One Year Bible, May 30

2 SAMUEL 15:23-16:23                                                                                                  
ZIBA: Mephibosheth's family servant, formerly Saul's servant. When David asked him where Mephibosheth is, he accuses his master of remaining behind purposely in hopes that his father's kingdom would be restored to him. David then confers upon Ziba his master's estate. Ziba betrayed Mephibosheth and David both.

SHEMEI: Cursed David and threw rocks at him. Shemei is a type of the antichristian spirit, or the FLESH. He called David "a bloody man" and said David had lost the kingdom because God took it away from him and gave it to Absalom.

AHITHOPHEL'S REVENGE: Just as David had a "rooftop experience" with Bathsheba, Ahithophel's granddaughter; Ahithophel gets his revenge by having Absalom have SEX on the palace rooftop, "in the sight of all Israel", with David's concubines.

RESPONSE:   I thought MY life was a soap opera! The intrigue continues! Public ministry = public humiliation. David's hasty decision was based on Ziba's lies. This was one time he really SHOULD have taken it to the Lord. However, he was under a LOT of pressure. His own son was trying to kill him! And he believed and stated that God had a hand in it! "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin.."(Isa 53:10)   David is outside the city, climbing Golgotha, hunted and betrayed, and even God has turned on him.  Insult piled on insult.  This is David's "dark night of the soul", "the horror of great darkness" (Gen 15:12; 2Cor 4:11; Mark 15:33).  Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

JOHN 18:25-19:22                                                                                                                 
ENDURING THE "DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL" - OUR EXAMPLE
In these next four chapters, we learn HOW to "lose our life", so that we can gain "THE LIFE" (His, Gr: zoe) (Matt 10:39, etc).   From Phil 2, we know that Jesus VOLUNTARILY gave up His rights and privileges, His dignity, and His reputation. So we must Never defend ourselves; never demand our own way; never complain.

CHAPTER 18 - THE GARDEN: OBEDIENCE AND SUBMISSION.

CHAPTER 19 - PILATE'S HALL & CALVARY: BLAMELESS AND TRUSTING. The "first Adam" caused thorns and thistles to grow; the "last Adam" WORE them!   The Jews mocked His claim to be a prophet and the Gentiles mocked His claims of being a king.  In Psalm 22 we have the details.  Three times Pilate said he could find "no fault" in Jesus.  His death was totally voluntary.  He told Pilate that Pilate had "no power at all over Jesus."

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." (1Pet 2:21-24)

"IT IS FINISHED":  Exactly WHAT was finished?  V.28 says, "Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled.." He fulfilled all the Scriptural types, shadows, promises, symbols, prophesies, examples. That means that the "preparation for the Sabbath" that is alluded to, is OVER!   We REST in what Jesus has FINISHED.   Heb 3 and 4 says we "labor" to get into that rest. It is "the rest of faith" that comes when our hearts submit to God's goodness and greatness and trust Him.  Jesus redeemed us, we don't have to sweat and try to qualify ourselves for God.  Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit and His Life and the Word, we don't have to try and fail at keeping the law to "come up with" being like Jesus (His image).   Jesus avenged Himself and all of us against the devil, casting him out of heaven, so we don't have to be afraid of the devil OR of death.  Jesus overcome the world, the devil, sin, His own flesh, death, and completed the Law - we can walk in that victory.

RESPONSE:  When we pass through our "dark night of the soul", Satan has actually wagered God that we will cave: "And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life." (Job 2:4) BUT, Rev 12:11 says, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." The key here is that Jesus TRUSTED GOD and never defended Himself.  That is what we must do in our dark times. We don't fight it - you don't see Jesus running away, or trying to dodge it in any way.  He was obedient and submissive and trusting and in that way overcame it and won the victory. 

PSALM 119:113-128                                                                                                             
AMECH V.113-120: "Samech" means "support, uphold, sustain, establish, stand fast." In this section, we see "Uphold me", "hold Thou me up". He LOVES the Word because it never disappoints, never fails, never deceives - it upholds and sustains us.

AYIN V.121-128:  "Ayin" means "eye" or "fountain" and most generally refers to "the eyes of the Lord" or "mine eyes".  In these 8 verses, we see that he is oppressed but not crushed. Another "ayin" word is "servant", which is used three times in this short passage.  It is because a servant WORKS under the watchful eyes of God.  We do it all as "unto the Lord."

PROVERBS 16:10-11                                                                                                          
SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD:  Whatever judgment such a one pronounces, it may be considered as a decision from God. ALL business belongs under the auspices of God.

RESPONSE:  God controls outcomes. This is a comfort because I don't have to be responsible for them. I obey God, and He controls the outcome of that. "ALL the weights of the bag are His concern."