my daily walk

Week of 9 Pentecost - Odd

This Bible Study was originally published at

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based on the Lutheran Book of Worship two-year Daily Lectionary for personal devotions* The daily readings are according to a Calendar based on the Church Year, which begins on the first Sunday of Advent, usually sometime at the end of November in the year preceding the secular calendar year.

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*Lutheran Book of Worship, Daily Lectionary, p. 179-192, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978.

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To get the most from these studies, it is suggested that you first read the scripture texts for the entry, and then the paraphrase and commentary. It is also recommended that you look up the scripture references, unless you recognize and recall them from memory.

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Podcast Download: Week of 9 Pentecost - Odd

Sunday 9 Pentecost - Odd
First Posted 07/16/05;

Podcast: Sunday 9 Pentecost - Odd

1 Samuel 17:50-18:4 - David’s Triumph over Goliath;

Romans 10:4-17 - Righteousness by Faith;

Matthew 23:29-39 - Jesus Mourns over Jerusalem;

1 Samuel Paraphrase:

David killed Goliath with a slingshot, striking and penetrating Goliath’s forehead with a stone. David wore no armor and carried no sword. David stood over the fallen giant and used Goliath’s sword to cut off Goliath’s head. When they saw Goliath fallen, the Philistines fled in panic and the Israelites chased them for ten miles northwest to Ekron and southwest to Gath slaughtering them as they fled. Then the Israelites returned to the Philistine encampment and plundered it. David took Goliath’s head to Jerusalem and kept Goliath’s armor in his tent.

When Saul saw David go out to fight Goliath he asked Abner, the commander of Saul’s army the identity of Goliath’s challenger but Abner couldn’t recognize him. Afterward Abner brought David to Saul, and David told him he was the son of Jesse, of Bethlehem. Saul’s son, Jonathan, began a deep friendship with David during that visit, and Saul made David a member of his household. “The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul” (1 Samuel 18:1). Jonathan made a covenant of friendship with David and gave David his robe, his armor, and his sword and bow.

Romans Paraphrase:

Paul taught the Roman Christians that Christ is the end of the law (the Covenant of Law), so that we can be justified (judged righteous) by faith (obedient trust; instead of by works, i.e. “keeping” of the law). Moses taught that (under the Covenant of Law) one must keep (practice, obey, apply) the law to be saved by it and live (Leviticus 18:5). The covenant of righteousness doesn’t require what is humanly impossible (in contrast to the Law, which is humanly impossible; Romans 3:9-20).

The new covenant of grace (unmerited favor; free gift) through faith is not far off; it’s near us, on our lips and in our hearts. If we confess Jesus as Lord with our lips, and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead we will be saved from eternal condemnation and eternal death. Anyone who truly believes and acts accordingly in obedient trust will be saved. No one who truly believes in Jesus will be put to (eternal) shame (Isaiah 28:16). God makes no distinction between Jews and Gentiles; Jesus is Lord of all and his blessings are given lavishly to all who call upon him (in obedient trust). “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord (Jesus; in obedient trust) will be saved” (Joel 2:32).

People cannot call upon Jesus unless they believe (that he is God’s anointed Savior and Lord), and they cannot come to that faith unless they hear and know the Gospel. In order to know the Gospel they must be taught by someone who has been sent (and equipped by the Lord through the indwelling Holy Spirit) for that purpose. Those who are empowered and sent to preach good news are blessed and are a blessing to those who hear and respond to the Gospel, but not everyone who hears responds in obedient trust, as Isaiah has said (Isaiah 53:1). Faith comes from hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed.

Matthew Paraphrase:

Jesus called the religious leaders of his time hypocrites because they built memorials to the prophets and the righteous and thought that they were better than their fathers who murdered the prophets, and thus proved themselves to be the sons of their fathers who murdered the prophets. Jesus called the religious leaders “poisonous snakes” and asked how they could hope to escape eternal condemnation in hell (Matthew 23:33; compare Matthew 3:7).

The Lord will send prophets and teachers of God’s Word, and the religious leaders will continue to kill and persecute them, and in the Day of Judgment they will be accountable to the Lord for all the innocent blood that has ever been shed from Abel to Zechariah (i.e. from “A” to “Z;” from the first book of the Bible to the last, in the Hebrew Bible). Jesus prophesied that eternal judgment would be coming upon “this generation” (the generation who crucified Christ and every generation which rejects Jesus).

Jesus mourned for Jerusalem (the “City of God”). Jesus longed to protect and save her people from the eternal destruction of coming judgment, but they refused to heed Jesus or the prophets of the Lord. Jesus prophesied, “Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate (see 1 Kings 9:7). For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Mathew 23:38-39; compare Matthew 21:9).

Commentary:

David is a forerunner and illustration of the Christ, our “champion,” who defeated the superhuman enemy, Satan, at the Cross. David is also an example of a “born-again” disciple of Jesus Christ who fights the spiritual battle with weapons and armor of the Spirit, following the example of Jesus.

The covenant of deep friendship between David and Jonathan is an illustration of the covenant of grace through faith which we have in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus is the son of the King, who gives us the robe of righteousness and the armor and weapons of the Spirit.

Paul taught the Roman Christians that Christ is the end (the termination, but also the goal and fulfillment) of the covenant of law. In Christ we are freed from the demands of the covenant of law, which is humanly impossible to keep, provided that we abide in the covenant of grace through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus by the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit we are able to live according to God’s ways, which we were unable to do by keeping the law (Romans 8:1-11). Jesus is the covenant of friendship by which his soul is knit with ours by the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit (compare 1 Samuel 18:1).

The Spirit of the risen Jesus (Romans 8:9b) is very near us as we read the Bible or hear the Gospel preached. In my own personal experience, as I began to seek God’s Word I sensed him close to me as I read the scriptures, guiding my understanding, but it was later when I committed to him as my Lord and began seeking, trusting and obeying his will, that I received the anointing and fullness of the Holy Spirit within me. When we begin to say “yes” to his will and Word, the Lord begins to disciple us in the everyday events of life, showing us that his will is good and reliable, teaching us to know his Word and touch, and causing our faith to grow to spiritual maturity.

Jesus’ name isn’t a “good-luck” charm. Jesus said “Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21, 22-24; compare Luke 6:46). Just adding Jesus’ name to the end of our prayers doesn’t obligate the Lord to fulfill our requests (see Conditions for Answered Prayer, sidebar, top right, home). Faith is not like wishing on a star; we don’t receive whatever we believe, if we “believe hard enough."

It is important to read and know the entire Bible for ourselves so that we can discern false teaching and choose teachers and preachers who are proclaiming the true, biblical apostolic gospel, the gospel taught by the original disciples of Jesus Christ, and recorded in the Bible. Any average reader can easily read the Bible in one year (see Free Bible Study Tools, sidebar, top right, home). There are lots of false teachers and false prophets in the world today.

Jesus called the religious leaders of his day hypocrites and poisonous snakes. They preached but didn’t practice what they preached (Matthew 23:3). They sought worldly honor more that God’s approval (Matthew 23:5-7). They were spiritually blind guides (Matthew 23:16). They had the appearance of righteousness but were inwardly corrupt (Matthew 23:23-28).

In many ways the “nominal” Church (in contrast to the true Church which is the Spirit-filled body of Christ), is in exactly the same condition today. The Church is the New Jerusalem. Are we causing Jesus to mourn? Are we “stoning” the prophets he sends? Are we refusing to hear messages which reveal and convict hypocrisy?

Jesus’ prophecy against Jerusalem was fulfilled. The religious leaders proved to be the sons of their fathers who had murdered God’s prophets, and they did what their fathers had done by crucifying Jesus, the Son of God, God’s anointed Savior and King, the fulfillment and embodiment of God’s Word in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14).

The Jewish religion effectively ended at the crucifixion of Jesus. The veil of the temple was supernaturally torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51) signifying that the way into God’s presence had been opened through Jesus Christ, the “Door” (John 10:7) and the Way (John 14:6). The covenant of law ended, along with the need for a sacrificial system, because Jesus became the only sacrifice acceptable to God, once for all time and all people (Hebrews 7:27). Jesus is the new High Priest.

Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D., and the Jews were scattered throughout the world. Israel ceased to exist as a nation until they began returning following World War II. The temple has never been rebuilt.

Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Monday 9 Pentecost - Odd
First Posted 07/17/05;

Podcast: Monday 9 Pentecost - Odd

1 Samuel 18:5-16 (17-27a) 27b-30 - Saul’s Jealousy of David;

Acts 11:19-30 - Mission to the Gentiles;

Mark 1:29-45 - Galilean Ministry;

1 Samuel Paraphrase:

David was successful in everything Saul had him do, so Saul made him an officer in his army, and he was popular with all the people and with Saul’s servants. When David returned with King Saul after David had slain Goliath, the women came out to meet them, celebrating the victory. The women were saying that Saul had slain thousands, but David had slain tens of thousands. Saul was angry and jealous of David, thinking that David was one step from possessing the kingdom, and watched David with suspicion from that day on.

The next day Saul was being tormented by an evil spirit, and David was playing the lyre (a stringed musical instrument like a harp). Saul took his spear in his hand and attempted to pin David to the wall, but David evaded him twice.

Saul feared David because “the Lord was with him (David) but had departed from Saul” (1 Samuel 18:12). Saul removed David from his presence and made David a commander of military unit of a thousand men. Thus David was in a position of authority in public view. David continued to be successful in everything by the Lord’s power, and Saul was amazed at David’s success. All the people knew and loved David because he had become a public figure.

Saul offered his eldest daughter, Merab, to David as wife, hoping that a wife would distract David and he would be killed by the Philistines, since Saul didn’t want to be blamed for killing David himself. David responded that he was unworthy of being the king’s son-in-law. Merab was later given to someone else. Another of Saul’s daughters, Michal, was in love with David and they told Saul, who consented, hoping again that David would be distracted and fall into the hands of his enemies.

David couldn’t provide a dowry, but Saul had his servants coax David to marry and he told David to provide a hundred Philistine foreskins in lieu of a dowry. David was pleased with the arrangement, and took his men and killed two hundred Philistines and brought their foreskins to Saul, and David and Michal were married. But Saul was more jealous and suspicious of David than ever. In battles with the Philistines David always distinguished himself beyond the servants of Saul, and he gained a great reputation.

Acts Paraphrase:

When Stephen was martyred great persecution of Christians arose in Jerusalem, and Christians were driven away to Phoenicia, Antioch, and Cyprus. As they fled they shared the Gospel mainly with Jews, but Christian men from Cyprus and Cyrene also proclaimed Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. And the Lord was guiding and empowering them to succeed. When the Church in Jerusalem heard this news, they sent Barnabas (a Jew and Levite, born in Cyprus; and a leader in the Church at Jerusalem) to superintend the Church.

Barnabas rejoiced in the grace (unmerited favor) of God at work in the people and he urged them to remain faithful and steadfast to the Lord. Barnabas was known as a good man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. A large number of disciples were added to the congregation. There was so much discipling to be done that he went to Tarsus to find Saul and brought him back, and for a year they discipled a large number of people, “and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians” (Acts 11:26).

A prophet named Agabus came to Antioch “and foretold by the Spirit” (Acts 11:28) a great world-wide famine; and this prophecy was fulfilled in the days of Claudius. The church at Antioch decided to send a donation to help the Christians in Judea (who were more needy because of the persecution), and Barnabas and Saul took the donation to Jerusalem.

Mark Paraphrase:

Jesus began his public ministry preaching God’s Word and healing in the synagogue at Capernaum on the Sabbath. Jesus’ reputation began to spread throughout Galilee. He was the guest in the house of Simon (Peter) and Andrew, with James and John. Andrew’s mother-in-law was ill and when Jesus heard this he went to and healed her and she got up and served them. That evening the whole town gathered at the door of the house bringing the ill and those possessed with demons, and Jesus healed many. Jesus cast out demons, but wouldn’t allow them to speak because they knew him.

In the morning Jesus got up quite early, and went to a place where he could be alone to pray. His disciples followed him and told him people were seeking him for healing, but Jesus told them to go with him to other villages, so that he could preach throughout Galilee. Wherever Jesus went he preached in the synagogues and healed the physically and spiritually sick.

Jesus encountered a leper who believed that Jesus could heal him if it was Jesus’ will, and Jesus reached out and touched him saying, “I will; be clean” (Mark 1:41). Immediately the man was healed. Jesus told the man to tell no one of Jesus’ healing, but to go to the priest and offer the sacrifice required by the Law of Moses for his cleansing. The man disregarded Jesus’ command and talked freely about how Jesus had healed him. As a result Jesus became so famous as a healer that he could no longer openly enter any town, and people were coming in great crowds to him out in the country.

Commentary:

David was successful in everything he did because the Lord was with him. Saul was jealous and afraid of David because the Lord was with David and had departed from Saul, so Saul sought to destroy David. He offered David his daughter in hopes of distracting David by worldly things so that he would be killed by the Philistines.

He made the marriage price for his daughter a hundred Philistine foreskins, seemingly beyond human achievement, in hopes that David would be killed trying, but David far exceeded Saul’s expectation. Everything Saul did to destroy David only made David more successful and popular, because the Lord was with David. David had the spiritual resources to heal Saul’s spiritual illness (1 Samuel 19:9-10), but Saul missed what David had to offer because he was jealous and spiteful of David.

The Jews tried to destroy Jesus by crucifying him, but they didn’t succeed. By killing Jesus, God’s plan of salvation was fulfilled; Jesus rose from physical death to eternal life, demonstrating the truth of the resurrection and of eternal life beyond physical death. As a result disciples who had been of “little faith” and afraid before Jesus’ death (like Peter, who denied Jesus on the night of Jesus’ betrayal; Matthew 26:69-75), after the resurrection preached the Gospel boldly and with great power by the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:14-36). Stephen was martyred, but he was unafraid because he had the vision and certainty of eternal life (Acts 7:56; consider Hebrews 2:14-15).

Persecution did not destroy the Christian Church; it helped accomplish God’s purpose of spreading the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 11:19-20; compare Acts 1:8), because the hand of the Lord was with them (by the “anointing” of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) as the Lord had been with David by his “anointing” (1 Samuel 16:12b-13). The Lord guided his Church by his Holy Spirit and by the proclamation of his Word by his prophets (Acts 11:28), and the Christians heeded and responded in obedience to prophetic utterance (Acts 11: 27-30).

Jesus began his ministry by proclaiming God’s Word in the synagogue at Capernaum and by bringing physical and spiritual healing wherever he went. His miracles of physical healing and physical feeding were intended to demonstrate that his real ministry was spiritual feeding and healing. But some were only interested in what Jesus could do for them physically right then (John 6:25-28).

Jesus offers us healing so that we can serve him. The leper was interested in the Lord’s will for his physical healing, but not interested in obeying the Lord’s will not to publicize his healing. As a result he hindered rather than helped Jesus’ ministry, and he obtained physical healing, but not spiritual healing and eternal life.

Jesus did not allow the demons he cast out to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah, and Jesus wants each of us to decide for ourselves who Jesus is. For the same reason he referred to himself as the Son of man (which is true; he is God, the Son of man, by the Holy Spirit; Matthew 1:18-21; Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28), but which allows his hearers to decide for themselves whether he is the Messiah, the Son of God.

Jesus’ reputation could not be suppressed, and neither could his message. The Jews crucified him, but that didn’t stop his Gospel from being spread throughout the world. It was obvious to many that he spoke God’s Word and that God was with him to accomplish things which were humanly impossible. People will either be drawn to Jesus and healed by his Gospel, or they will be jealous and afraid of him and hate and try to destroy him, but they cannot prevent his eternal kingdom from coming!

Tuesday 9 Pentecost - Odd
First Posted 07/18/05;

Podcast: Tuesday 9 Pentecost - Odd

1 Samuel 19:1-18 (19-24) - Saul Tries to Kill David;

Acts 12:1-17 - Peter’s Release from Prison;
Mark 2:1-12 - Healing a Paralytic;

1 Samuel Paraphrase:

Saul told his servants to find a way to kill David, but Saul’s son Jonathan warned David to hide. Jonathan interceded with Saul to spare David’s life, because David had done nothing against Saul and his deeds had benefited Saul. David had risked his life fighting the Philistines and the Lord had given Israel a great victory over them through David.

Jonathan told Saul that Saul had rejoiced in David’s victory, so why would Saul sin by killing David without reason? So Saul swore not to kill David, and Jonathan called to David and told him. Jonathan brought David back into Saul’s presence and David served him again as a musician.

There was another war with the Philistines and David fought and won a great victory, but when he returned to Saul, Saul again tried to kill him with a spear, and David fled from Saul’s presence. That night Saul sent servants to watch David’s house to kill him in the morning, but David’s wife, Michal, Saul’s daughter, warned David. She made a dummy to make it appear that David was in bed, and helped David escape through a window.

David fled to Samuel, the high priest. When Saul’s messengers came to bring David to Saul, Michal told them that David was sick in bed. The messengers reported this to Saul, and Saul told them to bring David to him in bed, so that Saul could kill him. When they returned to David’s house, they found the dummy in the bed, and Saul asked his daughter why she had deceived him and let Saul’s enemy escape. Michal replied that David had threatened to kill her otherwise.

Saul heard that David had fled to Samuel in Ramah, so he sent servants to capture David, but when the servants found David he was with a group of prophets led by Samuel. The group was filled with God’s Spirit and they were dancing in ecstatic worship, and Saul’s servants were caught up in the fervor themselves. Saul went to capture David himself, and he too was caught up in the emotion and ritual of ecstatic worship.

Acts Paraphrase:

Herod Agrippa, grandson of Herod the Great, was king of Judea. He began persecuting Christians, and had James, the brother of John executed by sword. Herod found that the Jews approved of his persecution of Christians, so he had Peter arrested and imprisoned during the Passover celebration, intending to execute Peter after Passover. The Church was praying fervently for Peter.

During the night preceding the day Herod planned to execute Peter, Peter was asleep in prison, chained to the wall between two soldiers, and guarded by two sentries at the door. An angel of the Lord appeared and the cell was filled with light. The angel awoke Peter and told him to get dressed. The chains fell from Peter’s hands and he did as instructed. The angel told Peter to follow him and led him out past both guards. The iron gate leading to the city opened apparently “by itself” and they passed through and they had gone about a block and then the angel disappeared.

Peter thought he had been dreaming, but when he realized he was standing in the street, he knew that the Lord had delivered him from Herod’s intentions. He decided to go to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark (Mark; The Evangelist), which was a gathering place of the Church in Jerusalem. Christians were gathered there and had been praying for Peter.

When Peter knocked, Rhoda, the maid went to answer. She recognized Peter’s voice, and in her excitement she left him standing outside as she went to tell the congregation that Peter was at the door. They thought Rhoda was crazy or that it was Peter’s spirit. Peter knocked again, and when they opened the door they saw that it was Peter, and they were amazed. Peter told them how the Lord had brought him out of prison, and told them to tell James (not the martyred brother of John) and the rest of the disciples.

Mark Paraphrase:

When Jesus returned to Capernaum from preaching throughout Galilee so many people came to him at home that there was no room in the house and they crowded at the door to listen to his teaching. A paralytic was brought on a stretcher by four men, but they couldn’t get to Jesus because of the crowd, so they went up on the roof and made a hole in it and lowered the man down though it. Jesus saw it as a practical demonstration of their faith, and told the paralytic man that his sins were forgiven.

Some scribes (teachers of the Law of Moses, Jewish scripture) were present and they were thinking that what Jesus said was blasphemous, because only God can forgive sins. Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked them if it would have been easier to say that the man’s sins were forgiven, or to tell him to rise, pick up his stretcher and walk? Jesus had told the man that his sins were forgiven to demonstrate that the Son of man (Jesus) had authority on earth to forgive sins. Jesus then told the paralytic to rise, pick up his bed and go home, and the man immediately did so. The crowd was amazed and glorified God, declaring that they had never witnessed anything like this.

Commentary:

David had done nothing but good for King Saul, but David’s goodness and the signs of God’s favor on David made Saul hate David and seek to destroy him. Saul tried to use his servants to do his dirty work for him so that Saul would appear blameless, but his servants were influenced by the spiritual leader, Samuel, and worshipped and glorified God instead of following Saul’s evil plans.

Saul even tried to use his daughter as a distraction to keep David from fulfilling God’s will and purpose and thus be destroyed by the enemy (1 Samuel 18:21). After his daughter became David’s wife, Saul expected her to remain faithful to her father and to betray David. Instead, she chose to cooperate with David to save him from her father’s evil intentions. Saul himself was caught up in the emotion and ritual of worship, although he was not truly worshiping God. God was able to preserve David and to distract even Saul himself (1 Samuel 19:23-24), to frustrate and cause Saul’s plans to fail.

Herod was another evil king whose plan to destroy the Lord’s disciples was thwarted by God’s power. Herod chose to do what was evil because it was popular. The Church was praying for Peter’s release, but when it happened while they were praying, they could hardly believe it. God’s answer demonstrated to the young Church that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man (person) availeth much” (James 5:16 KJV). The power is not in the person or the prayer but in the Lord; but note that the petitioners were “righteous” by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus and by the cleansing of the indwelling Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:22-23; see Conditions for Answered Prayer, sidebar, top right, home).

We are all sinners (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10) imprisoned by the present ruler of this world, Satan, and condemned to eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus is God’s only provision for our forgiveness and salvation from eternal death (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). Jesus is the one who releases us from that prison and eternal death sentence and restore us to real, eternal life, now and forever.

The religious leaders of Jerusalem were looking for a way to destroy Jesus. They were listening to Jesus, not to obey and follow him, but to use his words against him. What Jesus was doing was offering them forgiveness, and eternal life, by salvation from eternal condemnation and destruction, but instead of receiving his words for their own eternal benefit they hated him for it and sought to use his words for their evil worldly purposes.

The religious leaders had “front-row seats” in Jesus’ home (see Mark 12:38-40), while the paralytic man with his helpers had to go to extraordinary measures to get close enough to Jesus to hear Jesus’ word, so that he could immediately apply Jesus’ word in his life. When he heard Jesus’ command, he did exactly as Jesus had said, and he received spiritual as well as physical healing.

It would have been easier for Jesus simply to have told him to get up and go home, but Jesus wanted everyone to know that his real purpose was eternal spiritual healing. He was already attracting large crowds of people seeking only what Jesus could do for them physically and materially at the moment (John 6:25-28). Jesus knows our innermost thoughts and motives; it matters eternally for each of us individually and personally what we do with Jesus’ words.

Are we seeking Jesus’ words so that we can apply them in our daily lives in obedient trust, or only for our own worldly benefit? Do we recognize our need for spiritual healing? Do we expect the Lord to hear and answer our prayers without our obedience to his Word? Do we truly worship the Lord or are we just caught up in the emotion and ritual of worship? Are there so many “nominal” Christians taking up seats in congregations that it is difficult for those who are truly seeking spiritual forgiveness and healing to get close enough to receive it?

Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Wednesday 9 Pentecost - Odd
First Posted 07/19/05;

Podcast: Wednesday 9 Pentecost - Odd

1 Samuel 20:1-23 - Friendship of David and Jonathan;

Acts 12:18-25 - Herod’s Death;

Mark 2:13-22 - On Fasting;

1 Samuel Paraphrase:

Saul had been trying to destroy David. Saul’s son, Jonathan, was David’s friend, so David went to Jonathan for help. Jonathan was unaware of Saul’s plot, probably because Saul knew of Jonathan’s friendship with David, and had kept his plot secret from Jonathan.

David told Jonathan that since the next day was a festival day when households were to eat together, David planned to be absent. If Saul noticed David’s absence, Jonathan was to tell him that David had gone to Bethlehem to attend an annual family festival. If Saul accepted David’s absence David would know that Saul was not planning evil against David. But if Saul was angry, David would know Saul‘s intentions toward David were evil.

David referred to his covenant of friendship with Jonathan, and told Jonathan that he had done nothing against Saul. If he had, Jonathan should kill David right then and there; why bother to take David to Saul. Jonathan assured David that if he knew that Saul was plotting evil against David, Jonathan would surely tell David, so that David could flee to safety. Jonathan asked David to show the steadfast love of the Lord to Jonathan. Jonathan asked that he would not be cut off from the house of David when the Lord destroys the enemies of David.

Jonathan knew that David’s absence from the feast the next day would be noticed because his place at the table would be empty. On the second day of David’s absence, David would be greatly missed. They decided that David would hide behind a rock pile in a field. Jonathan would come to the field on the pretext of archery practice, with a boy to fetch Jonathan’s arrows. Jonathan would call to the boy directing him where to look, and David would know whether it was safe to stay or necessary to flee by Jonathan’s directions to the boy to look nearer or farther.

Acts Paraphrase:

Peter had been imprisoned by Herod, and had been released from prison by an angel of the Lord on the night before Herod planned to execute Peter. When day came there was a great commotion over what had become of the prisoner. Herod interrogated the sentries and ordered them to be executed. Then Herod went to Caesarea.

Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they wanted to appease Herod because they depended upon Herod’s kingdom for food. They arranged for an audience with Herod through his chief officer, Blastus. On the appointed day they came to Herod in the outdoor theater in Caesarea. Herod dressed in royal robes, sat upon his throne and made a speech. The people hailed him as a god, and immediately he was stricken with a fatal illness and died.*

God’s Word (the Gospel of Jesus Christ) spread and believers increased. Saul (of Tarsus; later Paul, the Apostle) and Barnabas returned to Antioch from delivering a famine relief offering to the Church in Jerusalem (Acts 11:27-30), and brought with them John Mark (a cousin of Barnabas; Colossians 4:10; probable author of the Gospel of Mark).

Mark Paraphrase:

Jesus passed the tax office of Matthew (Levi) and told him to follow Jesus, and Matthew did so. They went to Matthew’s house and Jesus and his disciples ate with Matthew and a large group of sinners and tax collectors (despised as Jewish collaborators with the Roman government) who had followed them. Jewish religious leaders criticized Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners, but Jesus replied that it is the sick who need a physician, not those who are well. Jesus came to call sinners, not the righteous.

The Pharisees were fasting, as were John the Baptizer and his disciples, and people asked Jesus why his disciples were not fasting also. Jesus compared the situation to a wedding celebration. Guests don’t fast while the bridegroom is present, but the time was coming when the bridegroom would depart, and the guests would fast then. Jesus also said that one does not patch an old garment with new (unshrunken) cloth; otherwise it would tear the old garment when it was washed. Similarly, one cannot put new wine in old wineskins, or the skins would burst and be ruined and the wine lost.

Commentary:

David is a forerunner and illustration of the Christ. Jesus is the “anointed” eternal king who is the “Son of David” (Matthew 1:1-16), the heir to David’s throne. Jesus reveals the steadfast love of the Lord for us. Disciples are bound to Jesus with a covenant of love, as Jonathan was bound to David. If we truly love Jesus we will do what he asks us to do for him (John 14:21, 23). Jesus gives the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17) and through his indwelling Holy Spirit we will have close fellowship with the Lord as if we were dining with him (Revelation 3:20).

Through Jesus, we are assured that we will not be cut off from the “House of David” on the Day of Judgment, when the Lord destroys the enemies of Jesus Christ. The indwelling Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that we are in Christ and have eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). It is possible to know with certainty for oneself whether one has received the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 19:2).

Herod is an illustration of a worldly king. His subjects did what he said or they died; there was no forgiveness for disobedience. The Lord is the eternal king who has provided forgiveness for our sins in Jesus Christ. The Lord supplies food and the necessities of life; it is human greed which captures and controls, for personal gain, what God has provided.

The people of Tyre and Sidon were focused on material things; they were preoccupied with obtaining physical “bread” rather than spiritual “bread” (see John 6:26-27). They were willing to call Herod “god” in order to gain material benefit. Herod had come to power because he wanted to have the power of “god” over other people. He was perfectly willing to manipulate, for personal benefit, resources which God provides for all. The Day of Judgment came suddenly and unexpectedly for Herod. His worldly power and glory didn’t amount to much in comparison to the Lord. He had no special advantage in death.

Christians, instead of grabbing and controlling God-given resources for their own selfish motives, contributed offerings for the relief of the poor. Jewish religious leaders regarded themselves as more righteous than the Lord. They thought they didn’t need spiritual healing.

God’s Word says that every one of us has sinned (disobeyed God) and fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23), and the penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). If we deny that we have sinned we are only deceiving ourselves (1 John 1:8-10). Jesus is God’s only provision for forgiveness and salvation from eternal death (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). “It is appointed for [humans] to die once and then comes judgment” (not reincarnation; Hebrews 9:27).

Jesus is the bridegroom and the Church is his bride. Jesus’ covenant is a covenant of love and marriage of himself to his disciples. Jesus is the “new wine” (see Acts 2:13 RSV) which requires “new wineskins:” “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) Christian disciples. Jesus is not just a patch on the old covenant of Judaism. It requires a “new garment,” a new covenant of grace (unmerited favor; free gift) to be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus is the Savior who has the power to deliver us from the “prison” of sin and the power of death and Satan. Eating at the "table" of the rulers of this world is spiritually deadly, but eating at the Lord's table gives eternal life. Jesus is the "bread of life" (John 6:51).

*"This was in the spring of A.D.44. Josephus** (ant.xix 8:2) tells how he [Herod] was stricken by a mortal illness immediately after the people hailed him as a god." Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce Metzger, NY, Oxford Univ. Press 1962 Acts 12:20-24 note, P 1334.

**"Josephus: Flavius ca A.D. 37-circa 100 Jewish historian; under patronage of emperors Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian, wrote History of the Jewish War, Antiquities of the Jews, etc." Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary Digital Edition ver. 2.5, (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/josephus)

Thursday 9 Pentecost - Odd
First Posted 07/20/05;

Podcast: Thursday 9 Pentecost - Odd

1 Samuel 20:24-42 - Saul’s anger with David;

Acts 13:1-12 - Paul and the Magician;

Mark 2:23-3:6 - Lord of the Sabbath;

1 Samuel Paraphrase:

King Saul was trying to kill David, because of David’s popularity with the people, and saw him as a threat to Saul’s kingdom (1 Samuel 18:8-9). At the new moon feast, David stayed away from the king’s table and Jonathan, Saul’s son, was to report Saul’s reaction revealing whether it was safe for David to stay. Saul made no comment on David’s absence on the day of the new moon, but the day after, when David was again absent, Saul asked Jonathan where David was. Jonathan said that David had needed to attend an annual family sacrifice in Bethlehem, which was the excuse he and David had agreed to use.

Saul was angry at Jonathan. He told Jonathan that as long as David lived, Jonathan would never be king. Saul told Jonathan to fetch David, and Saul would execute him, but Jonathan defended David’s innocence. Saul threw a spear at him, so Jonathan knew Saul was determined to kill David. Jonathan left the table without having eaten, grieving for David and disgraced by his father.

In the morning Jonathan went into the field on the pretext of archery practice, taking a young boy to retrieve Jonathan’s arrows, as he and David had agreed. When the boy got to the area where Jonathan’s arrow had landed, Jonathan told him to look for it further away, telling him to hurry and not linger. David was hiding nearby and this was the agreed upon signal to David, but the boy was unaware. Jonathan told the lad to take Jonathan’s bow and arrows home, and when the boy had left, David came out of hiding, and he and Jonathan had an emotional farewell, reaffirming their covenant of eternal friendship.

Acts Paraphrase:

Paul (Saul of Tarsus) and Barnabas had been discipling new Christians in Antioch, Syria. There were prophets and teachers in the congregation beside Paul and Barnabas (through the gifts of the Holy Spirit; 1 Corinthians 12:28). While the congregation was worshiping, the Holy Spirit told them to consecrate Paul and Barnabas for the work the Lord had called them to do. After fasting and praying, the congregation laid their hands on Paul and Barnabas to bless and dedicate them for the Lord’s purpose.

Paul and Barnabas were directed by the Holy Spirit to sail to Cyprus. When they arrived in Salamis, the largest city and port, on the eastern coast of Cyprus, they began preaching the Gospel in the synagogues of Cyprus. They eventually arrived in Paphos, the capital, on the western coast, where they encountered a Jewish false prophet named Elymas Bar-Jesus, meaning “the Magician, son of Jesus” (or Joshua). Cyprus was a Roman province governed at the time by Sergius Paulus, the proconsul, and Elymas was seeking influence with the proconsul.

The proconsul was intelligent and summoned Paul and Barnabas to proclaim the Gospel to him, but Elymas opposed the message and tried to turn the proconsul from it. Paul, in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, called Elymas the “son of the devil, full of all deceit and villainy” (Acts 13:10), and told him to stop perverting the Lord’s ways. Paul told Elymas that the Lord was causing Elymas to be physically blind for a while, and Elymas was immediately struck blind, and sought someone to lead him by the hand. The proconsul believed the Gospel when he saw what had occurred with Elymas, and was amazed at the teaching of the Lord.

Mark Paraphrase:

Jesus and his disciples were passing through a grainfield on the Sabbath, and his disciples were snacking on the heads of grain. Pharisees among the crowd following Jesus criticized Jesus for allowing his disciples to break the Sabbath laws by “harvesting” grain. Jesus replied by referring to scripture (1 Samuel 21:1-6), showing that David and his men ate consecrated bread from the temple, which was unlawful for anyone but the priest to eat, when they were being hunted by King Saul. Jesus declared that the Sabbath was created to benefit people, not to burden them. Jesus declared that he (the Son of man) was Lord (of everything) even of the Sabbath

Jesus entered a synagogue on the Sabbath, and saw a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees were watching Jesus hoping to catch him healing on the Sabbath, so that they could condemn Jesus. Jesus told the man to come to him, and then Jesus asked the crowd whether it was lawful to do good or to do harm, to save life or take life on the Sabbath. The Pharisees wouldn’t answer, and Jesus was angered and grieved by the hardness of their hearts. He told the man to stretch out his arm, and the man’s hand was restored. The Pharisees went out immediately and met with the Herodians (political supporters of the Roman government of Herod) to plot how to destroy Jesus.

Commentary:

Saul had been the Lord’s “anointed,” but had not obeyed God’s Word, so God took his anointing by his Spirit (1 Samuel 15:22-23; 16:1, 13-14) from Saul and gave it to David. Saul was jealous of David because David was more highly regarded than Saul, and Saul was seeking a way to destroy David, the Lord’s “anointed,” so that the kingdom could remain with Saul and be inherited by Saul’s son Jonathan.

David is the forerunner and illustration of the Christ, and Saul represents worldly rulers, and all who refuse to surrender their personal autonomy and self-will to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Jonathan is an illustration of a disciple of Jesus Christ who is bound by a covenant of eternal love and fellowship with the Lord by grace (unmerited favor) through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Worldly people hate Jesus because Jesus is a threat to their own personal “lordship,” and their hatred extends to the disciples of Jesus as well.

Elymas is an example of worldly leaders, “lobbyists” and members of “special interest groups” who try to influence the affairs of this world for their personal benefit. They oppose the Gospel and God’s ways because it competes with their personal interests and political agendas. Elymas is also an example of worldly people who regard religion as “magic” and who use religious ritual as a way to influence and manipulate God to do their will.

Paul (Saul of Tarsus) is the example of a modern, “post-resurrection” “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple of Jesus Christ. Paul had apparently never known Jesus during Jesus’ earthly life and ministry, and had first encountered the risen and ascended Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-22). Paul was going to Damascus with authority from the religious leaders to arrest, imprison, persecute and destroy Christians, and Jesus struck Paul physically blind, so that Paul might realize his spiritual blindness.

Paul, by the power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit within him, told Elymas that Elymas would be similarly struck physically blind, and his words were immediately fulfilled. Paul was speaking God’s Word by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. He was one of the authentic New Testament prophets (Acts 13:1) and the example of what Church leaders (and all Christians) should be.

The Pharisees had inherited religious leadership from their fathers, but without the Lord’s anointing. They were the “Sauls” of Judaism. Jesus inherited the “anointing” of the Holy Spirit (and God’s Word of approval; Matthew 4:17) from his heavenly Father (Mark 1:7-11; John 1:32-34), and Jesus inherited the throne of David as David’s descendant through his earthly father (Matthew 1:1-17). “Christ” and “Messiah” each mean “anointed,” in Greek and Hebrew, respectively. The Jews had been God’s “chosen people” but they rejected God’s anointed Savior and Lord, so the Lord gave that designation of God’s approval to the Gentiles who believed in Jesus Christ.

The Pharisees hated Jesus for the same reasons that Saul hated David; Jesus was the rightful heir and King but they wanted to be in charge; they wanted to run things their way instead of the Lord’s way. They used “religion” to manipulate people for their personal benefit, instead of seeking and doing the Lord’s will. They were perverting and misusing God’s Word to destroy God’s only begotten Son (“fathered” by the Holy Spirit, in contrast to “adopted,” as we may be; Matthew 1:18-23; John 1:14), and anointed eternal King.

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, but the Pharisees wanted to be the ones who decided what was lawful on the Sabbath. They condemned Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, but thought they were keeping the Sabbath law while plotting with secular powers on the Sabbath to kill and destroy God’s anointed Savior and King.

Friday 9 Pentecost - Odd
First Posted 07/20/05;

Podcast: Friday 9 Pentecost - Odd

1 Samuel 21:1-15 - David Eats Consecrated Bread;

Acts 13:13-25 - Paul’s Sermon at Antioch of Pisidia;

Mark 3:7-19a - Jesus Appoints the Apostles;

1 Samuel Paraphrase:

With the help of his wife, Michal (King Saul's youngest of two daughters), David fled from King Saul, who wanted to kill him. David fled to Nob, a high place near to Jerusalem, where the tabernacle was located at that time. Ahimelech, the priest, was afraid of David and asked why he had come. David claimed to be on a secret mission for the king and was to meet his men at a certain location. David asked for bread, and a weapon.

The only bread was the holy bread of the Presence which had been placed on the altar daily. The priest was willing to give the holy bread only if he and his men had abstained from women, and David told the priest that he and his men never had carnal relations when they were on a mission.

The only weapon was the sword of Goliath which the priest kept wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod (a garment with a pocket for carrying the sacred Urim and Thummim used for determining God’s will. Some think there may have been a box of the same name and purpose). The priest gave David holy bread and Goliath’s sword.

One of Saul’s servants, Doeg, the chief of Saul’s herdsmen, was at the tabernacle performing some ritual, while David was getting the bread and sword. Then David fled to King Achish of Gath (a royal city of the Philistines; birthplace of Goliath). The servants of King Achish told him that David was king of Israel and repeated the song which ascribed to Saul the death of thousands, and to David the death of ten thousands. David heard this and became afraid of Achish, so David feigned madness. Achish was convinced that David was crazy, and sent him away, rebuking his servants for having brought David to him.

Acts Paraphrase:

Paul and Barnabas were on Paul’s first missionary trip. They had preached in Cyprus and then sailed from Paphos (on the western end of Cyprus) to Perga in Pamphylia (southern Asia Minor; present-day Turkey). John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem, and Paul and Barnabas went to Antioch of Pisidia (north of Perga). On the Sabbath they went to the synagogue. After the reading of the law and prophets (books of the Bible which constituted Jewish scripture) the synagogue leaders invited Paul and Barnabas to speak.

Paul began to preach the Gospel with the history of God’s dealing with Israel, beginning with the exodus from Egypt and the forty years in the wilderness. Then the Lord destroyed seven nations inhabiting Canaan (the Promised Land) and gave it to Israel. Four hundred and fifty years later (to the building of the temple) the Lord established judges to rule Israel until Samuel. Then the people wanted a king, so the Lord gave them Saul for forty years.

When the Lord removed Saul, he anointed David to be king of Israel. The Lord declared that David was a man after God’s heart who would do all of God’s will (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). From David’s descendants “God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised” (Acts 13:23). Before Jesus was revealed, John the Baptizer preached a baptism of repentance. As John fulfilled his mission he clearly stated that he was not the Messiah, but he was announcing the coming of the Messiah, in comparison to whom John was less than the most menial servant.

Mark Paraphrase:

Jesus and his disciples went to the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and a great crowd from all over Israel, from the east side of the Jordan and from Tyre and Sidon, came to Jesus. Jesus had his disciples get a boat ready so that Jesus could use it to avoid being trampled by the crowd pressing forward to hear and to touch Jesus in hope of being healed. The demons of those who were possessed bowed before Jesus and declared him to be the Son of God, and Jesus sternly ordered them not to make Jesus’ identity known.

Jesus went into the hills and he chose twelve of his followers to be with Jesus constantly, learning Jesus’ lifestyle and message, and to be sent out to preach and to have authority over demons. He called them apostles (a messenger; envoy; Luke 6:13). The Twelve were Simon Peter, James and John: the sons of Zebedee, who Jesus called “sons of thunder,” Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew Thomas, James, the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus.

Commentary:

David was the Lord’s anointed king of Israel, but he hadn’t yet taken the throne, because the evil worldly ruler, King Saul, was still in possession of the kingdom. Saul was trying to destroy David, and David was on a secret mission for the Lord and trying to avoid being destroyed by Saul. David went to the priest for food to sustain him and a weapon to help him accomplish his mission. He received “holy, consecrated” bread, and the priest gave him the sword of Goliath, the Philistine giant David had destroyed.

Doeg, the servant of Saul was performing some religious ritual at the tabernacle while David was getting the bread and sword (and later became David’s betrayer; 1 Samuel 22:9). David fled to Gath, the birthplace of Goliath, but he was recognized as the heir to the throne of Israel, and as a potential rival and adversary, David’s life was in danger from Achish, the king of Gath. David feigned madness which induced Achish to conclude that David was a nuisance rather than a threat, so he sent David away.

David prefigures and illustrates a “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) Christian. He had been designated as the Lord’s representative on earth, but he needed to be spiritually nurtured by the holy bread of the Presence, and he needed to be armed with a spiritual weapon. Holy bread symbolizes the Word of God and the indwelling Holy Spirit, who “disciples” us, opening our minds to understand God’s Word (Luke 24:45) and to know God’s will.

The Holy Spirit arms us with the sword of Goliath, supernatural power which has been taken from the enemy by faith (obedient trust) in the Lord. Jesus is our “champion” who has defeated Satan at the Cross, has taken his supernatural power from him and gives us supernatural power over our spiritual enemy. Jesus is God’s anointed Savior and King and Satan is the evil worldly ruler who has been defeated but not yet removed from the throne.

Paul and Barnabas were on a mission for the Lord armed with the Word of God and led and empowered by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Paul’s preaching was God’s Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit. In a sense Paul and all “born-again” Christians are on a mission as representatives of Christ in this world. Christians are to be like John the Baptizer, calling people to repentance and identifying and announcing the coming of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God.

Paul is the original "modern," “post-resurrection,” “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple and Apostle of Jesus Christ. I believe that he was the one chosen by the Lord to replace Judas Iscariot, for exactly that reason, so that Paul could be an example for all Christians who hadn’t known Jesus during Jesus’ physical life on earth (compare Acts 1:15-26; the disciples were supposed to be waiting for the promised gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, but chose Matthias, by chance, without the benefit of the guidance of the Holy Spirit, while they waited).

Jesus chose twelve of his followers to live with him in close personal fellowship so that he could teach them his message, and to constantly apply it in their daily lives. After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, his disciples received the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13), and the Twelve became the leaders of the Church, commissioned to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). Paul and Barnabas were doing that very thing.

Christians are to be disciples of Jesus Christ. We are to seek spiritual nurture from reading the Bible and from the preaching of God’s Word by authentic, mature, “born-again” Apostles. We are to seek and grow to spiritual maturity and the “anointing” of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Through the indwelling Holy Spirit we can have the close personal daily fellowship with the Lord that the Twelve had, and we can be taught the same message and also the lifestyle.

Note that Jesus commanded his disciples to stay in Jerusalem (the Church is the New Jerusalem, the Holy City of God on earth) until they had received power from on high (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5). We must be equipped and empowered by the Holy Spirit before we can be sent out into the world to continue Jesus’ mission.

Saturday 9 Pentecost - Odd
First Posted 07/22/05;
Podcast: Saturday 9 Pentecost - Odd

1 Samuel 22:1-23 - David at the Cave of Adullam;

Acts 13:26-43 - Paul’s Sermon at Antioch of Pisidia;

Mark 3:19b-35 - The Unforgivable Sin;

1 Samuel Paraphrase:

David had feigned madness and had been driven from Gath by King Achich. David took refuge in the cave of Adullam (southwest of Bethlehem). When his relatives heard where he was they joined him along with many who were discontented with Saul’s kingship, and David became the captain of about four hundred men. David and his men went to Mizpah in Moab, (east of the Dead Sea) where David asked the King of Moab to provide sanctuary for his parents. The prophet Gad told David to leave his safe haven and return to Judah, where he took refuge in the forest of Hereth.

Saul learned that David and his men had been located. Saul was at Gibeah (his birthplace) on a hilltop, surrounded by his men. He rebuked them for not informing him that his son Jonathan had made a covenant of friendship with David with the result that David was hiding, waiting to ambush Saul. Doeg, an Edomite overseer of Saul’s livestock, spoke up, telling Saul he had seen David come to Ahimeleck, the priest at the tabernacle at Nob, for guidance from God’s Word and for food and the sword of Goliath. Saul summoned Ahimelech and all the priests (Nob was a city of priests, where the tabernacle was located at that time).

Saul accused Ahimelech of conspiring with David to overthrow Saul and of providing David with bread, a sword, and spiritual counsel. Ahimelech responded by telling Saul that none of Saul’s servants were as faithful as David had been to Saul, and that David was also Saul’s son-in-law and captain of Saul’s bodyguard. Ahimelech said that it was completely reasonable and understandable for him to provide spiritual guidance for David, and that Ahimelech had no knowledge of any plot against Saul by David.

Saul swore to kill Ahimelech and all the priests, and Saul gave the command for his men to execute them, but Saul’s servants refused to carryout his order. But Doeg, who had betrayed David and who was an Edomite (a foreigner and not an Israelite; Edom was an enemy of Israel) accepted and carried out Saul’s order.

Eighty-five priests were killed, and all of the residents of the city of Nob, including women and children, and all their livestock were slain, with the exception of one of the sons of Ahimelech, named Abiathar, who escaped and told David that Saul had killed all the priests. David told Abiathar that he had realized the day he saw Doeg at the tabernacle that Doeg would surely tell Saul. David therefore accepted responsibility for the deaths of the priests, and he invited Abiathar to stay with David, since they both had the same enemy.

Acts Paraphrase:

Paul was presenting the Gospel in a synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia (in Asia Minor; present-day Turkey) on his first missionary trip, with Barnabas. The Lord had given the message of salvation (from eternal condemnation and destruction) to the Jews. But the Jews and their religious leaders didn’t understand the prophecies of scripture which they heard read every Sabbath, so they fulfilled them by condemning Jesus.

They condemned Jesus to death even though he was blameless of anything deserving death. They had him executed by Pilate (the Roman Procurator of Judea) and his dead body was placed in a tomb. But God raised Jesus from the dead, and Jesus appeared to many of his followers over many days (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). These followers were now witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection and to the good news of the fulfillment of God’s promise in scripture of a Son who would be a Savior and eternal King.

Psalm 16:10 prophesied that the Messiah would be raised from death to eternal life. It was not David about whom the Psalm prophesied, because David died and was buried after having faithfully served the Lord during his lifetime, and yet he wasn’t raised from the dead. But God raised Jesus and through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to all, and by Jesus all who believe are freed from the condemnation which was unavoidable under the Law of Moses.

Be warned by scripture which declares that scoffers will doubt and perish (eternally), refusing to believe what has been testified to them (Acts 13:41, citing Habakkuk 1:5). As the sermon ended, the people left, begging that they be able to continue to hear this message again on the next Sabbath. Many of the Jews and converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who urged them to continue to believe and continue in the gospel and grace (unmerited favor; free gift) of God.

Mark Paraphrase:

When Jesus returned to his home, so many people came to him that it was difficult even to eat. His friends though Jesus was having an emotional breakdown and tried to take him away. Scribes, teachers of scripture, from Jerusalem said that Jesus was possessed by Beelzebul (a pagan god; the “lord” of demons; Satan). Jesus responded in parables, saying that a kingdom or house divided against itself is destroyed, and, similarly, if Satan attacks himself he would be destroyed. In order to plunder the house of a strong man, one must first restrain the strong man.

In response to those who suggested that Jesus had an unclean spirit, Jesus declared that there is forgiveness for all the sins and blasphemies of mankind, except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which is the unforgivable and eternal sin.

Jesus’ mother and brothers came, asking for Jesus, since they were not able to get to him because of the crowd. Jesus was told, and he responded that Jesus’ family, his true mother and brothers, are those who do God’s will.

Commentary:

King Saul had turned away from obedience to the Lord and as the result the Lord had taken Saul’s anointing of kingship and the Holy Spirit from Saul (1 Samuel 16:13-14) and had given it to David, who was a man after God’s own heart, who would do all God’s will (Acts 13:22). Saul was no longer the Lord’s anointed, but he had not yet been deposed. Saul had become spiritually corrupt; he could no longer tell right from wrong. His only criterion for decisions was what he thought was his own self-interest.

David was Saul’s most loyal servant, a great military leader and captain of Saul’s bodyguard, and Saul’s son–in-law. Saul had used his own daughter in an attempt to destroy David (1 Samuel 18:21). Saul had all the people of Nob, which was the “City of God,” at that time, where God’s house was then located and where the priests lived, killed because a priest fulfilled his reasonable duty to the Lord by providing David with spiritual guidance, nourishment and weapon. Ahimelech had not conspired with David, because Ahimelech had known nothing about Saul’s enmity with David. David was entitled to the sword of Goliath because David had fought Goliath for Israel and for the Lord, and had killed Goliath.

Saul ordered the priests executed and Saul’s own servants refused to obey Saul’s order. Only Doeg, the Edomite (a foreigner; the enemy of Israel) was willing to carry out Saul’s order. But the Lord preserved one priestly survivor, Abiathar.

The Jews had been given the message of salvation through the scriptures, but the Jews and their religious leaders and teachers did not understand the scriptures which were read every Sabbath, and because they failed to understand, what they did in ignorance, condemning Jesus to death, resulted in the fulfillment of those scriptures. Jesus had done nothing deserving execution, and David and the priests had done nothing to deserve execution by Saul. Jesus could not be destroyed by physical death, because God raised him to eternal life, and the Lord was able to preserve David and Abiathar from Saul. Saul had to get an “outsider” to do his dirty work, and the Jewish leaders got Pilate, the Roman official, a “foreigner,” to do their dirty work.

The religious leaders during Jesus’ lifetime were as spiritually corrupt as Saul had been. They had lost the “anointing” and God’s presence. They were pursuing their own worldly agendas and their own perceived self-interest. They considered themselves experts in God’s Word, but they didn’t understand it.

Jesus was the fulfillment and embodiment of God’s Word, (John 1:1-5, 14) and yet they didn’t recognize Jesus as the Messiah (Christ; both mean “anointed”), the fulfillment of God’s promised eternal Savior and King. They couldn’t distinguish the Holy Spirit from a demonic spirit; the Lord of lords from the Lord of demons. Their blasphemy of the Holy Spirit sentenced them to eternal condemnation and eternal death.

God’s Word warns scoffers that those who doubt God’s Word and refuse to accept the testimony of the disciples of Jesus Christ will perish eternally. God’s Word warns that not everyone who call themselves Christians are members of Jesus’ “family” and not everyone who calls Jesus “Lord” will be saved; only those who are obedient to God’s Word and do God’s will (Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46)

The Church is the new “City of God,” where we are to get spiritual guidance, spiritual nourishment and be armed with spiritual weapons (by “discipleship;” “spiritual growth”). Is that what is happening, or have some lost their anointing and the presence of the Lord as a result of failure to be and make disciples who obey all Jesus commands?

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Week of 9 Pentecost - Odd - 07/26 - 08/01/2015

Week of 9 Pentecost - Odd

Shepherdboy David

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