Month: May 2021

1 Kings 3-4, 2 Chronicles 1 and Psalm 72

~ Patricia ~ 4 Comments

Before we read:

  • Exodus 34:15-16 “Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices.  And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same.”
  • Deuteronomy 17:17  He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.
  • Deuteronomy 12:13-14 Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please. Offer them only at the place the Lord will choose in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you.

Chapter 3

Verse 1: “Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the Lord. 3 Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

Chapter 3 begins immediately with the scripture that will eventually be Solomon’s ultimate downfall.

Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter.

Marriage between royal families was a common practice in the ancient Middle East because it secured peace.  His MANY marriages opened the door to pagan ideas and practices.  Solomon’s foreign wives brought their gods to Jerusalem which led to idolatry.

Solomon loved God, but sacrificing outside the Tabernacle was forbidden.   It took the offerings out of the careful practices of the priesthood and opened the door for false teaching.

(Fun fact: 40 kings will be mentioned in 1 and 2 Kings, and Solomon is the only one in scripture that says he loved the Lord)❤

This is was so cool I thought I would share:

In 1928 a Syrian farmer found the first of many tablets in his field.  He uncovered the Ras Shamra tablets. These tablets described Canaanite religious practices “in high places” of child sacrifice (lining up with the exact description from the Bible).  Other cultural practices mentioned in the Bible such as Levirate marriage (Gen 38:8; Deut 25:5-6), were also described in the Ras Shamra tablets.  A small fragment of one of the tablets contained an account of the flood story. Findings like this support the reliability of the Bible.

Next:

God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

Solomon said, “So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

His words show that he viewed himself as dependent on God, not self-sufficient.

(A few keywords are underlined)

10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”

(Darn!  as soon as I see an “if”, I know it’s not going to go as planned!)

One of Solomon’s first acts in the Bible to use his Wisdom was “The Wise Ruling” incident:

Chapter 4- Continuing with a wise decision, Solomon organizes Officials and Governors to maintain government effectiveness.  He was wiser than the men from the East (Egypt) who were known for their wisdom.  The men that were named: Heman, Kalkol, and Darda are from the tribe of Judah (mentioned in 1 Chron 2:6)

2 Chronicles 1:   It is not what this book says, but what it does NOT say.

  1. What is missing?
  2. Why is it missing?

Psalm 72– This is categorized as a Royal Psalm so here is my question…when you read Psalm 72, did you read is as:

  1. David writing it, and praying it over his son Solomon?
  2. Solomon, wanting/needing Wisdom from the Lord?
  3. Did you read it as they were referring to the Messiah?

(There is no right or wrong answer)

Psalm 119:1-88 (only the first half)

~ Patricia ~ 3 Comments

The LONGEST chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119, 176 verses.  It is so good we are going to break it into 2 readings. We don’t know who wrote it but this psalmist was seeking wisdom (possibly Ezra).

This psalm contains a reference to God’s Word in almost every verse (except 1, 2, 3, and 115, is addressed to God.  If you like to look for patterns or underline keywords, here are some to look for:

  • “Way” and “ways” describe the pattern of life God chooses for us. It occurs 13 times
  • “law”-refers to the teaching in the first 5 books of the Bible- occurs 25 times
  • “testimony” or “decrees”-referring to God’s standard of conduct for us occurs 23 times
  • “Precepts”-your obligations as a follower. (This word is always plural)-occurs 21 times
  • “Commandments” -a definite authoritative command- occurs 22 times
  • “Judgment” or “ordinance”- refers to a judicial decision from a binding law-occurs 23 times
  • different responses to God’s “Word”, such as “keeping or obeying it” – occurs 39 times

There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet and you will notice this is an alphabetic acrostic psalm with 8 verses per stanza.  In verses 1-8 each line begins with the first Hebrew letter, in verses 9-16 each line begins with the second Hebrew letter, you get the picture.  22 letters and the translated word for “Yahweh” is used 22 times.

The basic theme of Psalm 119 is the practical use of the Word of God in your life as a believer.  Do you want wisdom?  Wisdom is reading God’s word and applying it.

❤️

1 Kings 1-2, and Psalms 37, 71, and 94

~ Patricia ~ 7 Comments

David has 8 wives and 10 concubines (that we know of).  David had at least 20 children.

DAVID’S CHILDREN

  1. Amnon – David’s firstborn, He was killed by his brother Absalom for raping their sister Tamar.
  2. Daniel/Kileab – David’s second son, born in Hebron to Abigail of Carmel.  (uncertain how he died)
  3. Absalom – David’s third son,  He was killed by Joab after rebelling against his father David.
  4. Adonijah – David’s fourth son-
  5. Shephatiah – David’s fifth son
  6. Ithream – David’s sixth son
  7. Shimea – from Bathsheba
  8. Shobab – from Bathsheba
  9. Nathan – from Bathsheba
  10. Solomon (also called Jedidiah). David’s most famous son was also by Bathsheba. God chose Solomon to become the next king of Israel.

David’s remaining children were born in Jerusalem, but we don’t know much else about them:

11) Ibhar
12) Elishama
13) Eliphelet
14) Nogah
15) Nepheg
16) Japhia
17) Elishama
18) Eliada
19) Eliphelet
20) Tamar. We do not know Tamar’s position in the birth order but do know she was the daughter of Maakah. We are told of her rape at the hands of her half-brother Amnon and that afterward, she lived in isolation at her brother Absalom’s house.

Adonijah was David’s fourth son and the eldest one living at this time. Evidently, he believed it was more important that the eldest son succeeds David as king than the Lord choosing a King. The Lord had identified Solomon as David’s successor even before Solomon was born (1 Chron. 22:9-10). Adonijah’s revolt was primarily against the revealed will of God, then against David, and finally against Solomon.

Adonijah enlists the support of Joab the military commander and Abiathar the priest.  Brother #3, Absolom already tried to take the throne and was killed for it.  David may have been a GREAT King (with faults), but as far as parenting goes, he was terrible.  He never followed the law or raised his children up according to God’s precepts.

Adonijah hosted a feast, usually called a “covenant meal”.  This was his announcement of crowning himself king and it was customary that those who attended were supporters.

verse 7 Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support. 8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei and David’s special guard did not join Adonijah.

As a prophet, Nathan spoke for God. (The term “prophet” occurs 94 times in Kings,  we will dive into that another day, I woke up late)  God moved Nathan to change the day. Adonijah had become king only in the sense that he was the people’s choice at that moment.  Nathan tells David and Bathsheba to get the ball rolling to anoint Solomon, and it worked.

Solomon becomes king and rode in on a mule.

Question of the day: Why a mule? Why not a horse? And what connection am I making?  If you think you know, click in comment and answer without peeking at someone else’s

  • Solomon is King,
  • Zadok is High Priest,
  • Nathan is the prophet.

Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” 40 And all the people went up after him, playing pipes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.41 Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, “What’s the meaning of all the noise in the city?”

(Can you picture their faces!!)

Adonijah clearly was afraid,  he gripped the horns of the altar knowing a murder could never happen that close to it. (Big fat baby)

Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of ...

“Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’”

52 Solomon replied, “If he shows himself to be worthy, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.” 53 Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, “Go to your home.”

(I don’t think we have read many “If..But” commands that have ever ended well!!)

Chapter 2 David’s Charge to Solomon

  1. So be strong, act like a man
  2. observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. (David lost his way on this, so he wants Solomon to obey)
  3.  you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel. (Davidic Covenant)

Paraphrase- “Oh, and by the way son, there was a ton of stuff I did not handle at all that I will pass on to you…can you kill Joab because he is a horrible man, oh yeah and Shimei-he cursed at me and threw rocks at my head…can deal with him as you see fit…

Finally, the moment happens: 😢

10 Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. 11 He had reigned forty years over Israel—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. 12 So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.

WOW!

The rest of chapter 2 is so cool.  Do you remember when Absolom David’s sons slept with David’s concubines on the rooftop for all of Jerusalem to see?  It was a power play.  The rightful king always took the preceding king’s wives.  Well, Adonijah plays this card when he asks Bathsheba for Abishag (the beautiful virgin nurse) as his wife.    Solomon is smart enough to know this trick and has him killed to secure the throne.

Shimea was given grace (through the wisdom of Solomon) and told, I will spare your life as long as you build a house and stay there!!  But when Shimea’s slaves ran away he did not stay put and went after them breaking his promise.  So Solomon has no choice but to not trust his word and will have him killed.

Solomon takes action and has all the leaders that could have plotted against him put to death to secure the throne.

  • Joab replaced with Benaiah
  • Shimei

The chapter ends with:

The kingdom was now established in Solomon’s hands.

Don’t forget to read your Psalms.

Psalm 37 just might be the best one yet.  It would be nearly impossible to pick just one verse to highlight.  He is handing the crown to Solomon with this Godly Poem

Psalm 71– I lied, this one might be the best one yet!  I picture David near-death Praising God for the life he had.

Even when I am old and gray,
    do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
    your mighty acts to all who are to come.

Psalm 94– I may have lied again!  We don’t know when the Psalms are written, but I picture David in Jerusalem knowing Adonijah and his supports feasting over their plans.

11 The Lord knows all human plans;
    he knows that they are futile.

What a GREAT day of reading!  Have a wonderful Day!!

(I woke up late so excuse typos) 😬

IF YOU JUMPED IN AND YOU ARE CONFUSED, text me I can help fill in the blanks.  Or just put it in the comments. 😁

1 Kings Overview for tomorrow

~ Patricia ~ Leave a comment

Athey Creek Christian Fellowship | 1 Kings

Just like the 1st and 2nd Samuel books and  1st and 2nd Chronicles were originally one book, so were 1st and 2nd KIngs (separated during its translation).  1 Kings will pick up chronologically right where we left off (always a little overlap).  We are not sure who wrote the books of Kings but Jewish tradition credits Jeremiah as the person God used to pen these books.  The book is called Kings because we will read about 40 monarchs between the two books.

We are reading the Bible in chronological order so that we can see God’s full plan of Salvation from a historical perspective.  Therefore, we will continue to weave other books in as needed to keep the timeline of history flowing.  In the month of June, we will read:

 

The historical period of 1 and 2 Kings totals about 413 years.  Look at the timeline above.  King David dies and his son Solomon will become King.   Still looking at the timeline above, focus in on year 931BC.  Rehoboam becomes king if Judah and Jeroboam become king of Israel.  We went from a Theocracy (God is King), to a Monarchy (1 human king) and now we are headed to a DIVIDED Kingdom.

Before we jump in, it is important to revisit Deuteronomy 17: The Laws concerning the Kings:

The King must:

  1. He must be the one the Lord chooses
  2. He must not multiply his horses for military purposes (build riches)
  3. He must not acquire many wives
  4. He must make a copy of the Law and have it with him at all times.  He will read it every day.

As David dies, the kingship will go to Solomon (just as the Lord chose).  How will he do on #2, #3, and #4??

Do you have this handout? | Bible timeline, Understanding the ...

Take a minute to look now at this timeline. Review each section in your head.  (I love this one and recommend you print it.  Click here)

The books of Kings and Chronicles show how each decision in Israel’s history had a corresponding effect on the nation. We will start off with a stable united kingdom and end with total collapse and mass deportation to Babylon.  Some parts of these books might seem dry at times but as far as World History these are two of the most important books we have in the world.

Behind? It happens!

~ Patricia ~ Leave a comment

Life gets so busy.  In the short moments that we are not busy we just ‘veg’ out!  I GET IT!

We just read about King David.  What happens after King David??  Well, most people don’t know.  Look at the timeline below.  Many of us can look at it and explain the TOP half of the timeline, but not so much the bottom 🤠).

Do you have this handout? | Bible timeline, Understanding the ...

So you have two options:

  1.  Don’t jump in because you feel like you are “missing” parts of it.  (That’s just not an option, God’s Word meets us where we are anyway)
  2. Jump in right here!

Hmmm, I wonder which one you should choose??  Click here if you need to print a schedule.

The Overview for 1 Kings will be posted in about an hour or two.

Psalms 111-118

~ Patricia ~ 2 Comments

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 111-112 (very similar)  These psalms of praise are “acrostic” psalms.  Each line in the Hebrew text begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet (this was done with the purpose of memorizing the Psalms).  These Psalms start with “Hallelujah,” or “Praise the Lord” which unfortunately has been watered down in meaning by 2021.

Verse 10 is the Key verse to Wisdom Psalms:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
    To him belongs eternal praise.

Wisdom is following the Precepts.  Anyone can read the Bible, memorize scripture, and have knowledge.  But wisdom begins with reverent fear followed by application-follow through!

Psalm 112-

There are five blessings that normally come to the righteous.

  1. righteous person (following Moses Law) receives physical and material prosperity (v. 2-3)
  2. he obtains light in his darkness (v.4).
  3. goodness comes to him for his generosity and justice (v. 5).
  4. he enjoys stability and confidence (vv. 6-8).
  5.  he gets strength and honor from the Lord because he gives to the poor

Psalm 113- This Psalm is read during the High Holy days including Passover. The Lord is worthy of praise because He graciously gives great blessings to those who have no hope of obtaining them from any other source.

I love this verse:

Who is like the Lord our God,
    the One who sits enthroned on high,
6 who stoops down to look
    on the heavens and the earth?

Psalm 114- Oh I like this one!  A Psalm remembering the Exodus.  Obviously, this too would be read at the Passover.  (I usually wouldn’t use the word Obviously EVER when reading the Bible….except maybe here 😉)

Psalm 115-This anonymous communal psalm of praise instructs God’s people to trust in the Lord rather than in idols. The house of Aaron in this time is the Priesthood (from Levi).  The house of Aaron today is the Priesthood (Us).

Psalm 116-If you already read all the Psalms, go back and reread this one.  The Psalmist is promising to praise him for helping him.  A recommitment.  It is really beautiful to read twice. Verse 12:

What shall I return to the Lord
    for all his goodness to me?

Well?  What was the answer in the Psalm?

Psalm 117- Fun Fact: THIS IS THE SHORTEST PSALM- (I love those little facts).  (Did a song come to your head?)

1 Praise the Lord, all you nations;
    extol him, all you peoples.
2 For great is his love toward us,
    and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 118-

2 The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
23 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.

A phrase you may have heard or studies in the past.  Jesus said in Matthew 21:

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: (referring to Psalm 118)

“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’[a]?

43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

Guess what??? We start a New Book tomorrow!!!  Exciting!  1 KIngs!

1 Chonicles 26-29, Psalm 127

~ Patricia ~ Leave a comment

Summary:  In chapters 26 and 27, David appointed:

  • Gatekeepers,
  • Treasurers,
  • Army Officials,
  • Leaders of the Tribes, and
  • Overseers.

God is a God of order BUT also the Temple is about to be built…Security is tight!!

The other day we read about David “counting” his men and he was given a choice of consequence.  When you read this it was referring to that past incident:

23 David did not take the number of the men twenty years old or less, because the Lord had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky. 24 Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the men but did not finish. God’s wrath came on Israel on account of this numbering, and the number was not entered in the book of the annals of King David.

The book of the annals (better than the book of anals  🤭) was the royal archive that was kept with the King.  We do not have David’s.  I think Indiana Jones has it to help him look for that missing Ark.  😂

Deconstructing the Scene: Raiders of the Lost Ark

Chapter 29- read it word for word-no skimming here!

The people donated a freewill offering (remember God was content in the tent, he didn’t require a temple; it was David’s heart that required it) of more gold, silver, bronze, and other materials to make The Lord’s house reflects the glory of His greatness. David was responsible for providing 3,860 tons of gold and 37,760 tons of silver. But the king continued to urge his leaders to give generously to the ‘building fund’, and they contributed another 190 tons of gold, plus another 185 pounds, 375 tons of silver, 675 tons of bronze, and 3,750 tons of iron, as well as precious stones.

I don’t know who said this but it’s worth repeating:

“Often the extent to which we are prepared to put at risk our material well-being is a measure of the seriousness with which we take our discipleship”

David’s Prayer  ❤❤❤

These were some of David’s last official words to his nation and his son Solomon. Ancient Near Easterners regarded such statements as extremely important, as indeed they were.  It was so perfect I wanted to cut and paste each line so instead, I put it on a separate piece of paper.  Please feel free to print it, read it often, read it to your kids, hang it on the fridge, use it as a bookmark, or memorize it (if you have that brain capacity.  I can remember every word to every Eagles song but man I struggle on memorizing scripture! Click here.

We end 1 Chronicles with the anointing of Solomon and the death of David.

Psalm 127- Fun Fact: During President Eisenhower’s inauguration he had 2 Bibles: 1 of them was opened to Psalm 127  during it.

Unless the Lord builds the house,
    the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the guards stand watch in vain.

I read this Psalm in several versions: click here to read it in the Message.  It was pretty cool.

Psalm 131, 138, 139, 143, 144, 145

~ Patricia ~ 3 Comments

Psalm 131-SHORT Psalm, but something that should be prayed often.

My heart is not proud, Lord,
    my eyes are not haughty;

I need to pray “Please make my heart not proud, or my eyes haughty”. About a month ago we read Psalm 10, which said:  “In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God”.

Pride is not just a problem for me…it is a problem for everyone even if you don’t want to admit it.  Pride is easier to recognize than to define, easier to recognize in others than ourselves.  Some of the synonyms for pride include arrogance, presumption, conceit, self-satisfaction, or boasting.   It is the opposite of humility.

Haughty I had to look up.  Here is what I found- “Someone who is haughty is arrogant and full of pride. When you’re haughty, you have a big attitude and act like you’re better than other people. A haughty person acts superior and looks down on others. Haughty people are disdainful, overbearing, prideful, swaggering, and obnoxious.”

Psalm 138- Maybe a verse or a stanza stuck out to you.  But I immediately thought of this: Click here.

Psalm 139-   Flag on the field.  I need a time out.  So there I was reading Psalm 139 when I got to verse 13 and realized this is one of those “famous ones” that you see on t-shirts in the South.   And YES verse 13 is BEAUTIFUL-but the rest of the Psalm is incredible!!    Go back and read it again and tell me your favorite part.  To pick one will be so hard!!

Click here to read it again

This Psalm talks about the three “O”s.

  1. God is Omniscient- He knows EVERYTHING about you. Verses 1-6
  2. God is Omnipresent–  He is EVERYWHERE you are. Verses 7-12
  3. God is Omnipotent–  He is ALL POWERFUL.  Verses 13-18

When we have the weight of the world on us it is a good reminder to think about the 3 O’s of God.  It will bring you Peace.

Psalm 143- This another penitential psalm just like Psalm 6.  David prayed for deliverance and guidance. Even when we sin, we can appeal to the Lord for help and restoration on the basis of His faithfulness,  This psalm beautifully combines humble requests and appreciation for God’s character.

Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
    lead me on level ground.

Psalm 144- You may have read this and thought it sounded familiar.  In essence, it is the same as Psalm 18.

By now you might be able to read a Psalm and “categorize it”.   This is one of the Royal Psalms:  Here is the total list

Here are ten psalms scholars commonly classify as royal.

Psalm Author Royal Topic
Psalm 2 David King’s coronation
Psalm 18 David King’s battle victory
Psalm 20 David Prayer for king for battle victory
Psalm 21 David Praise by king for battle victory
Psalm 45 Sons of Korah King’s wedding
Psalm 72 Solomon Prayer for king’s dominion
Psalm 89 Ethan the Ezrahite Davidic covenant
Psalm 101 David King’s charter
Psalm 110 David Priestly kingdom
Psalm 144 David Peace by king’s victory
  • When we read royal psalms, we should consider first what they meant in their original context
  • Then we should look at any cross-references to the New Testament
  •  Last, reflect on how the psalm might relate to Jesus’ second coming and eternal reign.

Psalm 145- A Psalm of Praise.  Sorry, it is worship kind of day….

Click here: ❤️

1 Chronicles 23-25

~ Patricia ~ 16 Comments

The year is 937 B.C.  (Question of the day:  what year will it be when we finish the Old Testament)

Verses 1 and 2 provide an outline for what follows in chapters 23—27, but in reverse order.

1:When David was old and full of years, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.

 2:He also gathered together all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites

I am betting even if you have been marinating in church all your life you may not have read this part of the Bible (Chapters 23-25)  So I will be honest, do I physically read EVERY name, I intend to…but my eyes take over and they skim a lot!!!  Ohhhh I can’t stop them!!  BUT be better than me…read your Bee Eye Bee  Ell Eeee. Because I skimmed, I threw in a load of laundry and listened to it after.

Here is why: these chapters give a connected view or a visual of the condition of the Levites towards the end of David’s life. UNITY.  (I am sure this view will not stay the same, especially by the time we get to the New Testament).

  • To recap, the Levites (from the tribe of Levi, one of Jacob’s sons) were set apart to take care of the Tabernacle.
  • A Tabernacle: (called a Mishkan in Hebrew)  is a portable sanctuary that the presence of the Lord would dwell as they traveled (or wandered) on the Ark of the Covenant.

BUT now we are building the Temple!  (Well, it is a 20-year project) So, “lots are cast” (remember the rocks called Urim and Thummin: they would use to make decisions because God would use the rocks to answer)Were Joseph Smith's Translation Instruments Like the Israelite Urim and Thummim? | Book of Mormon Central

Anyway, I can chase some of these rabbits all day!    There are three branches of Levi’s family:

  1. Gershonites,
  2. Kohathites, and,
  3. Merarites.

IF you skimmed just make sure you read the summary statement: 23:24 says: 24 These were the descendants of Levi by their families—the heads of families as they were registered under their names and counted individually, that is, the workers twenty years old or more who served in the temple of the Lord. 25 For David had said, “Since the Lord, the God of Israel, has granted rest to his people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever, 26 the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles used in its service.” 27 According to the last instructions of David, the Levites were counted from those twenty years old or more.

Then the duties for the Levites are explained. When the Israelites left Egypt, the Levites numbered 8,580 (you ask how do I know that….there is a book called Numbers, it is where I find the numbers) 😂 (sorry feeling frisky, it’s my birthday). In David’s day, the Levites numbered 38,000 (which says a lot about the success of the nation under David’s reign)

  • The high priest supervised the priests in their temple service
  • High Priests were descendants of Aaron (Moses’ brother) and constituted only one branch of the Levitical family
  • The priests continued to offer sacrifices and offerings
  • David organized the priests into 24 groups, each of which served for one week at a time (sounds appealing but I would struggle greatly sacrificing an animal…husband maybe, animal….no). Ha!!

Chapter 24

Every detail of the temple service was important to David. This shows his heart for God.  David lowered the priest age from 30 to 20, I am assuming some muscle might have been needed…a lot of work ahead of them!

Chapter 25

David also organized some of the Levitical families as temple musicians: One from each branch

  • Asaph was a Gershonite (6:39-43),  (he’s my favorite Psalmist…says it like it is, no filter)
  • Heman a Kohathite (6:33),
  • Jeduthun (Ethan) a Merarite (6:44-47).

One verse made me laugh:  8 Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots for their duties.

I just had this visual of them casting lots and saying “awww man, I hate the harp, can we do best out of 3 or rock, paper scissors for the cymbals??”   OR some guy in the corner saying “what are you playing, craps….papa needs a new pair of sandals.”   I am a hot mess today!!

Psalm 108-110

~ Patricia ~ 3 Comments

Psalm 108

This song/psalm of trust is pieced together sections of other Davidic psalms for the Israelites to use in public worship.

  • Verses 1-5 are very similar to 57:7-11,
  • and verses 6-13 are identical to 60:5-12.
  • The theme of this psalm is trust in God because of His promises.

David was relying on God as Israel’s Warrior, not his army, to defeat the enemy. He realized and confessed that if victory depended on the sinful people, they would fall in defeat. We should face our spiritual enemies with the same humility and confidence.

verse 13: With God we will gain the victory,
    and he will trample down our enemies.

For those who have been read through the Bible several times, you may be able to put this into context:

7 God has spoken from his sanctuary:
    “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem
    and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.
8 Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine;
    Ephraim is my helmet,
    Judah is my scepter.
9 Moab is my washbasin,
    on Edom I toss my sandal;
    over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

Psalm 109

Ummmmm I wasn’t expecting that!!!  We know David had a HARD life, but I am thinking this prayer was at the LOWEST point in his life.  This is called an Imprecatory Psalm.  Imprecatory means: to invoke evil upon or curse.

This is ROUGH stuff:

6 Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy;
    let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty,
    and may his prayers condemn him.
8 May his days be few;
    may another take his place of leadership.
9 May his children be fatherless
    and his wife a widow.
10 May his children be wandering beggars;
    may they be driven[b] from their ruined homes.
11 May a creditor seize all he has;
    may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
12 May no one extend kindness to him
    or take pity on his fatherless children.
13 May his descendants be cut off,
    their names blotted out from the next generation.
14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord;
    may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
15 May their sins always remain before the Lord,
    that he may blot out their name from the earth.

Knowing this was going to be the reading today I tried to read or listen to as many commentators as possible on this Psalm last night.  We always have to remember:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God  may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:16-17

David’s feelings were real, and God understands what we feel, and always gives us freedom in prayer  BUT that does not mean He “approves” our feelings.  Is it ok to have these feelings and talk to God about them, of course.  Should we pray for evil to come over our enemies?  No.  God is Just.

It’s not his first rodeo!  He’s got it.

Psalm 110

Oh my stars!  I wasn’t expecting that either!!  Psalm 110  is a conversation between God and Jesus!  Could this day be any better??

The New Testament contains more references to this psalm than to any other chapter in the Old Testament :

  • Matt. 22:44; 26:64;
  • Mark 12:36; 14:62; 16:19;
  • Luke 20:42-44; 22:69;
  • Acts 2:34-35;
  • Rom. 8:34;
  • 1 Cor. 15:25;
  • Eph. 1:20;
  • Col. 3:1;
  • Heb. 1:3, 13; 5:6; 7:17, 21; 8:1; 10:12-13; 12:2.
  • And roughly 33 quotations or paraphrases to the first four verses.

I know we have been in the Old Testament a long time, so here is a little New Testament to make you feel great on this Monday:

Mark 12:35: While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? 36 David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared:

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet.”’

Luke 20:42: David himself declares in the Book of Psalms:

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
43 until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”

44 David calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

If you know me I cannot pass up an opportunity to talk about Melchizadek!

“You are a priest forever,
    in the order of Melchizedek.”

You may not remember: Read Genesis 14:17-24.   Here is the post if you missed it the first time: January 16, click here.