July 29

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July 29

Reading 1 - 2Samuel 15

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Here David, man of God, shows us that prayer on its own is not sufficient. He prayed in verse 31 that God might turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness, but does not then sit back and wait for God to act. He continues to try to support the course of action he has asked God to take. v. 32-37. We have a lesson to learn from this.
Peter Cresswell

v.21 is very reminiscent of the words spoken by Ruth to Naomi. Here again we see an example of how the outsider could often be more faithful than the Israelite.
Peter Cresswell

v.1 - In the way that Absalom set about his bid to be king he copied exactly the way that Samuel said the king would behave [1 Samuel 8:11] This pattern was also followed by Adonijah [1 Kings 1:5] showing that they appealed to popular rather than Godly ideals. Their behaviour pandered to the flesh.
Peter Forbes

15:7 Is the 'forty years' a comment on how long David had been on the throne when Absalom tried to usurp the throne? If it is then David was now an old man.
Peter Forbes

:23 The language David 'passed over the brook Kidron' is quoted (John 18:1) - the only other place in Scripture where the phrase occurs. There are striking similarities between David's flight and Jesus last night. David was fleeing for his life, Jesus would die the next day. But notice. David fled into the wilderness. Jesus went over Kidron into a garden. Maybe an indication that whereas David did not know what would be the outcome of his flight Jesus understood that his journey was purposeful - that he was taking all the servants of God back into a garden - the garden of Eden.
Peter Forbes

15v14 David's thoughts at this time are beautifully expressed in Ps 3
Derek Palmer

Reading 2 - Jeremiah 19

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v.11 - The point of this allegory is surely that a pot remains malleable in the hands of the potter until such a time as it is decided to allow it to harden, either by firing or more slowly by failing to work it any more. Once a pot is made to dishonour, it is irretrievable. May we be sure to remain open-minded and therefore malleable to the master potter right to the end of our lives.
Peter Cresswell

v. 2 - The valley of Hinnom was significant in that it was a deep and narrow ravine with steep, rocky sides located southwest of Jerusalem, separating Mount Zion to the north from the hill of evil counsel and the sloping rocky plateau of theplain of Rephaim to the south. We think of the 'valley of decision' - Joel 3:14
Peter Cresswell

v.3 - 'Ears tingle' This phrase, which is first used in the time of Samuel passes into use by the prophets to remind Israel that they are following the sins of the house of Eli. [1 Samuel 3:11 2 Kings 21:12 Jeremiah 19:3]
Peter Forbes

19:9

I will cause their daughters

Deuteronomy 28:53

And so we have yet another warning culled from the words of the curses of Deuteronomy 28.
Peter Forbes

:15 Not only were Israel worshipping false God, having turned away from God. They had set their heart on this sinful evil course. That is was is implied in the 'hardened' neck.
Peter Forbes

Reading 3 - Romans 3 & 4

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Summary of the Book Old Testament References

4 v3. - 'for what saith the scripture?' is a very apt phrase for this book which quotes so extensively from the Old Testament, see also ch.9:17, 10:11, 11:2, for further direct references of this type. The actual quotation is from Gen.15:6. This is before the introduction of the covenant of circumcision. Hence its extra appropriateness to use as an example for the Gentile churches. Gal.3:6-8. A unique word is used in Gal.3:8, <4283> proeuaggelizomai, which means to announce or promise glad tidings beforehand. Before what? Well before circumcision seems to fit well with the context.
Peter Cresswell

3 v.1-2 - Do we, if we have been taught in the Scriptures from our childhood appreciate the benefits we have, or do we take it all for granted. There are many in the world who would make great sacrifices to be able to read the Word as freely as we can.
Peter Forbes

3:25 in calling Jesus the 'propitiation' Paul is using the same word translated 'mercy seat' Hebrews 9:5. So just as the mercy seat was the place where God met with man under the old covenant Jesus is the place where God meets with us. God is so intimately connected with the work of salvation in Jesus..

Chapter 4
The repeated reference to Abraham with specific quotation from the Genesis record should cause us to appreciate how important the 'first principles' we learnt before baptism really are. They are not just good Sunday School stories. They are bedrock and foundation of the gospel in Christ.
Peter Forbes

3:19 Paul is concerned to establish that no one can say anything to defend his sin - that all will recognise their sins so that God can be seen to be just. This issue is re-visited when he speaks about the attitude of the Jews (Romans 10) so the ground work is started here.

3:23-24 The contrast between these two verses is tremendous. One cannot benefit from the grace of God until one realsies that one is a sinner.

4:9-11 The detailed and careful way in which Paul reasons using the precise circumstances of the giving of the law of circumcision and the law of Moses should alert us to the importance of giving attention to the detail of the text of Scripture.

ch 4 - Whilst the Jews may well have seen Abraham as their father exclusively - and that the gentiles were not part of his family Paul is at pains to show that they are. The promise that he would be 'father of many nations' was actually spoken before circumcision was introduced (Genesis 17:5) thus again the detail of the text is used to prove the point that Paul is making.
Peter Forbes

Paul seems to be trying to present two sides of an argument here, so that he can expose the truth of the one side, and the folly of the other. As far as I can see, the two sides are presented in 4v1-5:

1) Doing works, and believing in salvation (justification) by them
2) Not doing works, and believing in salvation by grace

Paul makes the statement in v4 "to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace, but as debt". What does he mean? If it is truly as he says, then we ought not to do any works, because then we would be putting ourselves in more and more debt!

Paul says a similar thing in Philippians 3v5-8, where he lists his own good works, and tells us how he counts them "as loss". Not only were they worthless, but they were actually negative! Why? Because v9, he had done them to build up his own righteousness in the sight of the law. How abhorrent such a man is to God, who uses the righteous principles set down in his word to build up his own self esteem, and self worth. Paul had been an idolater of the worst order, because he had worshipped himself.

So what's the alternative? Well, the second option is better, because at least we're not incurring losses anymore. It is better to not work, than to work for the wrong motives. God wants people who believe in righteousness being imputed to them, without works (v6). This is a very subtle thing, because very often it is hard to honestly appraise ones motives, and to decide whether one is doing "works" because of faith, or because one is trying to become righteous. Paul is suggesting that if we are in this situation we should stop doing works altogether! Once point 2) has been reached in the mind of a believer, he may carry on trying to serve God, as Paul himself did, with a more healthy appreciation of God's salvation offered to us freely by grace. From now on, these works are not referred to as "works", but "fruit". (6v22-23)
Robin de Jongh