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: Thursday, May 19, 2022
Chapters: 2 SAMUEL 20-21, PSALMS 26,40
Study: You Are The Light
Hello My Friend,
As I was reading the chapters for today, this passage came to mind, [John 9:1-5 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.]. Jesus was not saying that the blind man or his parents never sinned, He just made it a point to show them that his being born blind was not caused by any sin.
With all that is going on right now, there are so many preachers saying that we are in the end times, and while I do believe that we are in a pretribulation, I am not convinced that God is quite ready to send Jesus back just yet. Why do I believe that? It was something Jesus Himself said, [Matthew 5:14-16 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.]
There may be less and less of us each year, but as long as God has His faithful, saved, born again, Christians shining our light of Christ in the world, He will not send His Son back. Now, that does not mean that God is not sending us those warnings that the tribulation is coming very soon, and if we do not repent as a nation, then it will be soon, [Matthew 24:15-18,21-22 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.]
The elect, we can call these the faithful and true Christians as being one with Judah, and should Jesus return in our lifetime, we will not be here during the tribulation, as Jesus will gather us, even the dead in Christ, from having to be a part of that, that is how bad it will be. As we continue in the reading of 2 Samuel, as soon as David returns to Jerusalem, here comes another man trying to stir things up, Sheba.
[2 Samuel 20:1-2,4-6 And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel. 2 So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem. 4 Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present. 5 So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him. 6 And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.]
[but the men of Judah clave unto their king,] You will notice that the worldly so called Christians (Israel) are quick to turn on their king, being Jesus Himself. Oh, they are the ones who will quote Scripture, like, [Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.] and [John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.]. However, they do not have the root in them as Jesus puts it, to endure this pretribulation period, which is why we see so many of them bolting, [Matthew 13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.]
Christ’s elect however, will not only endure this pretribulation period, they will continue on in their faith, Since we are the light of the world that shines Christ upon it, all of what is going on is the drive that keeps them preaching the Gospel while they still have the opportunity to do that. Let me tell you, the days are fast approaching that we will not be able to freely preach the Gospel, in fact, it will be to our own persecution and even death. Nevertheless, they will not and cannot be moved under any circumstances because it is Christ who sustains them.
[Psalms 40:1-5 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.]
[and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.] It is Jesus who keeps His elect standing upon His rock, and establishes our goings. We can mess up a thousand times, and yet Jesus will not let go of us and is the one who actually chooses us and what we are going to do for Him, [John 15:16 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.]
David placed Amasa in charge of his army of Joab due to his allowing Absalom to be killed, and even played a part in it, he probably did not realize that Amasa was a part of the rebellion of Absalom. Remember, when David trusted Abner who had made Saul’s son, Ishbosheth, king, then ran to David when Ishbosheth confronted him about his indiscretions, [2 Samuel 2]. Joab, however, took it upon himself to take his army back by killing Amasa, and then going after Sheba himself.
[2 Samuel 20:9-10,16,19-20,22 And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him. 10 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri. 16 Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee. 19 I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD? 20 And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy. 22 Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.]
[I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel:] This is why Jesus has not sounded His trumpet just yet, there are still some who are among the liars who proclaim God, that need to be saved. Something amazing happens when we get back in the will of God, He will answer our prayers. No sooner than God delivered Israel out of the hands of Sheba a famine comes, for three years David sought answers from God, finally he gets his answer, it was something that Saul did to the Gibeonites. To make things right, David asked the Gibeonites what he could do for them, and what they wanted was seven of Saul’s sons hung,
[2 Samuel 21:1,3,5-7 Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites. 3 Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD? 5 And they answered the king, The man that consumed us, and that devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel, 6 Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give them. 7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD’S oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.]
[year after year; and David enquired of the LORD.] David knew all too well by experience that the trials he and his people were facing were the cause of some kind of sin. This time, he wanted to make sure that it was not anything that he did.
[Psalms 26:1-3,9-12 A Psalm of David. Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide. 2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. 3 For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth. 9 Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men: 10 In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes. 11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me. 12 My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.]
[Examine me, O LORD, and prove me;] How relieved he must have been to discover that it was not his own sins this time. [because he slew the Gibeonites.] Were are told of what Saul had done to the Gibeonites, which was contrary to the oath that Joshua and all Israel had made, [Joshua 9:15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.]
David made things right with the Gibeonites, then God began blessing them once again only to have more trouble when the Philistines started attacking them. It seemed like it was just one thing after another, and you could tell that things would never be the same for Israel, especially after David’s death. During the battle, David became ill, it was then that he was encouraged to stay in the palace where he would be better suited.
[2 Samuel 21:15-17 Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint. 16 And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David. 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.]
[that thou quench not the light of Israel.] As long as we do have faithful, saved, born again Christians out there preaching the Gospel, even if only from their homes, the light of Christ will not go out upon the earth. There will come a day when it will go out, and once it does, it will be too late for us to preach the Gospel because we will not be here. We do have, but a short time to reach as many as we can before Jesus sends for us, [2 Timothy 4:2-5 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Although I do not understand everything that You allow me to be afflicted with, I do understand that You have a reason and a purpose for all of it. You have sent me out in this world to be the light that shines Christ as I walk with Him and become more of a reflection of Him. Jesus, thank You for having my back, for keeping me close to You, no matter how many times I mess up. Lord, give me Your strength to endure all my affliction, try me and prove me, help me understand if it is something I need to repent of, need to address with someone else, or if it is simply the devil testing my faith. Give me Your power to trust, wait, and endure all my afflictions and keep Your light shining strong through me so that anyone who sees me actually sees that it is You. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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