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July
10
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Reading
1 - 1Samuel 23
Click
here to Listen
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v.12
- This message from God was able to avoid a conflict for David, but in doing
so became an 'untrue' prophecy. Here we have God's insight into 'what would
have happened if...' a fascinating ability for the immortal mind. It's mindblowing
to think that God can always know what would have happened, but it does
give us a great deal of confidence to ask him for help with our decisions,
given that he knows the consequences of all options.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.2,4
- One wonders whether maybe the first prayer was private and the second
public as the second time the doubt seems to be taken from the minds of
those who were previously frightened. There is much for us to learn here,
both of the longsuffering of God towards our human weaknesses and of the
strength of God available to us in overcoming those things which stand in
the way of our walk to His kingdom.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.7
- In that one told Saul that David was in Keilah we have an example of the
way of the ungrateful. There is always someone who wishes to ingratiate
himself with 'important' people irrespective of the hurt to others. We must
be aware of the dangers of having respect of persons.
Peter Forbes |
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23:12
Keilah was in the territory of Judah (Joshua
15:1, 44) So it was David's own brethren of his own tribe who were willing
to betray him to Saul. In like manner the Jews delivered their saviour up
to the Romans.
Peter Forbes |
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:19
The title of Psalm 54 shows that this Psalm was written about this time
in the historical record. If you mark your Bible you may care to note Psalm
54 against this verse and also mark Psalm 54 as fitting in to 1
Samuel 23:19
Peter Forbes |
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Reading
2 - Isaiah 66
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here to Listen
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v.
8
- Here we have a prophecy not just of the return and the birth of an immortal
nation but also of the work of Jesus in the sacrifice that he made for mankind,
which produced instantly the way that men could be reborn in Zion [Ps.87:5,6].
Here is the travail of Zion, fulfilled in the work of Christ in the purpose
of God. We are come now to Mount Zion [Heb.12:22-24].
See also Isa.49:20-22,
Acts 4:4, 21:20, Rom.15:18-21.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.5
We see the great gulf that is fixed between those with faith and those without.
Let us continue to 'tremble at His word' that we might overcome, and not
be ashamed at the return of our Lord from heaven.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.24
- Twice already [Isaiah
48:22 57:21]
has Isaiah told us about the wicked being present and receiving no peace.
Now at the end of his prophecy Isaiah sees that there are no wicked. They
are consumed. The language that Isaiah uses is utilised by Jesus [Mark
9:22 46 48] to
speak of the end of those who will not make the commitment to serve God.
Peter Forbes |
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66:1-2
Again echoes of the promise to David. David wanted to build a house but
could not. His son Solomon built the house but was aware that it was not
sufficient for Him to dwell in (2
Chronicles 2:6 6:18) The house, actually, will be made up of men and
women who 'tremble at his word' (Isaiah
66:5)
Peter Forbes |
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:24
'their worm dieth
be quenched' is quoted (Mark
9:44) to speak of the way in which God will judge the wicked. A consideration
of this Old Testament background will demonstrate that 'hell fire torment'
is not part of Bible teaching. Isaiah is not talking about eternal suffering.
He has been speaking about eternal blessing. The wicked will simply cease
to exist.
Peter Forbes |
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Reading
3 - Matthew 11
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here to Listen
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v.25
- The Luke account of this speech [ch.10:21-23]
is more detailed and tells us that we (if we are to be classed along with
the disciples) are blessed because of the things that we perceive, and that
indeed many prophets and kings have not seen what we see. Let us remember
the privilege that we have in being in possession of the source of this
knowledge and not to waste our time here in this short life that God has
provided that we might prove ourselves worthy.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.6
- If we wish to think of Jesus as being one who went about bending over
backwards in order to please men we would be mistaken. [Matthew
11:6 13:21 57 Mark 6:3 John 6:61]. Whilst Jesus knew that what he had to say
would offended many he was concerned that his followers would not be so
dismayed. [Matthew
11:6 Luke 7:23]
His concern was that his Father's will might be known. This is offensive
to the flesh - therefore he prayed that his disciples would not be caused
to stumble as did his adversaries. [John
16:1]
Peter Forbes |
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lowly
in heart
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Zechariah
9:9
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ye
shall find rest unto your souls
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Jeremiah
6:16
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The quotation
from Zechariah 9 is from the area of Zechariah which Matthew later quotes
(21:5)
and applies to Jesus. Jeremiah 6 is an exhortation to Israel to encourage
them to faithful worship to prevent them being taken to Babylon. Jesus
is warning his followers to separate themselves from the evil world they
are in before the Romans come and destroy the city.
Peter Forbes
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:2
That John heard about Jesus whilst he was in prison implies that he was
visited by his disciple. This is confirmed by 'he sent two of his disciples'.
How would we view visiting a brother or sister in prison? What do we think
Jesus means (Matthew
25:36)
Peter Forbes |
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uses a strange phrase in verse
11, where he says that among "those born of women", there
was none greater than John. What does that mean? Surely everyone is born
of a woman, even Jesus. He continues with another strange phrase "he
who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he". Surely John
would be in the kingdom?
In the
reply of Jesus to the ruler in Luke
18v18-30, he introduces that one cannot inherit the kingdom, even
as a camel cannot pass through the eye of a needle. The question of the
ruler had been "what must I do to inherit the kingdom?". Elsewhere
Jesus tells us that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of
God". In John
3v3 Jesus again tells us that we cannot see the kingdom of God, but
this time he gives the solution.... "unless one is born again".
His reasoning is "that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that
which is born of the spirit is spirit" i.e. you cannot change the
flesh to the spirit, or vice versa. They are completely different substances.
The only way to be of the spirit, is to be born again "of water and
the spirit". John and his baptism were earthly, or fleshly (John
3v31) and therefore could not bring life. Jesus was the first of a
new creation, born of the spirit. This is why Jesus called John "born
of a woman", and why he said to Mary "woman, what have I to
do with you?".
A further
point to ponder:
In v28-30
we have (to my mind) some of the most comforting words in the whole scriptures.
Have you noticed the link to the later words of Jesus in 24v4?
Robin
de Jongh
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