King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34
Date: Sunday, May 09, 2021
Chapters: II Samuel 8-9, Psalms 36, 39
Message: Preserved And Reserved
Hello My Friend,
As our nation slowly starts to reopen there are still many people living in fear, afraid to go outside, afraid to live, and angry that people want to go out and work so they can provide for their families. Let me tell you, being a leader of a city, state, country, is not about having the power to control their peoples every move, it is about making sure their people are being treated fairly, and are given the same opportunity as every other citizen. We can pretty much attest that this pandemic has been one big trial on everyone’s faith, it is doing the one positive thing though, it is bringing people to Christ, [John 15:15-16 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.]
[Servant; A person who voluntarily serves another or acts as his minister.] Christ’s saints are called servants of God, or of righteousness; and the wicked are called the servants of sin. When you think of the word servant, you automatically associate it with being a maid or waiter, but being a servant for God is much more than taking orders from Him, it is voluntarily yielding ourselves to Him and allowing Him to use us for His purpose. Until we know Christ as our Saviour, we are actually dumb to the fact that our works can never get us to heaven.
[Psalms 39:2-7 I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred. 3 My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue, 4 LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. 5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. 6 Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them. 7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.]
Before we know who Jesus is we are dumb with silence, we have know knowledge of who God truly is, we have know knowledge of who it is that actually does end up in hell, and we know no knowledge of just what the sacrifice Christ had made for us was all about. Then when we did come to the knowledge of who He is, and accepted Him as our Saviour, we became wise, and actually made the smartest decision we will ever make. We now wait for and have hope in His return, whether our flesh is alive or in the grave, and it the resurrection, [I Thessalonians 4:13-14 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.]
David went from being a shepherd boy to a king, once he became king he could have been like so many others who become head of their governments, arrogant, proud, and dictating, but he did not, he remained humble, owing all his success to God, and was not ashamed to let his faith be shown, even calling himself a servant of God. David had great success as king, he was victorious in not only defeating enemy nations, a good majority of them became servants to Israel.
[II Samuel 8:1-6 And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines. 2 And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts. 3 David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates. 4 And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for an hundred chariots. 5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men. 6 Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.]
[And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.] [Preserved; To keep or save from injury or destruction.] As true Christians, we are not always going to avoid the challenges that come with life, even after we are saved, but Jesus is right there to help us endure them, [Psalms 36:5-9 Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. 6 Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast. 7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. 8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. 9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.]
[For with thee is the fountain of life:] The is the same as saying that Jesus is the fountain of living waters of life, and that is literally what Jesus gives us when we accept Him as our Saviour. Jesus will only preserve those who put their faith and trust in Him alone, [Revelation 21:6-8 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.]
[in thy light shall we see light.] Did you know that in heaven and in the New Kingdom there will be no sunlight? That is because Christ is the Light and He shines so bright that there will be no need for the sun, [Revelation 21:22-23 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.] He is also the Light that shines upon us while we are here, and it you may not realize it, but He shines just as bright through you as He does in heaven, [John 12:35-36a Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. 36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.]
Yes, we do have to be careful when God starts blessing us, we do not want to forget to credit Him for our success, or start becoming so boastful that we get caught up in pride, and then His light will not shine through us. And this is why David was quick to dedicate everything to God, [II Samuel 8:9-12,15 When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer, 10 Then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David, to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and smitten him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And Joram brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass: 11 Which also king David did dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued; 12 Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah. 15 And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.]
[and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.] Much of David’s success had to do with his dedicating everything he received from the battles to God. God is a part of every bit of our success, and while we are not required to give Him everything we receive, He does want recognition and glory for what He has helped us achieve. Nothing brings more prosperity to our lives than acknowledging God in every bit of our success, [Psalms 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.]
When we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as our Saviour, that means that Jesus has made a covenant with us to love and preserve our soul for eternity. While we are sinners nonetheless, we are sinners saved by the grace of God, and nothing will ever change that. David never forgot about the covenant he made with Jonathan, Saul’s son. While he could not be there for Jonathan since he died, he asked if there was any one left of his family.
[II Samuel 9:1-3,5-8 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake? 2 And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. 3 And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. 5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar. 6 Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! 7 And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. 8 And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?]
[that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?] David not only gave him Saul’s land, he also made him a part of the royal table for the rest of his life. Mephibosheth thanked David, humbling himself, but comparing himself to a dead dog, meaning he did not feel worthy to accept all that David blessed him with, especially with his handicap. David not only restored to him his father’s possessions, he also made him a part of the royal table for the rest of his life.
[II Samuel 9:11-13 Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth. 13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.]
[for he did eat continually at the king’s table;] This is a great illustration of how we are accepted by Jesus through our faith in Him alone. All who believe in and receive Him will have a permanent place setting at the table with our only KING. Praise God! [Revelation 19:6-9 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.]
Jesus Christ Magnified: [II Samuel 9:11 Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You again for Your gift of salvation by grace through my faith and acceptance alone of Your Son as my Saviour. I know I am not saved by any works of my own, but by His finished work. It is humbling to know that no matter what I have done or will do, You have given me a permanent place setting at Your table. Lord, Lead us and guide us, while we muse on Your Word, speak to us, and give us the words You want us to speak, let us be confident, unwavering, and humble in all we think, say, and do. And Lord, open the hearts of our leaders, put Your fear in them so that they might govern in mercy and truth. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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