It’s A Gift – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Passage –2 Kings 4 – 6 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 9 – 10; Proverbs 27; Psalms 131 – 135
Scripture Memorization for March – John 1:1 – 18
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Matthew 6:33
Read a great article by Pastor Cary Schmidt – “10 Stretching Experiences of a New Pastor“
Read the “0427 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Read a previous post from this passage -”God Will Take Care of You“
Congratulations! You have won a FREE trip to Bermuda! Wow, a free cruise? A gift for me? Well not exactly. First you need to drive to King-Of-Prussia, PA to pick up your tickets. Then you need to spend several hours with a high pressure salesman as he explains that the product produced by the company who is giving you the FREE trip is something you just can’t live without. The price for this product that you can’t live without (even though the world has done without it for 6000 years) is more than you can afford. But it is cheaper than your FREE (?) cruise to Bermuda. So you sign the contract, get your tickets, and your off to Bermuda… next week, after you drive to Florida, where the ship is leaving from. And to top everything off, your ship sails right through the Bermuda Triangle, you disappear forever, and you never get to see Bermuda, or enjoy whatever it is you signed the contract to buy.
Nothing is free, it always costs somebody something. Well we still live in a free country. Then how come I have to pay taxes? You have freedom of speech. Then why is it considered a hate crime when I quote God as saying homosexuality is an abomination? Even the freedom that we have was not free. Others died for those freedoms that are being tossed aside by the Liberal-Nazi-Commi-Socialist government we have in office. Nothing is free. Except…
In Matthew chapter 10, Jesus is about to send His disciples to the people of Israel. “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:5-8)
Jesus told them they received the power to heal the sick, cleanse lepers, raise the dead, and cast out devils freely. They should use this power freely to help others.
In 2Kings 5, we have the story of Naaman the leper. God used Elisha the prophet to heal Naaman of his leprosy. Naaman tried to give gold, silver, and clothing to Elisha to say thank you. Elisha would not accept these. Freely he received, so freely he gave. So Naaman started on his journey back to Syria. But Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, did not understand. Gehazi ran after Naaman, and lied to get two talents of silver, and two changes of garments. After Gehazi received the items and returned home…
“But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither. And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.” (2Kings 5:25-27)
God’s gift of salvation is the only thing that is truly free to us, yet millions refuse to believe this. Ephesians 2:8-9 tell us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Salvation is a free gift: you cannot work for it, you cannot buy it. “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.” (John 3:16)
Salvation: God gave it; Jesus paid for it, and now offers it freely to you.
Peace! (John 10:7-18)
Posted in Guest Posts by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Shouldn’t We Be Different?
Today’s Passage –1 Kings 22
(Second Milers also read – Luke 5 – 6; Proverbs 25; Psalms 121 – 125
“And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramothgilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.” (1 Kings 22:4)
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” (2 Corinthians 6:17)
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15)
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
In this passage of Scripture we can see a picture of one of the big problems afflicting so many Christians today – we are as they are. In our text today we find King Jehoshaphat of Judah in fellowship and solidarity with King Ahab of Israel. The trouble with this was that Ahab was a very worldly and wicked king. Jehoshaphat was a good man who loved the Lord, and he had no business fellowshipping with Ahab, let alone yoking up with him to do battle against another nation:
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” (Ephesians 5:11)
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)
Christians today have the same problem. We are just like the world around us. We are no different – we are as they are. Shouldn’t there be a difference between us and the lost people that surround us, and shouldn’t that difference be clearly visible in our actions and appearance? Please don’t misunderstand. I am not suggesting that we should be unfriendly, and I am not a proponent of isolation. On the contrary, I believe that we should be “in the world”, but just not “of the world”. We have to rub shoulders with the world in order to shine our light before them and communicate the gospel to them, but we do not have to become like them in order to reach them. As the children’s song says, “If you’re saved and you know it, then your life should surely show it”. Your life, your words, your relationships; everything about you should reveal that you are not like you used to be before you trusted Christ, and you are not like the rest of the world.
Posted in Thoughts from 1 Kings by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Humble Yourself
Today’s Passage – 1 Kings 20 – 21 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 3 – 4; Proverbs 24; Psalms 116 – 120
Scripture Memorization for March – John 1:1 – 18
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 40:31
Read a great article by Pastor Cary Schmidt – “What If“
Read the “0424 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
“And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.” – (1 Kings 21:27-29)
Ahab was probably the worst king in Israel’s history. He tolerated all kinds of immorality and idolatry in his kingdom and even promoted it. He married Jezebel, a woman whose name has become synonomous with wickedness. Together, Ahab and Jezebel were responsible for the slaughter of many of the prophets of the Lord in Israel. These were bad people. Ahab was a bad man and an even worse king.
Notice, however, in the last part of chapter 21. Ahab humbled himself before the Lord. Now don’t misunderstand, this was not a complete turnaround. He didn’t surrender to go to the mission field or anything like that; but he did humble himself before the Lord; and as a result, God spared him some of the judgment that he had planned for him. Apparently, a little humility went a long way for Ahab.
I don’t think there are too many people reading this that are as wicked as old King Ahab; but it would do us well to follow his example in just this one instance. Let’s kill some of the pride in our lives and humble ourselves before the Lord. Let’s surrender to Him and submit ourselves to His will for our lives. Let’s allow him to correct us when necessary. It may just be that a little humility before the Lord will go a long way in our lives as well.
“Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5)
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4:10)
Posted in Thoughts from 1 Kings by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – 1 Kings 18 – 19 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 1 – 2; Proverbs 23; Psalms 111 – 115
Scripture Memorization for March – John 1:1 – 18
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Proverbs 27:15
Read a great article by Pastor Cary Schmidt – “What If“
Read the “0423 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Read a post from this morning’s Bible reading passage – “Don’t Shoot the Messenger“
The Study of Women in the Bible
This week: Sarah
Good morning and welcome once again to Women in the Bible. This week we will be looking at Sarah and how she walked ahead of God.
“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1 – 3)
“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.” (Genesis 15:1 – 5)
“Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived:” (Genesis 16:1 – 4)
Abraham and Sarah lived a secure life in Ur, with friends and family. One day God appeared to Abraham and told him to leave his land and go to a place, which He would point out to him. Most women would find it hard to leave their home to face an unknown future, but Sarah got on board and stood behind her husband, obeyed God and went willingly. After moving over 600 miles away, God told Abraham to move again. All the while Sarah was waiting for the promise of God to bear a child.
Abraham and Sarah continued moving around, and because of a famine, they decided to move to Egypt. For the first time, Sarah saw Abraham not take counsel from God. She must have really questioned her husband when he asked her to tell the people that she was his sister. Here was a man who had walked beside God, now running ahead. Sarah honored her husband, and God honored Sarah by protecting her in Egypt. Sarah knew from experience that to live a life of faith she would need to be patient. Faith and patience go together. You can’t buy them, you have to experience them; but Sarah was growing older and now past her days of child bearing. She suggested to Abraham that he take Hagar as his concubine. Although these things happened frequently back then, it was still wrong, because of her lack of faith.
A year after God appeared to them again, Sarah conceived and bore a child. Finally, receiving the promise from God.
Today we have two nations from the loins of Abraham: the Arabs, the descendants of Ishmael; and the Jews, the descendants of Isaac. They are still at war with each other, all because Sarah ran ahead of God.
We too must follow by God’s side; never running ahead or dragging behind. We should follow closely by God’s side because His timing is the perfect timing. Moving only when God moves us, and waiting when He is working. Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” If you ever walked in the woods at night with a flashlight, you know you must walk next to the one holding the light. Too far behind or ahead, and you are in darkness. You might go down the wrong path, stumble, or fall. So let’s take the Saviour’s hand and walk together by His side.
In conclusion, I do not want to leave Sarah on a sour note. Sarah’s life had experienced many sacrifices. Her faith grew after the birth of her son, Isaac. She experienced hardships and disappointments, all without complaint. She was flexible with the changes that were made in her life. By her obedience to Abraham, she allowed him to obey God. In Hebrews 11, she was honored for the faith she had, without having her failures pointed out.
Have patience, have patience, Don’t be in such a hurry.
Have patience, have patience, You’ll only start to worry.
Remember, Remember, that God is patient too!
Just think of all the times that others had to wait for you!
Thank You
1 John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Be Careful Who You Trust
Today’s Passage – 1 Kings 12 – 14 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 13 – 14; Proverbs 21; Psalms 101 – 105
Scripture Memorization for March – John 1:1 – 18
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “Five Musts of Christ“
Read the “0421 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
My attention this morning is drawn to chapter thirteen and the account of the prophet that was sent from the southern kingdom of Judah with a message for Jeroboam, the king of the northern kingdom, Israel. He was sent with a message of judgment to Jeroboam:
“And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall be burnt upon thee. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.” (1 Kings 13:2 & 3)
At the end of this unpleasant meeting with Jeroboam, this un-named prophet is asked to go back with Jeroboam to get something to eat and to receive a reward. The prophet flatly refuses to go with Jeroboam because he was given strict instructions by God not to eat in Israel. On the way home, however, another man claiming to be a prophet asks him to go with him and get something to eat. This man lies to him and tells him that God told him that it was OK. As a result, the prophet from Judah goes with him; but soon discovers that he was tricked into disobeying the clear commandment of God; and it cost him his life.
Christian, you and I need to be careful who we listen to. Sometimes people pretending to represent God will come to us and try to get us to do things that are clearly against the plain teaching of the Word of God. We are to trust the Bible, and we can trust the men and women that preach and teach the Bible correctly; but the Bible itself is always the final authority. Be careful who you trust.
By the way, we also saw in chapter twelve that Reheboam listened to the counsel of the young men, rather than the counsel of the old men. The result was that the kingdom of Israel was split into two kingdoms. Again, we see here that you have to be very careful about who you listen to. I am not saying that it is always unwise to listen to young men, but we should always include in our cabinet of counselors some older men (and ladies) who have demonstrated that they have godly wisdom.
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And That’s The Way It Is – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Passage – 1 Kings 10 – 11 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 11 – 12; Proverbs 20; Psalms 96 – 100
Scripture Memorization for March – John 1:1 – 18
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 119:105
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “A Checklist that Matters“
Read the “0420 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Good morning. That title is the closing line used by Walter Cronkite on his CBS news show. I couldn’t help thinking of that while watching the capture of suspected Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev. The one reporting said that the older brother was in hell, and that the younger brother would be joining him there. Terrorists get the death penalty. Maybe, instead of taking away our rights to bare arms, and limit the rounds in our defense rifles, the government should make jail an unpleasant experience instead of a vacation. And if you take someone’s life, you forfeit your own.
And that’s the way it is. Unless someone reaches that kid with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He should have read…
Proverbs 19:19 – “A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again.”
A man of great wrath WILL suffer punishment. A man of great wrath will continue to be a man of great wrath. And, if a man of great wrath could be delivered, you would have to deliver him over and over again. Jesus tells us to love our enemies. But this 19 year-old has never heard that. He believes a lie. He should have read…
Proverbs 20:17 – “Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.”
The only cure for a man of great wrath is either death, or the Lord Jesus Christ. God tells us to make ourselves living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), not dead ones. God also tells us that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2Corinthians 5:17). Only God can change a person, and the man of great wrath is passed away: gone. You see, God loves the man of great wrath, just as He loves every sinner. We are all sinners (Romans 3:10 & 23). And, because God knew that being sinners we could not save ourselves, He put on flesh, became a man, and died on a cross to pay the price for our sins (John 1:1-14; Romans 5:8-11, 6:23). The only thing we can do is ask Him to save us (Romans 10:13).
Peace! (Exodus 20:3)
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Use Your Abilities for the Lord
Today’s Passage – 1 Kings 6 – 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 7 – 8; Proverbs 18; Psalms 86 – 90
Scripture Memorization for March – John 1:1 – 18
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “A Checklist that Matters“
Read the “0418 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
“And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre. He was a widow’s son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.” – (1 Kings 7:13-14)
Not every Christian is gifted by God to be a teacher or a preacher. In this passage, we see Hiram, a man from Tyre, who was uniquely gifted by God to make all of the works of brass that were to be used in the Temple. Back in the Book of Exodus, we saw two other fellows. Bezaleel and Aholiab, who were also uniquely filled with wisdom (gifted) to build the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. As far as we know, these men never taught the Scriptures; they were not priests, or prophets; but they were greatly used of the Lord.
We have many people in our churches today who have also been uniquely crafted by the Lord to fulfill His purpose. They may be builders, like the men referenced above. They may be men or women that have a knack for cleaning, or landscaping. These are all very necessary and important jobs in the service of our churches today. As I read this passage today, I thought of a man in our church who was used of the Lord to build our platform in the auditorium along with the sound booth. He did a wonderful job, and our church building is much more beautiful and functional as a result of his using his gifts for the Lord. We also have some folks in our church that like to cook, and when we have a dinner of some kind, these people go to work, preparing delicious food for the rest of us to enjoy. They work mostly behind the scenes, but their work is very important to the Lord.
God tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:
“But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.” – (1 Corinthians 12:18)
Not every member is an eye or an ear: some are hands, some are feet. Not everybody is a preacher or teacher; and those that are gifted in areas other that teaching are just as important to the work of the ministry as those who teach or preach.
What is your gift? What is your sweet spot? The thing that you were born to do. Hiram was born to make brass, and he did it very well. God will be well pleased with your life if you find the thing that He has equipped you to do, and then do it for His glory.
Posted in Thoughts from 1 Kings by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Wisdom
Today’s Passage – 1 Kings 3 – 5 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 5 – 6; Proverbs 17; Psalms 81 – 85
“And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.” – (1 Kings 3:7)
“And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.” – (1 Kings 3:28)
“And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about. And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.” – (1 Kings 4:29-34 KJV)
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” – (James 1:5)
1 Kings chapter 3 is a wonderful illustration of the principle found in James 1: if you lack wisdom, you can ask God for it. Solomon recognized that he had a big job to do, and limited knowledge and ability. He admitted that he was like a little child. God likes when we see ourselves as little children. Unfortunately, all too often we are so puffed up with pride that we think we are almost godlike, knowing everything. God gave Solomon the wisdom he needed so that he could fulfill God’s will for his life. We even see an example in vv 16 – 28 of Solomon’s wisdom in action.
We need God’s wisdom today more than ever. The world that we live in is offering us all kinds of advice as to how we should live and raise our families; but oftentimes this worldly wisdom is not wise at all. We need discernment so that we will know what we should and shouldn’t do; but we need to ask. I believe the most important step in the acquisition of wisdom is acknowledging that our little, finite, human minds don’t know everything. We need God to help and guide us through all of the complexities of life. Just this morning as I was walking and praying, I was thinking about how limited I really am. I just can’t put all of the pieces together at times. But, I know that God can. Instead of trying to figure it all out on my own, I can spend my time much more profitably by simply asking God for His help. The Scripture says that “he upbraideth not”, meaning He won’t hold back, and He won’t scold us for asking. He wants us to depend upon Him. Moms and dads need God’s wisdom so that they can raise godly children. We need wisdom at our jobs, and in our churches. It’s available to us from the Lord simply by asking.
Oh, and by the way, I would be remiss in mentioning that the greatest collection of God’s wisdom has already been recorded for us in the Word of God. But, you already know that, because you spent time reading it this morning. Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, and it blossoms with education and experience.
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7)
Posted in Thoughts from 1 Kings by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
JUST FOR LADIES – BY CAMILLE STAHL
Today’s Passage – 1 Kings 1 – 2 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 3 – 4 ; Proverbs 16; Psalms 76 – 80
Scripture Memorization for March – John 1:1 – 18
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 61:1 – 3
Read a great article by Pastor Cary Schmidt – “The Dangers of Depletion“
Read the “0416 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
A Study of Women in the Bible
Michal, A Woman Whose Marriage Lacked Unity
“And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night. Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain. So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth. And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster. And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?” (1Samuel 19:10-17)
“And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts. And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house. Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself! And David said unto Michal, It was before the LORD, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: therefore will I play before the LORD. And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour. Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.” (2Samuel 6:16-23)
Michal was the youngest daughter of King Saul. Saul had arranged David’s marriage to Michal hoping that it would make him unhappy and cause his death. (See 1Samuel 18:21). But Michal loved David. David was handsome, courageous, a brave warrior, popular with the people, and had a relationship with God.
Saul never changed his mind about David, and hated him more. He tried to get rid of him through war. When that failed, Saul plotted to kill David in his own home. However, Michal heard of it and warned David. She lied to her father by saying David was sick and placed a large idol in David’s bed. Let’s take a closer look at that. Why was there an idol in their home? David loved the true God. Their marriage was doomed from the start. They were unequally yoked.
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2Corinthians 6:14)
Later, we see Jerusalem rejoicing together in receiving the ark of the Lord, in the place David had appointed it to be. The priests and Levites had prepared themselves spiritually for their tasks. Leader of the people, with the singers and musicians ready themselves for the joyous occasion, David was overjoyed. He too prepared himself for this great event. He put aside his royal robe and girded himself with linen breeches that God had ordered for the priests to wear. (See Exodus 28:42). David then expressed his overwhelming joy and thankfulness in a religious dance. Michal did not share the religious convictions of her husband. Like her father, Michal was not concerned about the ark of God. She had no desire to play a tambourine and lead the women in song as Miriam once did. Her words were of sarcasm to David. She was putting her husband down.
Michal had a sad life. Her father and husband used her to gain their own ends. Obviously she wasn’t ‘Miss Innocent’. But we can’t blame her for disliking her treatment as a pawn in the political game. It just makes me wonder why she didn’t turn to the one true God. Things would have turned out much better for her than they did.
Lack of spiritual unity in a marriage at first might seem to be only a small crack, but it will quickly widen into a gulf that cannot be bridged. A family must be started with a solid foundation, Jesus Christ. You would never build a house without a foundation, because it would never pass through a storm. The same is true with marriage. Single ladies, look for a mate who is on the same page as you are, spiritually. Married ladies, be true to your husband. No matter if he is saved or not, be careful of your treatment to him. Remember, the husband you put down may meet another woman willing to build him up. Why take a chance. Always encourage him to do right in the Lord. God takes marriage very seriously. It pictures His relationship with us, and cannot be put on and taken off at will.
The marriage of David and Michal stands as a warning in history. If a husband and wife are not one in God, sharing spiritual unity, their marriage will fold under life’s pressures.
Thank You
1 John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
God Doesn’t Forget
Today’s Passage – 2 Samuel 20 – 22 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 27 – 28; Proverbs 14; Psalms 66 – 70
Scripture Memorization for March – John 1:1 – 18
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 51
Read a great article by Pastor Cary Schmidt – “The Dangers of Depletion“
Read the “0414 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“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.” (2 Samuel 21:1)
Remember back in 1 Samuel when King Saul was mad at the priests because they had helped David. (See 1 Samuel 21 & 22) Saul ended up killing all of the priests (85 of them) and then proceeded to wipe out Nob, the city that the priests lived in. What Saul did to the priests and to their families was bad enough; but there was also a group of people who lived in Nob as servants to the priests who were not Israelites: they were Gibeonites. Now you may also remember from the book of Joshua that the Gibeonites were the people who tricked Joshua into making a covenant with them. Joshua promised these people with an oath that Israel would let them live, and in return the Gibeonites would be Israel’s servants. God never forgot that covenant, so when Saul (acting on behalf of Israel) broke the covenant and slew the Gibeonites living in Nob; God held them (Israel – not just Saul) accountable. God doesn’t forget, even when we want to. Here an entire nation is suffering for the decision of one man.
We should be admonished when we read passages like this. First of all, we should realize that our actions affect more people than we think; and we should carefully consider the outcome on others around us from the decisions we make today as well as the impact they will have on future generations. Secondly, we need to think about any unfinished business we may have with God or other people. We are so quick to promise things; but so slow to deliver the things that we promise. God never forgot the promise that Israel made with the Gibeonites.
Note – A separate thought from this passage of Scripture. Notice in 21:8 that five of the ”sons of Saul” (actually grandsons) that were to be killed were the sons of Michal, David’s first wife. Michal had lived a troubled life due to men who have used her for their own gain. Saul promised her to David and reluctantly gives her to be his wife; later Saul took her back and gave her to another man; After Sauls death when David is in power he takes her back, away from a man that loves her; and now here she is losing her sons.
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Samuel by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.