One Year Bible, June 2

2 SAMUEL 19:11-20:13                                                                                               
DAVID'S RETURN: David's return to JERUSALEM is a picture of Jesus' Second Coming. David wanted Judah to usher him back. They gathered at GILGAL - the place of renewal.

GREETINGS: The first man to meet him was SHIMEI: the man who had cursed him as he left Jerusalem. Sometimes those who hurt us the most become a comfort in the time of need. MIPHIBOSHETH: His attire suggested that he had grieved the entire time David had been gone from Jerusalem. Miphibosheth loves David more than himself - Ziba lied. Saul's estate was to be divided between Ziba and Miphibosheth, but Miphibosheth wanted David!

ZADOK & ABIATHAR: The high priests of David's Kingdom.

MORE DRAMA: SHEBA (the man, not the Queen of--) "a man of Belial" (a rebel, spirit of antichrist, the FLESH): Of King Saul's tribe - Benjamin - organized a final revolt against David.

AMASA: David's general, JOAB'S REPLACEMENT (because Joab had killed Absalom, David's son). Delayed obedience led to failure to put down the rebellion. So JOAB killed him!

JOAB & ABISHAI:  Brothers, and David's nephews. Continued to lead David's army.

RESPONSE:   Amasa had been in Absalom's army! Shimei had cursed David to his face. Miphibosheth was King Saul's son.  David was a forgiving guy!  And maybe that's why he was forgiven so much by God.   It could be one of the things that made David great.

JOHN 21:1-25                                                                                                                    
Death to the FLESH with its "affections and lusts" (Gal 5:24) is a long process - described in the OT as a "long war". And we may "come easy or come hard" - but the Holy Spirit, the Word, and our life circumstances will make us come and "die". That's the ONLY way Jesus can be seen in us without being buried in our flesh! And so, John 18-21 gives us Jesus, as an example of dying.

CHAPTER 18 - The Garden of Gethsemane, where we see Jesus demonstrating submission and obedience. He did not defend Himself or complain. His acts were voluntary. He was a sacrifice, not a victim.

CHAPTER 19 - Pilate's Hall and Calvary, where we see Jesus blameless and trusting. He knew that His Father would bring Him through this and out the other side. Even though He had no sin in His life, laying down His Life is the Life principle He revealed to all of us "sons". You hear people say that Jesus would have died if you had been the only sinner there was.  Actually, Jesus would have died if there was NO SINNER - because laying down His life is what Sons do!

CHAPTER 20 - The empty tomb, where we see that death AND resurrection are actually what is being revealed here. And we don't come out of the process until we are really, really, really DEAD! And when we emerge, we are changed because now we have the "breath of life" in us and are FORGIVERS.

CHAPTER 21 - John 21:1-14 IN THE WORLD: LOVE AND OBEDIENCE. The real issue all along is love and obedience.   If we love God, we will do what He says.  Immediate and accurate obedience, even what we don't understand, is what Jesus is looking for (casting their nets).  But our obedience should be the result of LOVE.  The requirement of love is obedience.  We don't love out of obedience; we obey out of love.  And in the end, this love is costly - it costs us EVERYTHING, it costs our lives.

RESPONSE:   Note: Jesus confronted Peter about his dedication by a charcoal fire; Peter had denied Jesus at a charcoal fire too! I'm sure Peter caught the significance. We are to love God and obey Him, and not look around to see what He requires from anyone else!

PSALM 120:1-7                                                                                                            
SONGS OF DEGREES: Psalm 120-134 were sung when David brought up the Ark of the Covenant from Obed-Edom's house (1 Chron 7:13).  They were probably chanted by the congregation as they went up to the Temple at Jerusalem on other occasions. They represent the growth, transformation, development, restoration - in our conformation to the image of Jesus.   We are going UP into higher realms of the Spirit as we grow.   We are being changed.

FIRST STEP: PSALM 120: Renouncing the world and crying to God for help with the resulting backlash. We find ourselves between a rock and a hard place.

PROVERBS 16: 16-17                                                                                                
WISDOM is the ability to live successfully.  UNDERSTANDING is not obtained intellectually, but in obedience to God.  Wisdom tells you what you need to know and understand; understanding tells you how to get it or do it.

The "upright" avoid evil and take the most direct route.

RESPONSE:   I remember when my mother got saved. She renounced the world, all right.  It started World War III in our house!  My father didn't think she was "any fun anymore". There was such a drastic transformation that everyone made nasty comments, and were just certain she would give all that stuff up soon! Well, over 50 years later, she still loves the Lord, she still loves His people, and she is still leading people to Jesus.  What those people intended for evil, God used to strengthen her and draw her closer to Himself.  She could say with Psalm 120, "I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war."