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July
22
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Reading
1 - 2Samuel 7
Click
here to Listen
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v.
1
- The beginning of this chapter in David's life where he is denied permission
to build God a house, but at the same time has a series of wonderful promises
made to him, showing him that he was part of the royal line that would one
day lead to Christ the Messiah, sets the scene. We read over it because
the rest of the chapter seems so much more important, but what a relief
this must have been for David. The life he had was so full of worry and
danger and fear, that this must have been a wonderful time for him - to
be at peace. The spiritual implications go a long way too as well of course.
The same had been applied to Israel earlier - [Joshua
21:44] - and
the same will apply to us at times in our lives of chastening - [Heb.4:1-11].
Peter Cresswell |
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v.18-29
- Notice how David's prayer focuses almost entirely on the praise of God.
This is an example we do well to take very much to heart.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.2-5
- Isn't it interesting that Nathan feels able to respond positively to David's
desire without asking God? Clearly he knew that there was to be a house
for God. Maybe he knew about David and Samuel's arrangements [1
Chronicles 9:22].
However he did not know that David was not to be the builder.
Peter Forbes |
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This
list of some of the language of this chapter used elsewhere shows that
Solomon saw himself as a fulfilment of the promise and the quotations
from Deuteronomy 12 show that David understood, as mentioned when commenting
about Chapter 6., saw from Deuteronomy 12 that Jerusalem was the place
where the ark was to be placed.
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had
given him rest from all his enemies
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Deuteronomy
12:10
2 Samuel 22:1
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since
the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt
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1
Kings 8:16
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I
took thee
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1
Kings 8:16
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I will appoint
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Deuteronomy
12:11
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Peter Forbes
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Whereas
we see the promises to David as wonderful - which indeed they are - they
were a 'second best' - or could have been seen as such - for David. His
desire, which had been in his heart from the time he was a teenager in Bethlehem,
was to build a temple and now all he gets are some promises. A lesser man
would have been dissatisfied. Not David. He sees in the promises a far greater
house than even a temple in Jerusalem. Consider Psalm 127 where the house
being built be God and the blessing of children are linked.
Peter Forbes |
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Reading
2 - Jeremiah 12
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here to Listen
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v.
1
- It is clear that the way of the wicked prospers. Those around us are able
to have wealth and comfort that we do not share, and as all things are from
God, this must be His judgement on them. We need to recognise as Jeremiah
did in v.3,
that our trials are there because God cares fro us, where he does not care
for the wicked. What they have is for this life only and is fleeting and
transient, but what we have is for ever. ch.11:20,
Gen.18:25, Deut.32:4, Ps.119:75.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.
3 - Let us remember that if we plead with Him (v.1),
we are also known of Him. The greatest honour of all is that we might be
known of God. We should remember that. Consider 1John
3:20-21
Peter Cresswell |
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v.16
- The concept of diligence observance is seen in a number of parts of Scripture
[Exodus
15:26 Deuteronomy 11:13 22 28:1 Jeremiah 12:16 17:24 Zechariah 6:15]
and marks the requirement to give detailed attention to the things of God,
not just skip over them. How does this apply to our daily reading of Scripture?
Peter Forbes |
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12:13
The sowing of wheat and reaping thorns is taken up by Jesus (Luke
8:14) in the parable of the sower. So we understand that the coming
up of the tares / thorns is not a chance happening. It is a conscious choice
made by those who get involved with the things of the world.
Peter Forbes |
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:10
The 'pastors' who have destroyed the vineyard - which is Israel are the
religious leader. We know that the fact that Israel did not wholly follow
their God meant that He turned to the gentiles. This is seen in the way
that 'after that I will return' is quoted (Acts
15:16) by James along with the quotation from Amos 9 to justify the
preaching to the gentiles.
Peter Forbes |
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Reading
3 - Matthew 23
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here to Listen
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v.1-12
- These verses give us a great exhortation not to be proud in our own strength,
as the Scribes and Pharisees were, using their power to teach to turn men
to their way of thinking without the authority of scripture behind it. It
is true that we need to beware of many many 'Scribes and Pharisees' in our
modern age, those who would take us from the truth, but equally we need
to heed these words in the light of what we do ourselves. [Rom.16:18].
Let us be sure that what we do is to the glory of God and not of ourselves,
that v.13
may not be levelled also at us. [1Cor.
10:31].
Peter Cresswell |
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v.11
- The problem of being 'greatest' is seen extensively in the gospel
records [Matthew
18:1,4 23:11 Mark 9:34 Luke 9:46 22:24]
v.12
- Jesus teaches us that God will exalt the humble. [Matthew
23:12] This idea
passes into the letters of James and Peter [James
4:10 1 Peter 5:6]
Peter Forbes |
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23:14
Devour widows houses Ezekiel
22:25 shows that the leaders in Jesus' days were no better than those
who had been taken captive to Babylon - and so would suffer the same fate
- captivity - when the Romans came, which they did in AD 70.
Peter Forbes |
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Jesus'
ministry started with specific teaching to his disciples - Matthew 5-7,
The sermon on the mount. This chapter also contains specific teaching to
individuals - The religious leaders. So Jesus public ministry begins and
ends with a 'sermon' - but note the difference. The first is instruction
to his disciples. The last is a powerful condemnation of the religious leaders
of his day.
Peter Forbes |
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| Jesus
has finally silenced the scribes, Pharisees, Saducees, and the Herodians
in chapter
22v22, 34, 46, after they tried to entangle him in his talk (22v15).
Now he unleashes a terrible barrage of accusation and condemnation against
them. Can you imagine how they felt having the most popular man in Israel
publicly slandering them in this way?
Jesus
seems to be very emotionally involved in this chapter. He must have been
quite wound up to say the things he did with such feeling! But why was
he so concerned with their hypocrisy? Surely it was up to them what they
did, and Jesus could have concentrated on those more worthy of salvation?
V13
is key. They had been shutting the kingdom up to others. V17,
24, 26 they were blind guides of the blind! This is worse than not
having a guide, because a blind man might be able to feel his way on hands
and knees if necessary. Jesus was so utterly angry with them because they
had shut up the kingdom to the "little ones" who would otherwise
have entered it. They had, by adding to the law and making it a burden,
made it like a millstone round the necks of those who were trying to be
faithful, when really it ought to have been "a schoolmaster to Christ".
The Pharisees ought to have been able to see, so that they could guide
the way to Jesus, but instead they would drag those they were guiding
into a pit with them! (15v14).
For this reason they would receive the greater condemnation (v14).
They were the ones who were causing the little ones to stumble, and Jesus
had said of such "it would be better if ... they were thrown into
the sea" (Mark
9v42). After three years of teaching them and pleading with them to
repent, he'd finally had enough, and pronounced the judgement of v32-38
on them. This was to be the culmination of all the prophecies regarding
the wickedness of Israel "that upon you may come all the righteous
blood shed on the earth... all these things will come upon this generation".
Robin
de Jongh
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