King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 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.]
Date: Monday, May 09, 2022
Chapters: II SAMUEL 8-9, PSALMS 36, 39
Study: Be Humble and Dedicated
Hello My Friend,
When I was praying this morning I felt a little overwhelmed because of His blessing me with so much, but at the same time, some affliction keeps going on. I kept asking God questions about past decisions that I made that must be causing the affliction and why I made them to begin with. Well, God did give me the answer to my questions, with the reminder that that was the past, and I had already paid my dues so to speak, and He would never put that much of a punishment upon me that I had been doing to myself. Then this Psalm showed up in the reading for today, which surely answered my questions.
[Psalms 39:1-4,7-9,12-13 To the chief Musician, even to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David. I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. 2 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. 7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. 8 Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish. 9 I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it. 12 Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. 13 O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.]
[before I go hence, and be no more.] It does not matter what we have done in our past, what matters is now, and we want to make sure that when we leave this earth that we leave it with the strength of Christ. Jesus is the one who not only sustains us while we are here after we accept Him as our Saviour, He is also the one who preserves us with eternal life when we leave and are no more here, at least, until Jesus returns, [1 John 5:9-11,20 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.]
In our last reading we learned that God had given David rest and peace from his enemies and war itself, I imagine that it was quite different to not have to fight. As we return to the reading of 2 Samuel, an account is given to show what had taken place prior to that as to why they were at rest, and it took a lot of work.
[2 Samuel 8:1-3,5-6 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. 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.] Not only were the Philistines put in their place, but so were the Moabites and the Syrians. Israel, such a small country, and yet it became one very strong and powerful nation, all under the hand and direction of God. The reason why was not because they were all dedicated to God, it was because David was. We learn this as we read how nation upon nation became subdued under Israel, even the Edomites.
[2 Samuel 8:9-11,14 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; 14 And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David’s servants. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.]
[Which also king David did dedicate unto the LORD,] Yes, everything that David received from these nations, whether it was gifts or spoils from their victories, was dedicated to God. This is how God preserves us for what is to come and keeps prospering us while we are here, it all comes from God anyway, so, we might be wise to make sure that we dedicate it all to Him. And this is not the same thing as giving tithe, tithes are just what God uses to keep the lights on in the churches that His people congregate to for fellowship and learning. Dedicating what we have to God is just letting Him know that we know that without Him it would not have been possible, [2 Peter 1:3-4 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.]
Let me tell you something about lust, it never satisfies nor does it preserve or sustain us. We might find some temporary satisfaction for a season, but it is truly not sustainable as it will always leave us hungry for what is actually not a desire of the flesh, but our soul. David, wrote this Psalm as a reminder God is the only one who satisfies us.
[Psalms 36:1-3,6-10 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD. The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful. 3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good. 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. 10 O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.]
[For with thee is the fountain of life:] The fountain of life, that life with Jesus that goes beyond the grave, that preserves our soul, no matter what we have done to destroy our flesh, should we live the rest of our days on earth just hanging on by the thread of our salvation. Jesus Himself said, [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 my Sunday night junior church class, we discussed how we are known and covered by God even before we get are our in our mother’s womb. One of my students explained what she thought this verse was meant to her, [Psalms 139:13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.]
She said that it meant that God had special plans for those who get to be born. Well, I thanked her for her response and also explained to the class that every person that God creates, even if they did not get to be born, was made special and for God. God never created man to control man, He did create us to have a living, breathing being on this earth that would honor and love Him as much as He does us. In fact, that is why He created the earth, it was for us. Now, He did create hell for Satan and the angels that he joined with him in an attempt to overthrow God, but since man has the tendency to think like Satan, He decided to send those who think like him there also, and that includes those believing in false religion, [2 Corinthians 13:5-7 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 6 But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates. 7 Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates.]
That is why God gives us all freewill, and while He does know which of His creation will turn from Him the second they are born, He never gives up hope that they would come to Him, that is unless they are reprobates. Nevertheless, 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 still are sinners, we are sinners saved by the grace of God, and nothing will ever change that. Well, David never forgot about the covenant he made with Jonathan, Saul’s son, [1 Samuel 20:14-16 And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not: 15 But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth. 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David’s enemies.]. While he could not be there for Jonathan, he asked if there was any one left of his family.
[2 Samuel 9:1-5 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. 4 And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar. 5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.]
[the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba.] Ziba, was a servant of Saul’s household when he was still alive, it is probable that he was found as they searched for someone of the house of Saul. Ziba, would play a part in David’s life when he would be on the run from his own son, but this was the beginning. The son that Ziba was talking about was Mephibosheth, also known as Meribbaal, [1 Chronicles 8:34 And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal; and Meribbaal begat Micah.]. And he really had no idea why he was being summoned by the king, in fact, he was quite scared.
[2 Samuel 9:6-8 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?] Mephibosheth humbling himself, comparing himself to a dead dog, meaning he did not feel worthy to accept all that David was blessing him with, especially with his handicap. None of us are worthy to receive eternal life because we all infirmities that prevent that, but keep in mind that Jesus thought your soul was worthy to be saved. Our faith in Christ is all we need to be saved and to sit at our LORD’s table forever. Now, David did not stop there, he actually called Ziba, made him and his house master builders of Saul’s land, but also restored the land to Mephibosheth, and made him a part of the royal table for the rest of his life.
[2 Samuel 9:9-11 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master’s son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house. 10 Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master’s son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master’s son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 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.]
[but Mephibosheth thy master’s son shall eat bread alway at my 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 3:20-21 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.]
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 humble ourselves to Your Word, speak to us, and give us the words You want us to speak, let us be confident, unwavering, and humble in all that 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, and dedicate everything to You. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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