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August 13

Reading 1 - 1Kings 8

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v.2 - Ethanim - The month of gifts, i.e., of vintage offerings; called Tisri after the Exile; corresponding to part of September and October. It was the first month of the civil year, and the seventh of the sacred year, as we see here.
Peter Cresswell
v.9 - It seems reasonable to assume that the pot of manna and Aaron's rod that budded were taken by the Philistines when they had the ark. One wonders why they did not take the tables of the law too.
Peter Cresswell

v.12 - 'thick darkness' is a description of the manifestation of Yahweh at different times. Exodus 10:22 20:21 Deuteronomy 4:11 5:22 1 Kings 8:12 2 Chronicles 6:1. So when it is used to speak of the day of the LORD Joel 2:2 Zephaniah 1:15. We see the day of the LORD is a day of His glory being manifest. It is not just mindless punishment. Interestingly His glory is seen in the punishment of Judah. That is, He is justified by His actions.
Peter Forbes
8:4 In brining the ark and the tabernacle together Solomon ended the dual worship that existed from the time that David brought the ark to Zion.
Peter Forbes
:2 Solomon dedicated the temple during the feast of tabernacles - the feast that was to signify Israel's sojourn in the wilderness. But now they have a permanent resting place and a permanent house for their God.
Peter Forbes
GOD HEARS AND ANSWERS PRAYER
Solomon's prayer in this chapter, as he dedicated the temple, has a major theme through it, which is good for us to notice. His words go something like this: "When your servants turn to you, and confess your name, praying and making supplication to you towards or in this temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people and uphold their plea."
Solomon's prayer was for everyone in his time who might pray like this, from the king, to the people of Israel, to foreigners, to exiled Israel in the future. All of them could pray toward the temple and be heard by the most mighty, loving and forgiving God in the universe.
The same applies to us. God is no less able to hear our prayers now than what he was able to hear Solomon or any of his people. Not only is he able to hear, but he is also able to answer our prayers. But we must still pray with the right attitude that Solomon described, knowing how great God is, turning to him and confessing his name. Let's take heart that God hears our prayers, can forgive us and answer our prayers. So let us pray all the more!
Robert Prins

Reading 2 - Jeremiah 34

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v.6 - This suggests his release from the court of the prison for a little freedom, though sadly he is imprisoned again in ch.37:15. The life that Jeremiah suffered at the hands of men because of his desire to serve God makes our little problems look like nothing.
Peter Cresswell
v.10-11 - We see here an example of how God expect us to carry through the vows that we make to Him. It is no good agreeing to behave in a particular way and then after a few months or a few years deciding that that promise no longer needs to be kept.
Peter Cresswell
v.18 - 'passed between' is the mark of being involved in the covenant. This is seen in the cutting of the covenant in [Genesis 15:17]
Peter Forbes
34:11 The taking of the servants again who had been freed shows the cavalier way in which Zedekiah and the other Jews treated the word of God and their promises. It is hardly surprising that there was 'no remedy' (2 Chronicles 36:16)
Peter Forbes
:8-9 The language of the covenant which Zedekiah had made is the language of the year of release (Leviticus 25:10). Whilst there was an immediate response to the command the princes quickly reneged on their promise. So we see that they were not interested in obeying God's word. Even though captivity was a certain judgement from God that was going to come if they continued in their sin they would not hear. They were truly 'stiff necked'
Peter Forbes

Reading 3 - Mark 8

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v. 2 - the word <4697>, translated 'compassion' occurs 12 times in scripture. Here are the other occasions so that you put the word in context. Matt.9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 18:27, 20:34, Mark 1:41, 6:34, 8:2, 9:22, Luke 7:13, 10:33, 15:20.
Peter Cresswell

v.3 - One wonders how long we would be willing to go without food to listen to good exposition of the Word.
v.11 - The request for a 'sign' from Jesus was a repeated feature of those who opposed Jesus. As if they were not willing to accept that the healings that Jesus did were real proof of his claims. Matthew 12:38 16:1 Mark 8:11 Luke 11:16 John 2:18 6:30
v.15 - In the gospels there are from time to time 'unholy' alliances. These are the occasions when we find a tie up between the Pharisees and Herodians Mark 3:6 8:15 12:13 Matthew 22:16
Peter Forbes

:10 this visit to 'Dalmanutha' is only mentioned in Matthew 15:39 (as Magdala) but is not mentioned in either of the other gospel records. Whilst Mark tells us [:11] that it as the Pharisees that tempted Jesus Matthew [16:1] informs us that the Sadducees were there as well.
Peter Forbes
:27 That Jesus is in Caeserea Philippi shortly before the transfiguration (Chapter 9) means that the transfiguration probably took place on Mount Hermon as Caeserea Philippi was in the north of the land, further north than the sea of Galilee.
Peter Forbes
GIVE US A SIGN

When the Pharisees came and tried to test Jesus asking him for a sign from heaven, "He sighed deeply and said, 'Why does this generation ask for a sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it.'"

The fact was that even if they had seen a sign, or any numbers of signs, they still would not have believed because they could not accept that this unlearned carpenter from Nazareth, whose message was so different from theirs, could in any way have a higher status than theirs, let alone be the Messiah. And if they had watched him they would have seen signs - the feeding of the multitudes, making the blind see and the deaf hear. They would have heard the voice of God say, "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." (Mark 1 v 11). They would have seen scripture fulfilled and believed in the resurrection. They chose not to see the signs and so no sign was given to them.

In the same way, if we just care to open our eyes and our hearts to look, we will see signs happening to show that God is still in control and that Jesus is coming to judge the world. But if we don't want to see the signs they won't be given to us and we will be taken by surprise and be unprepared for the return of Christ. Watch then, because you do not know when your Lord will return.
Robert Prins
It is sometimes difficult to transfer the teaching of Jesus into our own lives. Even though we understand the teaching, and even though we believe it, the circumstances in our own lives always seem to be sufficiently different to those in the bible for us to inadvertently ignore the examples held therein.

The disciples had just witnessed the feeding of the five thousand men in chapter 6, where in v39 it says that they sat down on the "green grass". Here in chapter 8, remarkably they fail to apply the lesson they learned. Their answer to the question of Jesus is "how can one satisfy these people with bread...here in the wilderness". The circumstances to them, here in the wilderness compared to the grassy fields, seemed so different to them that they couldn't transfer the lesson from one situation to the other!

In v14-16 we find that exactly the same test is applied for the third time. Will they remember the lesson from the previous two miracles, and apply it in their lives whilst in that little boat? No! (v17-21). Remarkable isn't it? It almost seems ludicrous that they should see those two miracles, yet not learn the lesson! Jesus has no need for them to worry about bread... at any time...in any place. The lesson is transferrable. Weren't they stupid?

"Therefore I say to YOU, do not worry about YOUR life, what YOU will eat; nor about the body, what YOU will put on.... but seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to YOU." (Luke 12v22, 31)

Are we as stupid as they?
Robin de Jongh