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July
11
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Reading
1 - 1Samuel 24
Click
here to Listen
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v.
2
- Saul had 3000 men, which is 5 times David's men [1Sam.23:13].
This makes the act of David in revealing himself to Saul one of great faith,
as in any other context it would have meant his sure death. He had such
a great trust in God that he was able to take this 'risk' as it would seem
to us not just for himself but for all 600 of his men, knowing that if Saul
chose, he would be able, in human terms, to wipe them out easily, being
so heavily outnumbered. You can't help wondering what the men that came
with Saul thought of this apparent reconciliation! Psa.7:8,9.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.4
- The point was made at our Bible Class last week that the hem of the garment
was a special part - Num.15:38-41
tells us that these fringes were for a remembrance of God's commandments.
So here David was reminding Saul of how he had disobeyed those commandments
and was not worthy of the fringes on his robe. Consider also the woman that
had been ill who sought healing of Jesus by touching the hem of his garment.
Luke
8:43-44
Peter Cresswell |
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v.4
- There is no indication that the LORD had told David that Saul would be
delivered into his hand. Indeed David was the anointed king and would doubtless
reign in the place of Saul. We must be careful that we do not pervert justice
because we think that the end justifies the means.
Peter Forbes |
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Maybe
Psalm 35 was written out of these events. Notice these links.
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Wherefore
hearest thou man's voice
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Psalm
35:11
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plead
my cause
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Psalm
35:1
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Peter Forbes
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:17
Saul's response is an example of the effects of the way of a man of God
- Proverbs
16:7
Peter Forbes |
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Reading
2 - Jeremiah 1
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here to Listen
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v.
5
- Everyone I have met seems to have had at some stage in their life a fascination
with this concept of the preknowledge of God. Let us not be confused. We
have free will. We can use that free will to ask God for guidance, or to
accept our own or fellow man's counsel. But God knows what we will choose,
and can see right to the end of our lives. In Jeremiah's case, this is expressed
in the words of this verse. Each one of us can be chosen by God in this
way for a particular work, but that path is inevitable only in the mind
of God who knows the end from the beginning. As we go though life, we have
to work it out for ourselves. Let us resolve today to set our will to match
that of God. Psa.71:5,6,
Isa.49:1,5. And
consider the life of Paul, who was able nevertheless to say what he did
in Gal.1:15,16.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.8
- Oh how many times have these words been so needed in your life? Many times
in mine. There is so much in this life, however comfortable we have been
blessed to be, that scares us. In simple terms, according to this verse
and others like it, it shouldn't.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.1
- Anathoth was a city of the priests [for the sons of Aaron] Therefore Jeremiah
was 'son' of the high priest Hilkiah mentioned. [2
Kings 22:4] 'Go
up to Hilkiah the high priest,' [Jeremiah
1:1]
v.2
- Josiah reigned 31 years [2
Kings 22:1 2 Chronicles 34:1]
Jehoahaz reigned 3 months [2
Chronicles 36:1]
Jehoiakim reigned 11 years [2
Chronicles 36:5]
Jehoiachin reigned 3 months [2
Chronicles 36:9]
Zedekiah reigned 11 years [2
Chronicles 36:11]
So from the 3rd year of Josiah to the taking captive was 31 - 19 + � + 11
+ � +11 = 34� years
Peter Forbes |
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In
Taking up the mantle of prophet and reproving Israel Jeremiah, as the son
of the high priest, forsook wealth and approval to serve God.
Peter Forbes |
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:6-7
The response to God's call was 'I cannot speak for I am a child'. One wonders
what Jeremiah thought when God's response was a quotation from Deuteronomy
18:18 - a promise of a 'prophet like unto Moses' who would be listened
to.
Peter Forbes |
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Jeremiah
1. GOD'S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE God said to Jeremiah "Before I formed
you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed
you as a prophet to the nations". God had mapped Jeremiah's life out before
he had created him! He had prepared circumstances, tasks and people that
would all make Jeremiahs life what it became. But Jeremiahs life is not
the only one that God has made plans for. Jesus, all the prophets, the apostles
and many others have all been prepared by God for the tasks they were given.
God still did not stop there. We too have been predestined to be conformed
to the likeness of his son (Rom
8 v 29), and God has prepared in advance good works for us to do just
as he did for Jeremiah. There is no doubt about it. God has a plan for your
life - whether you like it or not. It is up to us to us to fit in with God's
plan and to serve him in the ways he has planned for us to do.
Robert
Prins |
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Reading
3 - Matthew 12
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here to Listen
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v.
7
- The quote is from Hos.6:6,
and Jesus used it before in ch.9:13,
where he said "I
am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance".
The "knowledge of God is greater than burnt offerings",
Hosea tells us. See also 1Sam.15:22.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.3
- Details concerning the shewbread tell us that it was changed on the Sabbath
[Leviticus
24:8] Notice
that Jesus and his disciples were walking through the corn on the Sabbath.
The appeal to the events of 1
Samuel 21:3 must
have taken place on the Sabbath day or the shewbread would not have been
available for David and his men. The issue in Jesus case is that he is 'lord
of the Sabbath' marking that a man's need comes before the letter of the
Sabbath law. This is a point which occurs a number of times in the gospels.
This event is recorded in three of the gospel records highlighting its importance
in laying down a principle. [Matthew
12:3 Mark 2:25 Luke 6:3]
Peter Forbes |
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12:5
The question that Jesus asks demonstrates that there are elements of the
law of Moses which took precedence over other elements. Judgement had to
be made as to which law had to be observed. Likewise in Christ we have to
use judgement on issues rather than simply quoting one principle and disregarding
others.
Peter Forbes |
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:41
When Jesus introduced the idea that the men of Nineveh or the Queen of Sheba
will rise in the judgement and condemn the Jewish leaders of his day Jesus
prime focus does not relate to whether these individuals will be raised
from the dead. The point he is making is that whilst they - Jews - would
not recognise the power of God vested in him both the men of Nineveh and
the Queen of Sheba - gentiles - recognised that God was at work in their
lives and responded to what they knew.
Peter Forbes |
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is very unfortunate to be born into a family with no mother, father, brothers,
or sisters. Jesus was the first of a "new creation", and he wanted
to have a family round him. In v47-50
Jesus emphasises the fact that he has left his earthly mother and siblings,
and now has a new spiritual family. Jesus demonstrated how seriously he
took this change in where he belonged. He had completely divorced himself
from the ties of the flesh, and only recognised the ties of his new "spirit
family". I wonder if we always see it this way, or whether we hold
on to our family connections and status, long after we have been "born
again" into a new family. Do we treat our spiritual brothers and sisters
as well as our fleshly ones? Jesus is suggesting that we no longer have
any fleshly relatives.
A further
point to ponder:
v
36 seems very harsh, until we read it in context. Jesus has just stated
that out of the abundance of the heart come our words and speech. If this
is the case, then the idle words (or those that weren't pre-meditated)
we utter will betray what is in our hearts. Our idle words, then, will
be the vehicle by which our hearts are exposed at the judgement. It will
be the heart that is being judged, rather than the words themselves. An
example of this is in verse
24. Jesus "knew their thoughts" (v25)
because of what they had said.
Robin
de Jongh
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