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 22, 2023
Chapters: II SAMUEL 23-24, PSALMS 97-99
Study: Trust, Hope, And An Everlasting Covenant
Hello My Brother/Sister/Friend,
I went to a new church yesterday and it turned out to be a very nice church, we would have gone back last night, but they had no service as they were doing a graduation ceremony. We ended up going the church we are getting married at and had a nice conversation with the pastor, but I did miss spending time with the rest of my family. It is hard to make decisions sometimes when it comes to family, we all try to appease everyone, but it just is not possible. The only thing that we can do is trust in what God wants us to do and hope for the best in that we can all get along. Jesus, actually said this, [Matthew 10:34-36 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.]
King David, learned first hand that his biggest foes were in his own household, in fact, one of his own son’s attempted to kill him to take the throne from him. In fact, David, wrote several Psalms about his enemy being someone who he was associated with. As we come to the end of the reading of 2 Samuel, David, recalls how his own house could not grow in the LORD as he did.
[2 Samuel 23:1-5 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, 2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. 3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. 4 And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. 5 Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.]
[Although my house be not so with God;] David, acknowledges that his own family, which were not all of them, but quite a few of them, were not saved and yet God never forgot or forsook the covenant that He made with him. We need to be reminded that while we are not always perfect with God, He never forgets the covenant that we made with Him in receiving His Son as our Saviour. We also must understand that we cannot personally save our family members, they must come to Christ on their own, [Deuteronomy 24:5 When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.]
God, gives us a choice, we do not have to choose Him, we do that by choice, which is often why He does prove us to see if we are serious about our faith. And He does not prove us so that He can know because He already does know, it is so that we ourselves can see if our faith is true. We could question God’s methods, but what good would that do, the only thing that it would do is reveal the truth that perhaps we did not believe with all our heart that Jesus is the only way to our salvation. This is God’s world, He created it and He will do with it what He will and He does not need our permission or our support.
[Psalms 97:6-12 The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. 7 Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods. 8 Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD. 9 For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. 10 Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. 11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. 12 Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.]
[The heavens declare his righteousness,] Look up in the sky, the sunsets, the rainbow after the rain, the stars shining bright on a clear night, and you will see God. Those who refuse to see that God is the maker and keeper of these things are nothing, but reprobates, [Romans 1:20-21 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.]
As I was reading this chapter it occurred to me that David knew he did not have, for the most part, a godly and prosperous kingdom on his own, it took several godly and faithful men and women to do that. A second account is given to the leaders of David’s army, of whom are called his mighty men of how they helped him succeed.
[2 Samuel 23:8-12,39 These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time. 9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: 10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil. 11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.]
[Uriah the Hittite:] You do realize that this was Bathsheba’s husband, with all that happened, David, saw the need to include Uriah in the list of his mighty men, no doubt because we was an honorable man. We can rejoice in God’s judgments because they are just and make our heart pure as we renew our fear in Him. David, had his share of judgments placed upon him, but he knew that he was still loved by God, and never forgot that God’s mercies are endless, [Psalms 145:8-10 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. 9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. 10 All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.]
Behind every victory for the Christian is God, even if the world is involved, it is blessed because a faithful, saved, born again Christian aided in its success. The world is just too blind to see that, that is until it is too late. Perhaps one of the greatest testimonies that shows God’s salvation by grace in the Old Testament is when David decided to number the people.
[2 Samuel 24:1-4 And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. 2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people. 3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing? 4 Notwithstanding the king’s word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.]
[And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel,] First of all, do you see this? God, was angry at Israel, and He is the one who allowed David to be tempted of the Devil to number the people. Why was this a sin? Pride. David, prided himself on his great army, it was only them that David had numbered.
[2 Samuel 24:8-12 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men. 10 And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. 11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, 12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.]
[And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered] As soon as he commanded them to number the people, he felt the Holy Spirit strike his heart to the acknowledgment that what he commanded was a sin. This time David’s sin had repercussions on the entire nation, and David had to choose the punishment himself.
[I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them,] How would you like to decide what the punishment would be? He had three choices, one; seven years of famine, two; three months of being chased by an enemy, and three; three days of some virus that would be spread across the nation. Since he did not want the nation to have to suffer seven years of famine or to be chased for three months, he chose the virus, and it indeed struck.
[2 Samuel 24:14-17 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man. 15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men. 16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.]
[when he saw the angel that smote the people,] Seventy thousand men died from the virus, but remember, God was angry at Israel and that is why He sent this virus. No doubt He was angry at the way that they had treated David and turned on him, but they were not exactly obedient to the Law either. Does any of this sound familiar? Yes, God, will send a virus to judge the world. And yet, we can still rejoice in His mercies as anyone who is saved, even if they got a virus that killed their body, their soul will be saved.
[Psalms 98:1-6,9 A Psalm. O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory. 2 The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. 3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. 5 Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. 6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King. 9 Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.]
[make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.] The LORD, Jesus Christ, is our KING, and He will return to judge the earth. However, He will not return until every lost soul that wants to be found is found. Plagues are just a beginning of what is to come before Christ returns. Now, as David watched the angel about to hit the people in Jerusalem with the disease, it grieved him greatly, and while David did sin, we must understand that this was not all his fault, there was sin in Israel. When David sacrifices his own life to save the people, that was when God gave them the instructions on how to remove the virus.
[2 Samuel 24:18,20–21,25 And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite. 20 And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground. 21 And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people. 23 All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee. 24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.]
[unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing.] This is exactly the place where Abraham stood when he was about to offer Isaac, [Genesis 22:7-8 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.]
[but I will surely buy it of thee at a price:] Salvation is never free, it is always bought with a blood sacrifice. The animal sacrifices never made salvation permanent because they never actually removed the sin, what they did was remove God’s anger toward the sinner and gave redemption to them through their admission of sin, [Hebrews 10:1,4-5,10 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. 5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.]
Jesus died to save all, but Jesus does not save all because in order for Him to save all, then they must believe in all that He is. This is God’s law, and His earth, and He will do with it what He will, the only escape from its destruction is true repentance.
[Psalms 99:1-3,5-8 The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. 2 The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people. 3 Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy. 5 Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy. 6 Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, and he answered them. 7 He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them. 8 Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.]
[they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them] As long as we are all under the same yoke of faith in the doctrine of Christ, there ought to be peace even when we do not always agree on other things. God, will never allow His people to take advantage of His good graces. It is one thing to fall into sin, be repentant about it, and get out of it, it is another thing to keep doing it without one iota of remorse.
[1 Timothy 6:1-5 Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. 2 And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort. 3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.]
Wow! I was not even looking for that passage, but it sure found me. Interestingly, this is not referring to being under the yoke of Christ, rather being under the yoke of those who give us our paychecks. Saved, born again Christians ought to be even more honorable and respectable in their secular jobs than the unsaved are. They also ought to be getting along with fellow Christians who may defer in how they live their lives as long as it is not contrary to the Word of God. While we are certainly saved by grace and not of our own works, it is our works after we are saved that draws others to Christ, [Titus 3:8-9 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. 9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Every day I am amazed that no matter how many mistakes I make You still love me, You have not forsaken me, and I still have a place in heaven with You. Your judgments are true and just, and we should rejoice in them because they are what conform us into an image that resembles Your Son. Thank You God, for everything that You do for me, whether times are good or bad, happy or sad, You are always there guiding me in the right direction. Lord, continue to lead me and guide me, keep me in Your Word, learning, understanding, and conforming to Your Son until You bring me home. Let my life be an example of not only Your mercies and grace, but of Your righteous judgments that keep me out of Satan’s hands and in Your will. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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