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July 27

Reading 1 - 2Samuel 13

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v.38 - Absalom quotes the advice of God to his servants out of context here - to further his own ends (although under the law this rapist was worthy of death). We must be careful that our courage is channelled towards the right things. The servants of Absalom feared their master more than they feared God. Contrast this with the Hebrew midwives when receiving similar instructions. Exo.1:16,17, and with the incidents in 1Sam.22:17,18. We do well to heed the general warning of Peter in Acts 5:29 too.
Peter Cresswell
We see here the extreme selfishness that can be brought about by human lust and desire. We are all aware of how we will manipulate circumstances and justify wrong thoughts and actions just to get what we want. We need stories like this which expose the results of such thinking to help us stay righteous by God's grace.
Peter Cresswell
v.1 - This is the first mention of Absalom and introduces the next nine chapters which deal with Absalom's uprising. It is linked with David's sin with Bathsheba even though it is separated by some 20 years, because it is the outworking of Nathan's words [2 Samuel 12:7-12].
Peter Forbes
We learn in this chapter of the scheming nature of Absalom
Notice the passage of time from when he killed Amnon until he was back in Jerusalem.

13:23 2 years
13:28 3 years
14:28 2 years
Peter Forbes

:37 Absalom fled to Talmai because his maternal grandmother lived there (2 Samuel 3:3)
Peter Forbes

Reading 2 - Jeremiah 17

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v.5,6 - It is so sad that Israel should have to be used to present this obviously truthful point. They should have been the example for v.7,8. Where are we in all this? Let us consider v.9,10 carefully and look to our own salvation. Gen.8:21, Job 15:14-16, Psa.51:5, Jer.16:12.
Peter Cresswell
v.1 - Sin is written where the law should sit - in the hearts of the people - and written there indelibly it would seem, with a pen of iron and the point of a diamond.
Peter Cresswell

Links Between Jeremiah 17 & John 8

What sayest thou Jeremiah 17:15/John 8:5
wrote on ground Jeremiah 17:13/John 8:8
Being convicted in their conscience Jeremiah 17:10/ John 8:9
Being convicted in their conscience Jeremiah 17:13/ John 8:9
Truth will make you free Jeremiah 17:4 Contrast John 8:32
If I say the truth Jeremiah 17:16/ John 8:46

So it may be that Jesus had this area of Jeremiah in mind when the woman taken in adultery was brought to him.

v.4 - predicts the Babylonian captivity because of their sinfulness which was a pattern of what happened in AD 70 for the same reason. Jesus may well have been drawing their attention to the consequences of following legalism and ignoring the spirit of the law of Moses.
Peter Forbes
17:9 Whilst we are probably well aware of the fact that the heart is deceitful we should notice the progression through the chapter.

:1 Judah's sin was graven on their heart.
:7 But the man that trusts God will be blessed
:9 The heart is deceitful.
:10 God searches and knows the hearts of men.
Peter Forbes

:21-26 Even though Israel violated the laws of God there was hope. God, through Jeremiah, called for repentance. If Israel had repented - even at this late time - He would have forgiven them and blessed them. Such is the mercy of our Father.
Peter Forbes

Reading 3 - Matthew 28

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v.4 - Here is where love casts off fear. The keepers were petrified with fear and yet 'Mary Magdalene and the other Mary' were able to listen coherently, it would seem. The record of these women actually seeing Jesus is not mentioned specifically in Paul's list in 1Cor.15:1-8, and yet they did (v.9). This suggests that maybe Paul's list was not exclusive.
Peter Cresswell
v.11-15 - The fact that the chief priests were Sadducees, and therefore specially interested in guarding against what would appear as a contradiction of their main dogma - that there is no resurrection - must not be forgotten, as in part determining their action. Their own guard became the clearest, most unwitting and least suspected witness of the resurrection. It became more than unbelief now; it was a deliberate, wilful lie. Their enmity leads them on now to reject what they knew was the truth, even if they perished everlastingly.
Peter Forbes
28:11 So the guards report to the leaders and their reaction demonstrates that they knew that Jesus had been raised from the dead, but they did not want to believe it.
Peter Forbes
:3 'his raiment white as snow' quotes Daniel 7:9 thus presenting Jesus as the one who will open the books (Daniel 7:10) at the time of the end.
Peter Forbes
Where had Jesus been after his resurrection?

In v2-4 we get a description of the angel that descended from heaven. In Daniel 10v5-8 we find a heavenly being described in exactly the same way, and having the same effect on those who saw him.Well, almost exactly... The one thing that's missing is the "clothing white as snow" (v3). This description apears in Dan 7v9, describing the ancient of days. So in the description of the angel in Matthew, we have links to two chapters in Daniel.

After his disciples had assembled in Galilee, Jesus appeared to them and said "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth". In Daniel 7v9-14 we find a vision of one "like the son of man" coming to the ancient of days, and being given all dominion and glory,... and the reason? "That all peoples and nations and languages should serve Him" (Dan 7v14). What was the first thing Jesus said to the desciples in our Matthew reading? "Go therefore and make desciples of all the nations."
Robin de Jongh