of the City of God

A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song.

87 His foundation is in the holy mountains.
²The Lord loves the gates of Zion
More than all the dwellings of Jacob.
³Glorious things are spoken of you,
O city of God! Selah

⁴“I will make mention of ^[a]Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me;
Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia:
‘This one was born there.’ ”

⁵And of Zion it will be said,
“This one and that one were born in her;
And the Most High Himself shall establish her.”
⁶The Lord will record,
When He registers the peoples:
“This one was born there.” Selah

⁷Both the singers and the players on instruments say,
“All my springs are in you.”

Footnotes

Psalm 87:4 Egypt

23 Apr 202118 Apr 2021

Do you know who you are?

“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.” Matthew 1:1-17 KJV

Here in Matthew we see who Jesus is and in today’s reading we see who each of the twelve tribes are as well as a review of the distant relatives around them. Do you know who you are?

Today’s reading is the book of First Chronicles, chapters 1-2 (embedded below for your convenience). As we see in today’s reading, they have grown so big and even had their first king – so now it is time to hire a chronicler to keep track of it all for future generations. They knew who they were and made sure the future understood that it is important to understand.

If you are from a traditional Jewish home you probably have someone in the family who still maintains the family tree. I am a gentile and there are a few in my family who keep track and have a hobby of trying to fill in the missing pieces and one person has even formed a social media group to keep in touch and keep track. But here in the book of Chronicles and in the book of Matthew, they were not just keeping track for family tree drawings and social media groups.
“Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations” Genesis 17:4 ESV
They were keeping track of God’s answer to the promise to Abraham. And when the chronicler began chronicling we see the fulfillment of this promise (what a great way to begin a chronical!) – But God made more promises to the people, like the promise of the messiah, to come through David’s blood line and that us gentiles can also be saved and worship the one true and living God.

Let me pause and insert some scholarly facts for those who like them – It is traditionally believed that Ezra was actually the one who recorded the chronicles in writing and in chronological order, Ezra wasn’t born yet. Genealogies would have been recited orally and children would be made to memorize their genealogies. They would have had a few people assigned to the task of chronicling because nations do that. Probably many other records were written and didn’t survive – but we do have first and second Kings (more on that when we get there). Whatever the case, anthropologist and archeologist generally agree that first and second Chronicles are historical books (one book that took up 2 scrolls).

How can a person or a nation be confident in who they are when they do not know who they are? How can we? Let us take a quick look at who God says we are – and let us make it personal! So let’s declare today who “I am”!

I am intentionally created by God exactly the way I am:
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:13-14 ESV

I am the temple of the Most Holy One and the Spirit of the Living God Lives in me:
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” 1 Cor. 3:16-17 ESV

I am a Child of God:
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” John 1:12 ESV

“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15 ESV

I am a new creature:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Cor. 5:17 ESV

I am a citizen of Heaven:
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,” Phil. 3:20 ESV

I am more than conquerors:
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Romans 8:37 ESV

Come on now – you listening to this? Are you making it personal?! Let us end this week strong!!!!

I am Justified!!! I have peace!
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1 ESV

I AM REDEEMED & FORGIVEN!!!
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,” Ephesians 1:7 ESV

I AM A FOOLISH THING!!!
“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;” 1 Cor. 1:27 ESV
I have Asperger’s Syndrome, I have other “disabilities”, and I had a really bad sin problem – and look how God is using it! I am not the person you would have picked to read and follow – But God and His grace has me here sharing and explaining His words! I am a foolish thing, not qualified by the world standards but made for such a time as this!

The genealogy above proves that fulfilled the prophecy that the Christ would come from David’s bloodline – however the other verses above declare the fulfillment of the Messiah’s mission in transforming me for His glory! That has now become my DNA symbolically, my genealogy, and my “who I am”.

And if anyone tries to say I am something different, I can reply: “IT IS WRITTEN, I AM…”

Are you? Do you have a relationship with God? Please read the next section if your answer is “no” or “I do not know”.

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: 1 Chronicles 1-2 NKJV

The Family of Adam—Seth to Abraham

1 Adam, Seth, Enosh, ²Cainan, Mahalalel, Jared, ³Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, ⁴Noah,^[a] Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

⁵The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. ⁶The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, ^[b]Diphath, and Togarmah. ⁷The sons of Javan were Elishah, ^[c]Tarshishah, Kittim, and ^[d]Rodanim.

⁸The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. ⁹The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, ^[e]Sabta, ^[f]Raama, and Sabtecha. The sons of Raama were Sheba and Dedan. ¹⁰Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. ¹¹Mizraim begot Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, ¹²Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines and the Caphtorim). ¹³Canaan begot Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth; ¹⁴the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girgashite; ¹⁵the Hivite, the Arkite, and the Sinite; ¹⁶the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.

¹⁷The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and ^[g]Meshech. ¹⁸Arphaxad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber. ¹⁹To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was ^[h]Peleg, for in his days the ^[i]earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. ²⁰Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, ²¹Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, ²²^[j]Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, ²³Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.

²⁴Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, ²⁵Eber, Peleg, Reu, ²⁶Serug, Nahor, Terah, ²⁷and Abram, who is Abraham. ²⁸The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael.

The Family of Ishmael

²⁹These are their genealogies: The firstborn of Ishmael was Nebajoth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, ³⁰Mishma, Dumah, Massa, ^[k]Hadad, Tema, ³¹Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael.

The Family of Keturah

³²Now the sons born to Keturah, Abraham’s concubine, were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan were Sheba and Dedan. ³³The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

The Family of Isaac

³⁴And Abraham begot Isaac. The sons of Isaac were Esau and Israel. ³⁵The sons of Esau were Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah. ³⁶And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, ^[l]Zephi, Gatam, and Kenaz; and by Timna, Amalek. ³⁷The sons of Reuel were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.

The Family of Seir

³⁸The sons of Seir were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. ³⁹And the sons of Lotan were Hori and ^[m]Homam; Lotan’s sister was Timna. ⁴⁰The sons of Shobal were ^[n]Alian, Manahath, Ebal, ^[o]Shephi, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon were Ajah and Anah. ⁴¹The son of Anah was Dishon. The sons of Dishon were ^[p]Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. ⁴²The sons of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan, and ^[q]Jaakan. The sons of Dishan were Uz and Aran.

The Kings of Edom

⁴³Now these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before a king reigned over the children of Israel: Bela the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. ⁴⁴And when Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place. ⁴⁵When Jobab died, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. ⁴⁶And when Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who ^[r]attacked Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place. The name of his city was Avith. ⁴⁷When Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. ⁴⁸And when Samlah died, Saul of Rehoboth-by-the-River reigned in his place. ⁴⁹When Saul died, Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place. ⁵⁰And when Baal-Hanan died, ^[s]Hadad reigned in his place; and the name of his city was ^[t]Pai. His wife’s name was Mehetabel the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. ⁵¹Hadad died also. And the chiefs of Edom were Chief Timnah, Chief ^[u]Aliah, Chief Jetheth, ⁵²Chief Aholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon, ⁵³Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar, ⁵⁴Chief Magdiel, and Chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom.

The Family of Israel

2 These were the sons of ^[v]Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, ²Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

From Judah to David

³The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by the daughter of Shua, the Canaanitess. Er, the firstborn of Judah, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; so He killed him. ⁴And Tamar, his daughter-in-law, bore him Perez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.

⁵The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. ⁶The sons of Zerah were ^[w]Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and ^[x]Dara—five of them in all.

⁷The son of Carmi was ^[y]Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the accursed^[z] thing.

⁸The son of Ethan was Azariah.

⁹Also the sons of Hezron who were born to him were Jerahmeel, ^[aa]Ram, and ^[ab]Chelubai. ¹⁰Ram begot Amminadab, and Amminadab begot Nahshon, leader of the children of Judah; ¹¹Nahshon begot ^[ac]Salma, and Salma begot Boaz; ¹²Boaz begot Obed, and Obed begot Jesse; ¹³Jesse begot Eliab his firstborn, Abinadab the second, ^[ad]Shimea the third, ¹⁴Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, ¹⁵Ozem the sixth, and David the seventh.

¹⁶Now their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel—three. ¹⁷Abigail bore Amasa; and the father of Amasa was ^[ae]Jether the Ishmaelite.

The Family of Hezron

¹⁸Caleb the son of Hezron had children by Azubah, his wife, and by Jerioth. Now these were her sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. ¹⁹When Azubah died, Caleb ^[af]took Ephrath^[ag] as his wife, who bore him Hur. ²⁰And Hur begot Uri, and Uri begot Bezalel.

²¹Now afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was sixty years old; and she bore him Segub. ²²Segub begot Jair,^[ah] who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead. ²³(Geshur and Syria took from them the towns of Jair, with Kenath and its towns—sixty towns.) All these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead. ²⁴After Hezron died in Caleb Ephrathah, Hezron’s wife Abijah bore him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.

The Family of Jerahmeel

²⁵The sons of Jerahmeel, the firstborn of Hezron, were Ram, the firstborn, and Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. ²⁶Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam. ²⁷The sons of Ram, the firstborn of Jerahmeel, were Maaz, Jamin, and Eker. ²⁸The sons of Onam were Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai were Nadab and Abishur.

²⁹And the name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bore him Ahban and Molid. ³⁰The sons of Nadab were Seled and Appaim; Seled died without children. ³¹The son of Appaim was Ishi, the son of Ishi was Sheshan, and Sheshan’s son was Ahlai. ³²The sons of Jada, the brother of Shammai, were Jether and Jonathan; Jether died without children. ³³The sons of Jonathan were Peleth and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel.

³⁴Now Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. And Sheshan had an Egyptian servant whose name was Jarha. ³⁵Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant as wife, and she bore him Attai. ³⁶Attai begot Nathan, and Nathan begot Zabad; ³⁷Zabad begot Ephlal, and Ephlal begot Obed; ³⁸Obed begot Jehu, and Jehu begot Azariah; ³⁹Azariah begot Helez, and Helez begot Eleasah; ⁴⁰Eleasah begot Sismai, and Sismai begot Shallum; ⁴¹Shallum begot Jekamiah, and Jekamiah begot Elishama.

The Family of Caleb

⁴²The descendants of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were Mesha, his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph, and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron. ⁴³The sons of Hebron were Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema. ⁴⁴Shema begot Raham the father of Jorkoam, and Rekem begot Shammai. ⁴⁵And the son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Beth Zur.

⁴⁶Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Haran, Moza, and Gazez; and Haran begot Gazez. ⁴⁷And the sons of Jahdai were Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph.

⁴⁸Maachah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanah. ⁴⁹She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah and the father of Gibea. And the daughter of Caleb was Achsah.^[ai]

⁵⁰These were the descendants of Caleb: The sons of Hur, the firstborn of ^[aj]Ephrathah, were Shobal the father of Kirjath Jearim, ⁵¹Salma the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth Gader.

⁵²And Shobal the father of Kirjath Jearim had descendants: ^[ak]Haroeh, and half of the ^[al]families of Manuhoth. ⁵³The families of Kirjath Jearim were the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites. From these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites.

⁵⁴The sons of Salma were Bethlehem, the Netophathites, ^[am]Atroth Beth Joab, half of the Manahethites, and the Zorites.

⁵⁵And the families of the scribes who dwelt at Jabez were the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Suchathites. These were the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.

Footnotes

1 Chronicles 1:4 So with MT, Vg.; LXX adds the sons of Noah
1 Chronicles 1:6 Riphath, Gen. 10:3
1 Chronicles 1:7 Tarshish, Gen. 10:4
1 Chronicles 1:7 Dodanim, Gen. 10:4
1 Chronicles 1:9 Sabtah, Gen. 10:7
1 Chronicles 1:9 Raamah, Gen. 10:7
1 Chronicles 1:17 Mash, Gen. 10:23
1 Chronicles 1:19 Lit. Division, Gen. 10:25
1 Chronicles 1:19 Or land
1 Chronicles 1:22 Obal, Gen. 10:28
1 Chronicles 1:30 Hadar, Gen. 25:15
1 Chronicles 1:36 Zepho, Gen. 36:11
1 Chronicles 1:39 Hemam or Heman, Gen. 36:22
1 Chronicles 1:40 Alvan, Gen. 36:23
1 Chronicles 1:40 Shepho, Gen. 36:23
1 Chronicles 1:41 Hemdan, Gen. 36:26
1 Chronicles 1:42 Akan, Gen. 36:27
1 Chronicles 1:46 Lit. struck
1 Chronicles 1:50 Hadar, Gen. 36:39
1 Chronicles 1:50 Pau, Gen. 36:39
1 Chronicles 1:51 Alvah, Gen. 36:40
1 Chronicles 2:1 Jacob, Gen. 32:28
1 Chronicles 2:6 Zabdi, Josh. 7:1
1 Chronicles 2:6 Darda, 1 Kin. 4:31
1 Chronicles 2:7 Achan, Josh. 7:1
1 Chronicles 2:7 banned or devoted
1 Chronicles 2:9 Aram, Matt. 1:3, 4
1 Chronicles 2:9 Caleb, vv. 18, 42
1 Chronicles 2:11 Salmon, Ruth 4:21; Luke 3:32
1 Chronicles 2:13 Shammah, 1 Sam. 16:9
1 Chronicles 2:17 Jithra the Israelite, 2 Sam. 17:25
1 Chronicles 2:19 Lit. took to himself
1 Chronicles 2:19 Or Ephrathah
1 Chronicles 2:22 Reckoned to Manasseh through the daughter of Machir, Num. 32:41; Deut. 3:14; 25:5, 6; 1 Kin. 4:13; 1 Chr. 7:14
1 Chronicles 2:49 Or Achsa
1 Chronicles 2:50 Ephrath, v. 19
1 Chronicles 2:52 Reaiah, 1 Chr. 4:2
1 Chronicles 2:52 Or Manuhothites, same as Manahethites, v. 54
1 Chronicles 2:54 Or Ataroth of the house of Joab

22 Apr 202118 Apr 2021

After God’s Heart

“I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. My eye wastes away because of grief; It grows old because of all my enemies.
Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord has heard my supplication; The Lord will receive my prayer. Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.” Psalm 6:6-10 NKJV

Do we pray and worship like David prayed and worshiped? David is called a man after God heart – are we going after God’s heart, so we want to go deeper, get closer and get to know God better? Then are we looking at others the way God does? Are we looking at situations the way God does?

Today’s reading is the book of Psalms Chapters 6, 8-10, 14, 16, 19, & 21 (embedded below for your convenience).

Most of my life people described the book of Psalms as a collection of songs. It is. It is also an exhaustive manual on how to pray. First and foremost, be like David, sensitive, honest and raw when you come to God.

I would love to go through today’s reading verse by verse and write about how to pray it and apply it. I would love to cross reference New Testament prayers and verses. Lots in here today.

But when you are reading I want to challenge you to think with a slight shift in thought. We know David had Saul then Saul’s son and others up against him. We know David had human enemies… But yet David treated them all with respect and in reverence to God who created those people. David knew that we “battle not against flesh and blood” (Eph. 6:12). So, when you see the word “enemy” picture a demon instead of Saul or one of David’s other fleshly enemies.

Then as we personalize the scriptures – can we picture demons instead of people?

Lord, forgive them, for they know NOT what they do. Our enemies, do not know they are being played the fool by evil powers. They believe lies, much like we did before grace saved us. They hurt and feel out of control – they too need a savior! They think what they do is right! And so did we, once. So did the Apostle Paul before Jesus called him to be an apostle. Can we separate it out and see it like God sees it? Yes, they are sinners and acting on behalf of the enemy and yes they are wrong – but yes they need love, mercy and the transformation that grace brings.

Let us learn to pray after God’s heart. With power and tenderness. As we discuss the complexities of our emotions this week and the complexities of God’s emotions – we know we can be bold and pray in authority while praying softly and tenderly. We can drenching our bed in tears, crying and praying for our situation as well as for the lost souls of those same people who cause us strife.

It is all so much more complex and messy than we would like to think.

We can flee from deceivers and false prophets while still praying for them – that they will be enlightened as ONLY God can expose! If given the opportunity we can point them to Jesus and invite them to church – love them as Christ loved Peter, John, and Mary. His Love changed them and His love will change those who are our enemies.

I say all this with experience. I still pray for a few people who really oppressed me. Someday I will have the incredibly uncomfortable experience of seeing them in church – because, not my will but God’s will be done. Because this isn’t about me anymore – I am saved and in the flock…. I need to make the flock a safe and comfortable place for them as well. God does require these types of sacrifices. Make them here on earth so he doesn’t make you roommates in heaven! (ok, that is a joke. The truth is God wants us to get it right now cause He doesn’t want our petty little fleshly temper-tantrums in heaven! So get in your prayer closet or lay on your bed or however you pray and cry out to God! Seek God’s heart for the matter. Pour out your flesh until it is undone, unraveled and depleted – so God can then take over.

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Psalms Chapters 6, 8-10, 14, 16, 19, & 21 NKJV

Psalm 6

A Prayer of Faith in Time of Distress

To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. On ^[^a^]an eight-stringed harp. A Psalm of David.

6 O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
²Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
³My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord—how long?

⁴Return, O Lord, deliver me!
Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!
⁵For in death there is no remembrance of You;
In the grave who will give You thanks?

⁶I am weary with my groaning;
^[^b^]All night I make my bed swim;
I drench my couch with my tears.
⁷My eye wastes away because of grief;
It grows old because of all my enemies.

⁸Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity;
For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
⁹The Lord has heard my supplication;
The Lord will receive my prayer.
¹⁰Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled;
Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.

Footnotes

Psalm 6:1 Heb. sheminith
Psalm 6:6 Or Every night

Psalm 8-10

The Glory of the Lord in Creation

To the Chief Musician. ^[^a^]On the instrument of Gath. A Psalm of David.

8 O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

²Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ^[^b^]ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

³When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
⁴What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit^[^c^] him?
⁵For You have made him a little lower than ^[^d^]the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

⁶You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
⁷All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,
⁸The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.

⁹O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

Prayer and Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Righteous Judgments

To the Chief Musician. To the tune of ^[^e^]“Death of the Son.” A Psalm of David.

9 I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
²I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

³When my enemies turn back,
They shall fall and perish at Your presence.
⁴For You have maintained my right and my cause;
You sat on the throne judging in righteousness.
⁵You have rebuked the ^[^f^]nations,
You have destroyed the wicked;
You have blotted out their name forever and ever.

⁶O enemy, destructions are finished forever!
And you have destroyed cities;
Even their memory has perished.
⁷But the Lord shall endure forever;
He has prepared His throne for judgment.
⁸He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.

⁹The Lord also will be a refuge^[^g^] for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
¹⁰And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

¹¹Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion!
Declare His deeds among the people.
¹²When He avenges blood, He remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the ^[^h^]humble.

¹³Have mercy on me, O Lord!
Consider my trouble from those who hate me,
You who lift me up from the gates of death,
¹⁴That I may tell of all Your praise
In the gates of ^[ⁱ^]the daughter of Zion.
I will rejoice in Your salvation.

¹⁵The ^[^j^]nations have sunk down in the pit which they made;
In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught.
¹⁶The Lord is known by the judgment He executes;
The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
Meditation.^[^k^] Selah

¹⁷The wicked shall be turned into hell,
And all the ^[^l^]nations that forget God.
¹⁸For the needy shall not always be forgotten;
The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever.

¹⁹Arise, O Lord,
Do not let man prevail;
Let the ^[^m^]nations be judged in Your sight.
²⁰Put them in fear, O Lord,
That the ^[ⁿ^]nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah

A Song of Confidence in God’s Triumph over Evil

10 Why do You stand afar off, O Lord?
Why do You hide in times of trouble?
²The wicked in his pride ^[^o^]persecutes the poor;
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

³For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire;
^[^p^]He blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord.
⁴The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
^[^q^]God is in none of his thoughts.

⁵His ways ^[^r^]are always prospering;
Your judgments are far above, out of his sight;
As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.
⁶He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
I shall never be in adversity.”
⁷His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.

⁸He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
In the secret places he murders the innocent;
His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.
⁹He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den;
He lies in wait to catch the poor;
He catches the poor when he draws him into his net.
¹⁰So ^[^s^]he crouches, he lies low,
That the helpless may fall by his ^[^t^]strength.
¹¹He has said in his heart,
“God has forgotten;
He hides His face;
He will never see.”

¹²Arise, O Lord!
O God, lift up Your hand!
Do not forget the humble.
¹³Why do the wicked renounce God?
He has said in his heart,
“You will not require an account.”

¹⁴But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief,
To repay it by Your hand.
The helpless commits^[^u^] himself to You;
You are the helper of the fatherless.
¹⁵Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man;
Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

¹⁶The Lord is King forever and ever;
The nations have perished out of His land.
¹⁷Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,
¹⁸To ^[^v^]do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may ^[^w^]oppress no more.

Footnotes

Psalm 8:1 Heb. Al Gittith
Psalm 8:2 established
Psalm 8:4 give attention to or care for
Psalm 8:5 Heb. Elohim, God; LXX, Syr., Tg., Jewish tradition angels
Psalm 9:1 Heb. Muth Labben
Psalm 9:5 Gentiles
Psalm 9:9 Lit. secure height
Psalm 9:12 afflicted
Psalm 9:14 Jerusalem
Psalm 9:15 Gentiles
Psalm 9:16 Heb. Higgaion
Psalm 9:17 Gentiles
Psalm 9:19 Gentiles
Psalm 9:20 Gentiles
Psalm 10:2 hotly pursues
Psalm 10:3 Or The greedy man curses and spurns the Lord
Psalm 10:4 Or All his thoughts are, “There is no God”
Psalm 10:5 Lit. are strong
Psalm 10:10 Or he is crushed, is bowed
Psalm 10:10 Or mighty ones
Psalm 10:14 Lit. leaves, entrusts
Psalm 10:18 vindicate
Psalm 10:18 terrify

Psalm 14

Folly of the Godless, and God’s Final Triumph

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

14 The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.

²The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
³They have all turned aside,
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.

⁴Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call on the Lord?
⁵There they are in great fear,
For God is with the generation of the righteous.
⁶You shame the counsel of the poor,
But the Lord is his refuge.

⁷Oh,^[^a^] that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord brings back ^[^b^]the captivity of His people,
Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.

Footnotes

Psalm 14:7 Lit. Who will give out of Zion the salvation of Israel?
Psalm 14:7 Or His captive people

Psalm 16

The Hope of the Faithful, and the Messiah’s Victory

A Michtam of David.

16 Preserve^[^a^] me, O God, for in You I put my trust.

²O my soul, you have said to the Lord,
“You are my Lord,
My goodness is nothing apart from You.”
³As for the saints who are on the earth,
“They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”

⁴Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god;
Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
Nor take up their names on my lips.

⁵O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You ^[^b^]maintain my lot.
⁶The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.

⁷I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My ^[^c^]heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
⁸I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

⁹Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will ^[^d^]rest in hope.
¹⁰For You will not leave my soul in ^[^e^]Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to ^[^f^]see corruption.
¹¹You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Footnotes

Psalm 16:1 Watch over
Psalm 16:5 Lit. uphold
Psalm 16:7 Mind, lit. kidneys
Psalm 16:9 Or dwell securely
Psalm 16:10 The abode of the dead
Psalm 16:10 undergo

Psalm 19

The Perfect Revelation of the Lord

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament^[^a^] shows ^[^b^]His handiwork.
²Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
³There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
⁴Their ^[^c^]line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.

In them He has set a ^[^d^]tabernacle for the sun,
⁵Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
⁶Its rising is from one end of heaven,
And its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

⁷The law of the Lord is perfect, ^[^e^]converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
⁸The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
⁹The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the ^[^f^]honeycomb.
¹¹Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.

¹²Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
¹³Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of ^[^g^]great transgression.

¹⁴Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my ^[^h^]strength and my Redeemer.

Footnotes

Psalm 19:1 expanse of heaven
Psalm 19:1 the work of His hands
Psalm 19:4 LXX, Syr., Vg. sound; Tg. business
Psalm 19:4 tent
Psalm 19:7 restoring
Psalm 19:10 honey in the combs
Psalm 19:13 Or much
Psalm 19:14 Lit. rock

Psalm 21

Joy in the Salvation of the Lord

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

21 The king shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord;
And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
²You have given him his heart’s desire,
And have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

³For You meet him with the blessings of goodness;
You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
⁴He asked life from You, and You gave it to him—
Length of days forever and ever.
⁵His glory is great in Your salvation;
Honor and majesty You have placed upon him.
⁶For You have made him most blessed forever;
You have made him ^[^a^]exceedingly glad with Your presence.
⁷For the king trusts in the Lord,
And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be ^[^b^]moved.

⁸Your hand will find all Your enemies;
Your right hand will find those who hate You.
⁹You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger;
The Lord shall swallow them up in His wrath,
And the fire shall devour them.
¹⁰Their offspring You shall destroy from the earth,
And their ^[^c^]descendants from among the sons of men.
¹¹For they intended evil against You;
They devised a plot which they are not able to perform.
¹²Therefore You will make them turn their back;
You will make ready Your arrows on Your string toward their faces.

¹³Be exalted, O Lord, in Your own strength!
We will sing and praise Your power.

Footnotes

Psalm 21:6 Lit. joyful with gladness
Psalm 21:7 shaken
Psalm 21:10 Lit. seed

21 Apr 202117 Apr 2021

God’s Protection by Removing Us

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills — From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2 NKJV

WOW! Today’s reading is quite the story and today’s devotional section has a few minor spoilers – but I don’t think it will ruin the impact of the reading. I am going to keep the opening verse from yesterday, above – because today we look at how our sovereign God, again, gave David a task and kept him out of the mess happening everywhere else.

Today’s reading is the book of 2 Samuel chapters 1-4 (embedded below for your convenience).

Samuel is actually one book. But since it was written on 2 scrolls (due to the length of scrolls) translators have made it into 2 books. It is interesting to note that it is called Samuel – when Samuel passes away in the first half and is never spoke of in the second half. It is generally believed that it was written by Samuel up until 1 Samuel 25 and then completed by the prophets Gad and Nathan. The first few chapters start off very much like the book of Judges and records the acts of the last few judges. But First Samuel is really more about the rise and fall of King Saul and Second Samuel is the rise and fall of King David. Yes, the rise – while everyone was killing each other (as we read in today’s reading). And this is when I really notice the change in the writing style because it read so much more like a drama. If you think back, somewhere just before Samuel’s death is when the style really changed. Samuel recorded facts and his story telling style wasn’t as detailed or dramatic.

In today’s reading, David is shocked by the news of Saul and Jonathan’s death. He asks the Lord what he should do and God says “Go hang out in Hebron and obey me. Be king of Judah or something.”
Meanwhile, everyone else are all posturing for power and saying “ok David, you do that for a few years. We are all going to just go over here and kill each other, if that’s ok” and
David is like “No, just no! It is not ok”
Yet one by one everyone is being killed and David is mourning loss after loss. This is where we see David’s pattern begin to emerge with fasting and prayer, (which we studied when we were studying fasting last year).

We can see why we were reading the Songs of Ascents in this time period as well, as David was still very much in need of the Lords help and God continued to be glorified in every situation. God protected David and took care of everything standing in the way of God’s plan.

Sometimes God sends us off to a Hebron, while everyone else causes chaos and disqualifies themselves for something – we all have or will have a moment when God pulls us out of the way to protect us while He does a work. Notice though that even out of the way, David was King of Judah and still had lots to do and punishment to render and life to live and a wife to get back. Most of the times God separates us, we are busy doing God’s work and we do not even notice until we look back. There is always work to do for the kingdom! This was also true when God did this same technique when keeping David out of the battle that killed Saul, God gave David a job to do elsewhere.

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: 2 Samuel 1-4 NKJV

The Report of Saul’s Death

1 Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag, ²on the third day, behold, it happened that a man came from Saul’s camp with his clothes ^[a]torn and dust on his head. So it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself.

³And David said to him, “Where have you come from?”

So he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.”

⁴Then David said to him, “How did the matter go? Please tell me.”

And he answered, “The people have fled from the battle, many of the people are fallen and dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.”

⁵So David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?”

⁶Then the young man who told him said, “As I happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboa, there was Saul, leaning on his spear; and indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. ⁷Now when he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ ⁸And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ So I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ ⁹He said to me again, ‘Please stand over me and kill me, for ^[b]anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me.’ ¹⁰So I stood over him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.”

¹¹Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. ¹²And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

¹³Then David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?”

And he answered, “I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite.”

¹⁴So David said to him, “How was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” ¹⁵Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go near, and execute him!” And he struck him so that he died. ¹⁶So David said to him, “Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s anointed.’ ”

The Song of the Bow

¹⁷Then David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son, ¹⁸and he told them to teach the children of Judah the Song of the Bow; indeed it is written in the Book ^[c]of Jasher:

¹⁹“The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places!
How the mighty have fallen!
²⁰Tell it not in Gath,
Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon—
Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

²¹“O mountains of Gilboa,
Let there be no dew nor rain upon you,
Nor fields of offerings.
For the shield of the mighty is ^[d]cast away there!
The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.
²²From the blood of the slain,
From the fat of the mighty,
The bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
And the sword of Saul did not return empty.

²³“Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives,
And in their death they were not divided;
They were swifter than eagles,
They were stronger than lions.

²⁴“O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
Who clothed you in scarlet, with luxury;
Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.

²⁵“How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle!
Jonathan was slain in your high places.
²⁶I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
You have been very pleasant to me;
Your love to me was wonderful,
Surpassing the love of women.

²⁷“How the mighty have fallen,
And the weapons of war perished!”

David Anointed King of Judah

2 It happened after this that David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?”

And the Lord said to him, “Go up.”

David said, “Where shall I go up?”

And He said, “To Hebron.”

²So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. ³And David brought up the men who were with him, every man with his household. So they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

⁴Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, “The men of Jabesh Gilead were the ones who buried Saul.” ⁵So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, “You are blessed of the Lord, for you have shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him. ⁶And now may the Lord show kindness and truth to you. I also will repay you this kindness, because you have done this thing. ⁷Now therefore, let your hands be strengthened, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

Ishbosheth Made King of Israel

⁸But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took ^[e]Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim; ⁹and he made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over all Israel. ¹⁰Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. Only the house of Judah followed David. ¹¹And the ^[f]time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

Israel and Judah at War

¹²Now Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. ¹³And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. So they sat down, one on one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool. ¹⁴Then Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men now arise and compete before us.”

And Joab said, “Let them arise.”

¹⁵So they arose and went over by number, twelve from Benjamin, followers of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David. ¹⁶And each one grasped his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called ^[g]the Field of Sharp Swords, which is in Gibeon. ¹⁷So there was a very fierce battle that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

¹⁸Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel was as fleet of foot as a wild gazelle. ¹⁹So Asahel pursued Abner, and in going he did not turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.

²⁰Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Are you Asahel?”

He answered, “I am.”

²¹And 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 for yourself.” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. ²²So Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I face your brother Joab?” ²³However, he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the blunt end of the spear, so that the spear came out of his back; and he fell down there and died on the spot. So it was that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still.

²⁴Joab and Abishai also pursued Abner. And the sun was going down when they came to the hill of Ammah, which is before Giah by the road to the Wilderness of Gibeon. ²⁵Now the children of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became ^[h]a unit, and took their stand on top of a hill. ²⁶Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the latter end? How long will it be then until you tell the people to return from pursuing their brethren?”

²⁷And Joab said, “As God lives, ^[i]unless you had spoken, surely then by morning all the people would have given up pursuing their brethren.” ²⁸So Joab blew a trumpet; and all the people stood still and did not pursue Israel anymore, nor did they fight anymore. ²⁹Then Abner and his men went on all that night through the plain, crossed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron; and they came to Mahanaim.

³⁰So Joab returned from pursuing Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing of David’s servants nineteen men and Asahel. ³¹But the servants of David had struck down, of Benjamin and Abner’s men, three hundred and sixty men who died. ³²Then they took up Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at daybreak.

Joab Kills Abner

3 Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

Sons of David

²Sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; ³his second, ^[j]Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; ⁴the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; ⁵and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.

Abner Joins Forces with David

⁶Now it was so, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner was strengthening his hold on the house of Saul.

⁷And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ishbosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?”

⁸Then Abner became very angry at the words of Ishbosheth, and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show loyalty to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman? ⁹May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David as the Lord has sworn to him— ¹⁰to transfer the kingdom from the ^[k]house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.” ¹¹And he could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.

¹²Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to David, saying, “Whose is the land?” saying also, “Make your covenant with me, and indeed my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel to you.”

¹³And David said, “Good, I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you: you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.” ¹⁴So David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” ¹⁵And Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, from ^[l]Paltiel the son of Laish. ¹⁶Then her husband went along with her to Bahurim, ^[m]weeping behind her. So Abner said to him, “Go, return!” And he returned.

¹⁷Now Abner had communicated with the elders of Israel, saying, “In time past you were seeking for David to be king over you. ¹⁸Now then, do it! For the Lord has spoken of David, saying, ‘By the hand of My servant David, ^[n]I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and the hand of all their enemies.’ ” ¹⁹And Abner also spoke in the hearing of Benjamin. Then Abner also went to speak in the hearing of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel and the whole house of Benjamin.

²⁰So Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. ²¹Then Abner said to David, “I will arise and go, and gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

Joab Murders Abner

²²At that moment the servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought much ^[o]spoil with them. But Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. ²³When Joab and all the troops that were with him had come, they told Joab, saying, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he sent him away, and he has gone in peace.” ²⁴Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you; why is it that you sent him away, and he has already gone? ²⁵Surely you realize that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you, to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you are doing.”

²⁶And when Joab had gone from David’s presence, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David did not know it. ²⁷Now when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him privately, and there ^[p]stabbed him in the stomach, so that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother.

²⁸Afterward, when David heard it, he said, “My kingdom and I are ^[q]guiltless before the Lord forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. ²⁹Let it rest on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and let there never fail to be in the ^[r]house of Joab one who has a discharge or is a leper, who leans on a staff or falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.” ³⁰So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.

David’s Mourning for Abner

³¹Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn for Abner.” And King David followed the coffin. ³²So they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. ³³And the king sang a lament over Abner and said:

“Should Abner die as a fool dies?
³⁴Your hands were not bound
Nor your feet put into fetters;
As a man falls before wicked men, so you fell.”

Then all the people wept over him again.

³⁵And when all the people came to persuade David to eat food while it was still day, David took an oath, saying, “God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down!” ³⁶Now all the people took note of it, and it pleased them, since whatever the king did pleased all the people. ³⁷For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king’s intent to kill Abner the son of Ner. ³⁸Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? ³⁹And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too harsh for me. The Lord shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.”

Ishbosheth Is Murdered

4 When Saul’s ^[s]son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he^[t] lost heart, and all Israel was troubled. ²Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of troops. The name of one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin. (For Beeroth also was ^[u]part of Benjamin, ³because the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there until this day.)

⁴Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel; and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.^[v]

⁵Then the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out and came at about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who was lying on his bed at noon. ⁶And they came there, all the way into the house, as though to get wheat, and they ^[w]stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. ⁷For when they came into the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedroom; then they struck him and killed him, beheaded him and took his head, and were all night escaping through the plain. ⁸And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul your enemy, who sought your life; and the Lord has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and his descendants.”

⁹But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from all adversity, ¹⁰when someone told me, saying, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ thinking to have brought good news, I arrested him and had him executed in Ziklag—the one who thought I would give him a reward for his news. ¹¹How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous person in his own house on his bed? Therefore, shall I not now require his ^[x]blood at your hand and ^[y]remove you from the earth?” ¹²So David commanded his young men, and they executed them, cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner in Hebron.

Footnotes

2 Samuel 1:2 To show grief
2 Samuel 1:9 agony
2 Samuel 1:18 Lit. of the Upright
2 Samuel 1:21 Lit. defiled
2 Samuel 2:8 Esh-Baal, 1 Chr. 8:33; 9:39
2 Samuel 2:11 Lit. number of days
2 Samuel 2:16 Heb. Helkath Hazzurim
2 Samuel 2:25 one band
2 Samuel 2:27 if you had not spoken
2 Samuel 3:3 Daniel, 1 Chr. 3:1
2 Samuel 3:10 family
2 Samuel 3:15 Palti, 1 Sam. 25:44
2 Samuel 3:16 Lit. going and weeping
2 Samuel 3:18 So with many Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Tg.; MT he
2 Samuel 3:22 booty
2 Samuel 3:27 Lit. struck
2 Samuel 3:28 innocent
2 Samuel 3:29 family
2 Samuel 4:1 Ishbosheth
2 Samuel 4:1 Lit. his hands dropped
2 Samuel 4:2 considered part of
2 Samuel 4:4 Merib-Baal, 1 Chr. 8:34; 9:40
2 Samuel 4:6 Lit. struck
2 Samuel 4:11 Or bloodshed
2 Samuel 4:11 Lit. consume you