Journal Through the Bible, Week 42 Day 4

II Samuel 5:13-6:23

Does God make any commands?

•  In response to David's prayer, God told him that he should lead a military campaign against the Philistines and that God would deliver them into his hands.
• The next time David asked God about attacking the Philistines, God told him not to attack at that time but to go around and when he and the army reached the mulberry trees they should wait until the wind blowing in the top of the trees then they could launch their attack. Then God would give David the victory. David obeyed and won a victories from Geba to Gazer.
• God had given commands in the book of Leviticus stating how the Ark of the Covenant was to be moved on the shoulders of the priests and Levites. David didn't do his research the first time they attempted to move it and Uzzah died as a consequence. 

Does God issue any promises?

• God did not speak in this passage.

Does this passage teach anything about Jesus?

• The Ark of the Covenant with its Mercy Seat is a picture of the propitiation for sins. achieved through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
• There was only one way that the Ark was to be moved. God's instructions were to be followed or a breach would occur. There is only one to be moved from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Eternal Light. Jesus said that He is the Way, not a way, to the Father. Without Jesus, the breach between the sinner and God remains. (John 14:6)
• David is a picture of Jesus Christ when he blessed the people, fed them, gave them gifts, and sent them in peace to their dwellings after he had installed the ark in the place that he had prepared. Jesus told His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them and us who believe (John 14:2). John chapters 14-17 are Jesus' words to His disciples detailing the blessings that He was giving to them and the peace that would be theirs.
• At the completion of his celebration one of David's wives, Michal, met him with disdain and cursing. After Jesus completed His blessing upon His disciples, one disciple, Judas, met Him with a betraying kiss.

Does this passage teach anything about future events?

• The celebration that followed the successful moving of the Ark of the Covenant is a picture of the celebrations of the redeemed in Heaven. (see Revelation chapters 4-5; 19-22).

The Model Prayer (Lord's Prayer) Chart

Here is the chart I compiled based upon my 6 week Bible study of the Lord's Prayer as taken from the Gospel of Matthew. Those who have been watching or listening to the study may find it easier to print or download the chart from here. Below the picture there is a link to the file.

Link to Printable document

If you would like to see the videos that go along with the 6 week study please contact me via email and links for each of the 6 lessons will be emailed to you.

Journal Through the Bible, Week 42, Day 3

I did not complete the online Bible Journal that I began in 2013. There were parts of II Samuel and some of the psalms that were not covered. Beginning today - and depending on the amount of time the Lord gives me to work on this project - I will complete as many of the entries as I can.

I also hope to update the Bible Journal Index tab above as I have opportunity.

II Samuel 4:1 - 5:12

Does God issue any commands?

•  God did not speak, but He had already had Samuel anoint David as king years before so when the people came to Hebron in chapter 5 to confirm David as king they were fulfilling a command that God had already issued. They alluded to this command in 5:2 when they said, "and the LORD said to thee, 'Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.'"
  

Does God make any promises?

•  The people confirmed the promise that God had made to David when He had Samuel anoint him to be king over Israel. They anointed David the second time. (5:3)

Does this passage teach anything about Jesus?

•  Rechab and Baanah thought that killing Saul's son, Ishbosheth, would endear them to king David. It did not. David called Ishbosheth a righteous person who was slain in his own house and upon his own bed. Like David, Jesus is not pleased with our works which are as filthy rags even though we think they are pleasing to Him. Jesus told His disciples in John 16:2 "the time comes that whosoever kills you will think that he does God service." Obviously, they are not doing God any service.
• David commanded his servants to put Rechab and Baanah to death for the murder of Ishbosheth. Jesus will tell those who think they are doing His will but are not, "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:23)
• The Jebusites mocked David by saying that the lame and the blind could defeat him, yet David defeated them. Although the men who had followed David through all his years of running from Saul and fighting with Ishbosheth's kingdom were mighty, they were also a rag-tag group of outcasts. We are also introduced to Jonathan's lame son, Mephibosheth, in chapter 4 verse 4. We know the story. And before we get to that passage, we already know that David had nothing but compassion for the lame and the blind, the outcasts of society. David said whoever won over the city, whether lame or blind or not, he would be a chief and captain in David's kingdom. Jesus' kingdom is made up of broken people also. It is those that the world mocks as being foolish upon whom Jesus shows compassion. This can be seen by the men He chose as His disciples. It can be seen in the beggars, lepers, and Gentiles that He healed during His earthly ministry. It can be seen in the lives of many of us also. We are the lame and blind. Many say that its the foolish and mentally weak who believe in God and that Christianity is a crutch. And yet, we know we are the exalted in Christ's Kingdom.
•  5:10 says that David "grew great, and the LORD GOD of hosts was with him." Luke 2:40 says of Jesus that "the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him."
•  5:12 says that David realized that the LORD had exalted him for his people Israel's sake. Jesus is the Exalted for God's people's sake also.

Does this passage teach anything about yet-future events?

•  Revelation 6:9-11 says that the martyred cry out to the Lord and ask when they will be avenged. They are given white robes and told that they must wait for a little season for all things to be fulfilled, including waiting for those among the believers who are yet to be martyred. Jesus doesn't tell them that they will never be avenged. He tells them that they must wait awhile longer. Like David, Jesus will avenge the martyred. That day is coming!
• Jesus is already the Anointed of God. One day He will claim His throne and rule over Heaven and Earth.
• David took the stronghold of Zion even though the inhabitants mocked him and said it couldn't be done. Jesus will one day take the stronghold of Zion, the City of David, even though the world's inhabitants mock and say that it isn't going to happen.

I Blinked and He Was Grown!

So this happened yesterday:

Seriously, it seems like it was only last year that we were asking the Lord to give us our fourth child that we specifically asked for by name. Okay, if God had given us our fourth daughter we would have been just as happy. It's just that we asked for The Bear and God gave him to us. (Thank you, God!)

After yesterday's time of ceremony and celebration I took out his baby book to put the commencement program in it. When I opened the pages a typed letter fell out dated May 8, 1995. It was a copy of the letter Pastor Dad sent our church members encouraging them to be in church on Sunday, May 14th, Mother's Day. He had 3 reasons enumerated but the one that specifically caught my eye was the third one:

"3. This Mother's Day it will be my blessed privilege to introduce to you a very precious individual. On May 3rd, 1995, God blessed my wife and me with a son, [The Bear]. It will be a joy to dedicate him to the Lord and introduce him to the church. . . "

We have the service on video but these are a few "pictures of the pictures" from our scrapbook album. We dedicated our baby boy 22 years ago today! I can hardly believe how fast that time passed!

If we've been blogging friends for any length of time you've watched my son grow from a little guy taking taekwondo, read about his voracious appetite in his adolescent years, recall the hilarity when I walked into the house and heard him and his friends call out, "Hey Mom!" or "Hey, Mrs. P." in several notes on broken scales as their voices changed, encouraged him as he played on a competitive basketball team with other homeschoolers, and congratulated him as he was awarded his black belt. You may have even appreciated the fact that we all survived the learning-to-drive months. 

The homeschool years are all behind us now and so are the rest of those things. I've transitioned from homeschool  teacher / stay-at-home mom to a full-time office worker as my children / students transitioned into adults. What hasn't changed is my love for these 4 tremendous blessings. God continues to multiply my love as they find and follow His will for their lives. As we segue into the next stage of life, may I just say that I am still one blessed mama who can't wait to see how God continues to work in the lives of her children. It has been exactly 22 years since we dedicated our newborn son to the Lord and it is a joy to see Him at work in his life.

The sweet young lady who puts a smile on my son's face :)

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms reading this today!