June 10, 2014 Central Christian Church

June 10 – OT Reading

Psalm 43

Prayer for Deliverance.

43 Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man! ² For You are the God of my strength; why have You rejected me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

³O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your dwelling places. ⁴ Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.

⁵ Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

Psalm 44

Former Deliverances and Present Troubles.

For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.

44 O God, we have heard with our ears, Our fathers have told us The work that You did in their days, In the days of old. ²You with Your own hand drove out the nations; Then You planted them; You afflicted the peoples, Then You spread them abroad. ³ For by their own sword they did not possess the land, And their own arm did not save them, But Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your presence, For You favored them.

⁴You are my King, O God; Command victories for Jacob. ⁵ Through You we will push back our adversaries; Through Your name we will trample down those who rise up against us. ⁶ For I will not trust in my bow, Nor will my sword save me. ⁷ But You have saved us from our adversaries, And You have put to shame those who hate us. ⁸In God we have boasted all day long, And we will give thanks to Your name forever. Selah.

⁹ Yet You have rejected us and brought us to dishonor, And do not go out with our armies. ¹⁰ You cause us to turn back from the adversary; And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves. ¹¹ You give us as sheep to be eaten And have scattered us among the nations. ¹² You sell Your people cheaply, And have not profited by their sale. ¹³ You make us a reproach to our neighbors, A scoffing and a derision to those around us. ¹⁴ You make us a byword among the nations, A laughingstock among the peoples. ¹⁵ All day long my dishonor is before me And my humiliation has overwhelmed me, ¹⁶ Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles, Because of the presence of the enemy and the avenger.

¹⁷ All this has come upon us, but we have not forgotten You, And we have not dealt falsely with Your covenant. ¹⁸ Our heart has not turned back, And our steps have not deviated from Your way, ¹⁹ Yet You have crushed us in a place of jackals And covered us with the shadow of death.

²⁰ If we had forgotten the name of our God Or extended our hands to a strange god, ²¹ Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart. ²² But for Your sake we are killed all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. ²³ Arouse Yourself, why do You sleep, O Lord? Awake, do not reject us forever. ²⁴ Why do You hide Your face And forget our affliction and our oppression? ²⁵ For our soul has sunk down into the dust; Our body cleaves to the earth. ²⁶ Rise up, be our help, And redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness.

Psalm 45

A Song Celebrating the King’s Marriage.

For the choir director; according to the Shoshannim. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.

45 My heart overflows with a good theme; I address my verses to the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. ²You are fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured upon Your lips; Therefore God has blessed You forever.

³ Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One, In Your splendor and Your majesty! ⁴And in Your majesty ride on victoriously, For the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; Let Your right hand teach You awesome things. ⁵ Your arrows are sharp; The peoples fall under You; Your arrows are in the heart of the King’s enemies.

⁶ Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. ⁷ You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your fellows. ⁸ All Your garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made You glad. ⁹Kings’ daughters are among Your noble ladies; At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.

¹⁰ Listen, O daughter, give attention and incline your ear: Forget your people and your father’s house; ¹¹ Then the King will desire your beauty. Because He is your Lord, bow down to Him. ¹² The daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; The rich among the people will seek your favor.

¹³ The King’s daughter is all glorious within; Her clothing is interwoven with gold. ¹⁴She will be led to the King in embroidered work; The virgins, her companions who follow her, Will be brought to You. ¹⁵ They will be led forth with gladness and rejoicing; They will enter into the King’s palace.

¹⁶ In place of your fathers will be your sons; You shall make them princes in all the earth. ¹⁷ I will cause Your name to be remembered in all generations; Therefore the peoples will give You thanks forever and ever.

Psalm 49

The Folly of Trusting in Riches.

For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

49 Hear this, all peoples; Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, ² Both low and high, Rich and poor together. ³ My mouth will speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart will be understanding. ⁴I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle on the harp.

⁵ Why should I fear in days of adversity, When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me, ⁶Even those who trust in their wealth And boast in the abundance of their riches? ⁷ No man can by any means redeem his brother Or give to God a ransom for him— ⁸ For the redemption of his soul is costly, And he should cease trying forever— ⁹ That he should live on eternally, That he should not undergo decay.

¹⁰ For he sees that even wise men die; The stupid and the senseless alike perish And leave their wealth to others. ¹¹ Their inner thought is that their houses are forever And their dwelling places to all generations; They have called their lands after their own names. ¹² But man in his pomp will not endure; He is like the beasts that perish.

¹³ This is the way of those who are foolish, And of those after them who approve their words. Selah. ¹⁴ As sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; And the upright shall rule over them in the morning, And their form shall be for Sheol to consume So that they have no habitation. ¹⁵ But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, For He will receive me. Selah.

¹⁶ Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; ¹⁷For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him. ¹⁸ Though while he lives he congratulates himself— And though men praise you when you do well for yourself— ¹⁹ He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They will never see the light. ²⁰ Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 84

Longing for the Temple Worship.

For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

84 How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ²My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. ³ The bird also has found a house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, My King and my God. ⁴ How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. Selah.

⁵ How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion! ⁶ Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring; The early rain also covers it with blessings. ⁷ They go from strength to strength, Every one of them appears before God in Zion.

⁸ O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah. ⁹ Behold our shield, O God, And look upon the face of Your anointed. ¹⁰ For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. ¹¹ For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. ¹² O Lord of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Psalm 85

Prayer for God’s Mercy upon the Nation.

For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

85 O Lord, You showed favor to Your land; You restored the captivity of Jacob. ² You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin. Selah. ³ You withdrew all Your fury; You turned away from Your burning anger.

⁴Restore us, O God of our salvation, And cause Your indignation toward us to cease. ⁵ Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? ⁶ Will You not Yourself revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You? ⁷Show us Your lovingkindness, O Lord, And grant us Your salvation.

⁸ I will hear what God the Lord will say; For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones; But let them not turn back to folly. ⁹ Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, That glory may dwell in our land. ¹⁰ Lovingkindness and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. ¹¹ Truth springs from the earth, And righteousness looks down from heaven. ¹² Indeed, the Lord will give what is good, And our land will yield its produce. ¹³ Righteousness will go before Him And will make His footsteps into a way.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)

June 9, 2014 Central Christian Church

June 9 – OT Reading

1 Chronicles 1

Genealogy from Adam

1 Adam, Seth, Enosh, ² Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, ³Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, ⁴Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth.

⁵ The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras.⁶ The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Diphath, and Togarmah. ⁷The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim and Rodanim.

⁸ The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.⁹ The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. ¹⁰ Cush became the father of Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one in the earth.

¹¹ Mizraim became the father of the people of Lud, Anam, Lehab, Naphtuh, ¹² Pathrus, Casluh, from which the Philistines came, and Caphtor.

¹³ Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, Heth, ¹⁴ and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, ¹⁵ the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, ¹⁶ the Arvadites, the Zemarites and the Hamathites.

¹⁷ The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshech. ¹⁸ Arpachshad became the father of Shelah and Shelah became the father of Eber.¹⁹ Two sons were born to Eber, the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan. ²⁰ Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, ²¹ Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, ²² Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, ²³ Ophir, Havilah and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan.

²⁴ Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah, ²⁵ Eber, Peleg, Reu, ²⁶ Serug, Nahor, Terah, ²⁷ Abram, that is Abraham.

Descendants of Abraham

²⁸ The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael. ²⁹These are their genealogies: the firstborn of Ishmael was Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, ³⁰ Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, ³¹ Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah; these were the sons of Ishmael. ³² The sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine, whom she bore, were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan were Sheba and Dedan. ³³ The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.

³⁴ Abraham became the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac were Esau and Israel. ³⁵ The sons of Esau were Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam and Korah. ³⁶ The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna and Amalek. ³⁷ The sons of Reuel were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. ³⁸ The sons of Seir were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. ³⁹ The sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam; and Lotan’s sister was Timna. ⁴⁰ The sons of Shobal were Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi and Onam. And the sons of Zibeon were Aiah and Anah. ⁴¹ The son of Anah was Dishon. And the sons of Dishon were Hamran, Eshban, Ithran and Cheran. ⁴² The sons of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan and Jaakan. The sons of Dishan were Uz and Aran.

⁴³ Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king of the sons of Israel reigned. Bela was the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. ⁴⁴ When Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah became king in his place.⁴⁵ When Jobab died, Husham of the land of the Temanites became king in his place. ⁴⁶ When Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the field of Moab, became king in his place; and the name of his city was Avith. ⁴⁷ When Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah became king in his place. ⁴⁸ When Samlah died, Shaul of Rehoboth by the River became king in his place. ⁴⁹ When Shaul died, Baal-hanan the son of Achbor became king in his place. ⁵⁰ When Baal-hanan died, Hadad became king in his place; and the name of his city was Pai, and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. ⁵¹ Then Hadad died.

Now the chiefs of Edom were: chief Timna, chief Aliah, chief Jetheth, ⁵² chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, ⁵³chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, ⁵⁴chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom.

1 Chronicles 2

Genealogy: Twelve Sons of Jacob (Israel)

2 These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,²Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

³The sons of Judah were Er, Onan and Shelah; these three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanitess. And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, so He put him to death. ⁴ Tamar his daughter-in-law bore him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all.

⁵ The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. ⁶ The sons of Zerah were Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol and Dara; five of them in all. ⁷ The son of Carmi was Achar, the troubler of Israel, who violated the ban.⁸ The son of Ethan was Azariah.

Genealogy of David

⁹ Now the sons of Hezron, who were born to him were Jerahmeel, Ram and Chelubai. ¹⁰ Ram became the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, leader of the sons of Judah; ¹¹ Nahshon became the father of Salma, Salma became the father of Boaz,¹² Boaz became the father of Obed, and Obed became the father of Jesse; ¹³ and Jesse became the father of Eliab his firstborn, then Abinadab the second, Shimea the third,¹⁴ Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, ¹⁵ Ozem the sixth, David the seventh; ¹⁶ and their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the three sons of Zeruiah were Abshai, Joab and Asahel.¹⁷ Abigail bore Amasa, and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite.

¹⁸Now Caleb the son of Hezron had sons by Azubah his wife, and by Jerioth; and these were her sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. ¹⁹ When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who bore him Hur. ²⁰ Hur became the father of Uri, and Uri became the father of Bezalel.

²¹ Afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was sixty years old; and she bore him Segub. ²² Segub became the father of Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead. ²³ But Geshur and Aram took the towns of Jair from them, with Kenath and its villages, even sixty cities. All these were the sons of Machir, the father of Gilead. ²⁴ After the death of Hezron in Caleb-ephrathah, Abijah, Hezron’s wife, bore him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.

²⁵ Now the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron were Ram the firstborn, then Bunah, Oren, Ozem and Ahijah. ²⁶ Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.²⁷ The sons of Ram, the firstborn of Jerahmeel, were Maaz, Jamin and Eker.²⁸ The sons of Onam were Shammai and Jada. And the sons of Shammai were Nadab and Abishur. ²⁹The name of Abishur’s wife was Abihail, and she bore him Ahban and Molid. ³⁰ The sons of Nadab were Seled and Appaim, and Seled died without sons. ³¹ The son of Appaim was Ishi. And the son of Ishi was Sheshan. And the son of Sheshan was Ahlai. ³² The sons of Jada the brother of Shammai were Jether and Jonathan, and Jether died without sons. ³³ The sons of Jonathan were Peleth and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel. ³⁴ Now Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. And Sheshan had an Egyptian servant whose name was Jarha.³⁵Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant in marriage, and she bore him Attai. ³⁶ Attai became the father of Nathan, and Nathan became the father of Zabad, ³⁷ and Zabad became the father of Ephlal, and Ephlal became the father of Obed, ³⁸ and Obed became the father of Jehu, and Jehu became the father of Azariah,³⁹and Azariah became the father of Helez, and Helez became the father of Eleasah, ⁴⁰ and Eleasah became the father of Sismai, and Sismai became the father of Shallum, ⁴¹ and Shallum became the father of Jekamiah, and Jekamiah became the father of Elishama.

⁴² Now the sons of Caleb, the brother of Jerahmeel, were Mesha his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph; and his son was Mareshah, the father of Hebron. ⁴³The sons of Hebron were Korah and Tappuah and Rekem and Shema.⁴⁴Shema became the father of Raham, the father of Jorkeam; and Rekem became the father of Shammai. ⁴⁵ The son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Bethzur. ⁴⁶ Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Haran, Moza and Gazez; and Haran became the father of Gazez. ⁴⁷ The sons of Jahdai were Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah and Shaaph. ⁴⁸ Maacah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanah.⁴⁹ She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbena and the father of Gibea; and the daughter of Caleb was Achsah. ⁵⁰ These were the sons of Caleb.

The sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, were Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim, ⁵¹ Salma the father of Bethlehem and Hareph the father of Beth-gader. ⁵² Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim had sons: Haroeh, half of the Manahathites, ⁵³ and the families of Kiriath-jearim: the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites and the Mishraites; from these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites. ⁵⁴ The sons of Salma were Bethlehem and the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab and half of the Manahathites, the Zorites. ⁵⁵ The families of scribes who lived at Jabez were the Tirathites, the Shimeathites and the Sucathites. Those are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)

June 7, 2014 Central Christian Church

June 7 – Weekend Passage

Genesis 21

Isaac Is Born

21 Then the Lord took note of Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had promised. ²So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. ³Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. ⁴Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. ⁵Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. ⁶Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.” ⁷And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

⁸The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.

Sarah Turns against Hagar

⁹Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. ¹⁰Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.” ¹¹The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son. ¹²But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named. ¹³And of the son of the maid I will make a nation also, because he is your descendant.” ¹⁴So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and gave her the boy, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba.

¹⁵When the water in the skin was used up, she left the boy under one of the bushes. ¹⁶Then she went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away, for she said, “Do not let me see the boy die.” And she sat opposite him, and lifted up her voice and wept. ¹⁷God heard the lad crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. ¹⁸Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him.” ¹⁹Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad a drink.

²⁰God was with the lad, and he grew; and he lived in the wilderness and became an archer. ²¹He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

Covenant with Abimelech

²²Now it came about at that time that Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do; ²³now therefore, swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my offspring or with my posterity, but according to the kindness that I have shown to you, you shall show to me and to the land in which you have sojourned.” ²⁴Abraham said, “I swear it.” ²⁵But Abraham complained to Abimelech because of the well of water which the servants of Abimelech had seized. ²⁶And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor did I hear of it until today.”

²⁷Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. ²⁸Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. ²⁹Abimelech said to Abraham, “What do these seven ewe lambs mean, which you have set by themselves?” ³⁰He said, “You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand so that it may be a witness to me, that I dug this well.” ³¹Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because there the two of them took an oath. ³²So they made a covenant at Beersheba; and Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, arose and returned to the land of the Philistines. ³³Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. ³⁴And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)

June 6, 2014 Central Christian Church

June 6 – OT Reading

Psalm 6

Prayer for Mercy in Time of Trouble.

For the choir director; with stringed instruments, upon an eight-string lyre. A Psalm of David.

6 O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, Nor chasten me in Your wrath. ² Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am pining away; Heal me, O Lord, for my bones are dismayed. ³And my soul is greatly dismayed; But You, O Lord—how long?

⁴ Return, O Lord, rescue my soul; Save me because of Your lovingkindness. ⁵For there is no mention of You in death; In Sheol who will give You thanks?

⁶ I am weary with my sighing; Every night I make my bed swim, I dissolve my couch with my tears. ⁷ My eye has wasted away with grief; It has become old because of all my adversaries.

⁸ Depart from me, all you who do iniquity, For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. ⁹ The Lord has heard my supplication, The Lord receives my prayer. ¹⁰ All my enemies will be ashamed and greatly dismayed; They shall turn back, they will suddenly be ashamed.

Psalm 8

The Lord’s Glory and Man’s Dignity.

For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.

8 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! ²From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.

³ When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; ⁴ What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? ⁵ Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! ⁶ You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, ⁷ All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, ⁸ The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

⁹ O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Psalm 9

A Psalm of Thanksgiving for God’s Justice.

For the choir director; on Muth-labben. A Psalm of David.

9 I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. ² I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

³ When my enemies turn back, They stumble and perish before You. ⁴ For You have maintained my just cause; You have sat on the throne judging righteously. ⁵ You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever. ⁶ The enemy has come to an end in perpetual ruins, And You have uprooted the cities; The very memory of them has perished.

⁷ But the Lord abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment, ⁸ And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity. ⁹ The Lord also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble; ¹⁰ And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

¹¹ Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion; Declare among the peoples His deeds. ¹² For He who requires blood remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the afflicted. ¹³ Be gracious to me, O Lord; See my affliction from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death, ¹⁴ That I may tell of all Your praises, That in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in Your salvation. ¹⁵ The nations have sunk down in the pit which they have made; In the net which they hid, their own foot has been caught. ¹⁶ The Lord has made Himself known; He has executed judgment. In the work of his own hands the wicked is snared. Higgaion Selah.

¹⁷ The wicked will return to Sheol, Even all the nations who forget God. ¹⁸ For the needy will not always be forgotten, Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever. ¹⁹ Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail; Let the nations be judged before You. ²⁰ Put them in fear, O Lord; Let the nations know that they are but men. Selah.

Psalm 10

A Prayer for the Overthrow of the Wicked.

10 Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble? ²In pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

³ For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire, And the greedy man curses and spurns the Lord. ⁴ The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

⁵ His ways prosper at all times; Your judgments are on high, out of his sight; As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them. ⁶He says to himself, “I will not be moved; Throughout all generations I will not be in adversity.” ⁷ His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness. ⁸He sits in the lurking places of the villages; In the hiding places he kills the innocent; His eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate. ⁹ He lurks in a hiding place as a lion in his lair; He lurks to catch the afflicted; He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net. ¹⁰ He crouches, he bows down, And the unfortunate fall by his mighty ones. ¹¹ He says to himself, “God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”

¹² Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up Your hand. Do not forget the afflicted. ¹³ Why has the wicked spurned God? He has said to himself, “You will not require it.” ¹⁴ You have seen it, for You have beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Your hand. The unfortunate commits himself to You; You have been the helper of the orphan. ¹⁵ Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

¹⁶ The Lord is King forever and ever; Nations have perished from His land. ¹⁷ O Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear ¹⁸To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.

Psalm 14

Folly and Wickedness of Men.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

14 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good. ² The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. ³ They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one.

⁴Do all the workers of wickedness not know, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call upon the Lord? ⁵ There they are in great dread, For God is with the righteous generation. ⁶You would put to shame the counsel of the afflicted, But the Lord is his refuge.

⁷ Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores His captive people, Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad.

Psalm 16

The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.

A Mikhtam of David.

16 Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You. ² I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good besides You.” ³ As for the saints who are in the earth, They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight. ⁴The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood, Nor will I take their names upon my lips.

⁵The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. ⁶ The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

⁷I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. ⁸I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. ⁹Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. ¹⁰ For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. ¹¹ You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Psalm 19

The Works and the Word of God.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. ²Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. ³There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. ⁴Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, ⁵ Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. ⁶ Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. ⁸The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. ⁹ The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. ¹⁰ They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. ¹¹ Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward. ¹² Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. ¹³ Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. ¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 21

Praise for Deliverance.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

21 O Lord, in Your strength the king will be glad, And in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice! ²You have given him his heart’s desire, And You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah. ³ For You meet him with the blessings of good things; You set a crown of fine gold on his head. ⁴ He asked life of You, You gave it to him, Length of days forever and ever. ⁵ His glory is great through Your salvation, Splendor and majesty You place upon him. ⁶ For You make him most blessed forever; You make him joyful with gladness in Your presence.

⁷ For the king trusts in the Lord, And through the lovingkindness of the Most High he will not be shaken. ⁸ Your hand will find out all your enemies; Your right hand will find out those who hate you. ⁹ You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger; The Lord will swallow them up in His wrath, And fire will devour them. ¹⁰ Their offspring You will destroy from the earth, And their descendants from among the sons of men. ¹¹ Though they intended evil against You And devised a plot, They will not succeed. ¹² For You will make them turn their back; You will aim with Your bowstrings at their faces. ¹³ Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength; We will sing and praise Your power.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)

June 5, 2014 Jim Pruett

Who Shall Be King?

Thoughts About What We’re Reading…

The people of Israel, aware of Samuel’s advanced age and of the wickedness of his sons, demanded of the prophet that he select a king to rule over them.

Samuel was old and his sons were dishonest judges, accepting bribes and perverting justice.

But when the people asked Samuel to provide a “king to judge us”, Samuel the Judge and Prophet was hurt. But God tells Samuel that the people have not rejected him they have rejected God as their King.

The request for a human king was not in itself improper, for God had promised a king back in Genesis and Deuteronomy.

But the refusal to wait for God’s timing was clearly displeasing to the Lord and to His prophet.

In the face of impending conflict with the Ammonites the people wanted a king “such as all the other nations have”.

Even after witnessing the leadership of the Lord in stunning victory over the Philistines at Ebenezer, Israel demanded a fallible, human leader.

God would permit them to have a king, but they would live to regret their hasty impulse.

And so we read the heart-breaking story of Saul, Israel’s first king. His jealousy of David tore apart his family, his country and his relationship with both Samuel and God.

Two of Saul’s own children – Jonathan and Michal protected David against their father, to Saul’s dismay and bitterness.

We feel for Jonathan, torn between his love for David as God’s anointed King and his loyalty to his father. Jonathan would die in battle with his father at Mount Gilboa.

There is one touching story at the end of 1 Samuel 31.

Back in 1 Samuel 11, the Ammonite army had surrounded and laid siege to the city of Jabesh-gilead. The people cried out to Saul for help. Saul defeated the Ammonites and rescued the citizens of Jabesh-gilead. It was a joyous time for Israel in the new monarchy.

Many years later, in Chapter 31, Saul and his three sons are defeated and killed in battle against the Philistines. The Philistines cut off Saul’s head and hang his body along with his three sons on the wall of Beth-shan.

When the citizens of Jabesh-gilead, the people Saul rescued many years before, learn about the desecration of the bodies, they send warriors out at night to rescue the bodies of Saul and his sons and bring them back to Jabesh for burial under a tamerisk tree and mourn his death, fasting for seven days.

And so ends the story of Saul, Israel’s first king.

Saul was more worried about himself and what the people thought then what God thought. Jesus warned us about the same things in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).

When we read the story of Saul, we are reminded that when we seek safety and security in anything other than God – be it governments, bank accounts, relationships, or anything else, they will never deliver.

True security can only be found in Jesus – our reigning King.

We are called to resist conforming with worldly thinking. Through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are called to be transformed in our thinking and in how we live.

The Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 8:6-7, “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” Amen.

Until next time – Keep reading.

Jim

June 5, 2014 Central Christian Church

June 5 – OT Reading

2 Samuel 1

David Learns of Saul’s Death

1 Now it came about after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, that David remained two days in Ziklag. ² On the third day, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes torn and dust on his head. And it came about when he came to David that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself. ³ Then David said to him, “From where do you come?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” ⁴ David said to him, “How did things go? Please tell me.” And he said, “The people have fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.” ⁵ So David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” ⁶The young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and behold, Saul was leaning on his spear. And behold, the chariots and the horsemen pursued him closely.⁷ When he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I said, ‘Here I am.’ ⁸ He said to me, ‘Who are you?’ And I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’⁹ Then he said to me, ‘Please stand beside me and kill me, for agony has seized me because my life still lingers in me.’ ¹⁰ So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown which was on his head and the bracelet which was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”

¹¹ Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so also did all the men who were with him. ¹² They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan and for the people of the Lord and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.¹³ David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?” And he answered, “I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite.” ¹⁴ Then David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” ¹⁵ And David called one of the young men and said, “Go, cut him down.” So he struck him and he died. ¹⁶ David said to him, “Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s anointed.’”

David’s Dirge for Saul and Jonathan

¹⁷ Then David chanted with this lament over Saul and Jonathan his son, ¹⁸ and he told them to teach the sons of Judah the song of the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Jashar.

¹⁹ “Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How have the mighty fallen! ²⁰ “Tell it not in Gath, Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, Or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice, The daughters of the uncircumcised will exult. ²¹ “O mountains of Gilboa, Let not dew or rain be on you, nor fields of offerings; For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil. ²² “From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan did not turn back, And the sword of Saul did not return empty. ²³ “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and pleasant in their life, And in their death they were not parted; They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions. ²⁴ “O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. ²⁵ “How have the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan is slain on your high places. ²⁶ “I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been very pleasant to me. Your love to me was more wonderful Than the love of women. ²⁷ “How have the mighty fallen, And the weapons of war perished!”

2 Samuel 2

David Made King over Judah

2 Then it came about afterwards that David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” So David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “To Hebron.”² So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. ³ And David brought up his men who were with him, each with his household; and they lived in the cities of Hebron. ⁴ Then the men of Judah came and there anointed David king over the house of Judah.

And they told David, saying, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”⁵David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, “May you be blessed of the Lord because you have shown this kindness to Saul your lord, and have buried him. ⁶Now may the Lord show lovingkindness and truth to you; and I also will show this goodness to you, because you have done this thing.⁷ Now therefore, let your hands be strong and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

Ish-bosheth Made King over Israel

⁸ But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. ⁹He made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, even over all Israel. ¹⁰ Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he was king for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David. ¹¹ The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

Civil War

¹² Now Abner the son of Ner, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon with the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul. ¹³ And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, one on the one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool.¹⁴ Then Abner said to Joab, “Now let the young men arise and hold a contest before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” ¹⁵ So they arose and went over by count, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. ¹⁶ Each one of them seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon. ¹⁷ That day the battle was very severe, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

¹⁸ Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel; and Asahel was as swift-footed as one of the gazelles which is in the field. ¹⁹ Asahel pursued Abner and did not turn to the right or to the left from following Abner.²⁰ Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.” ²¹ So Abner said to him, “Turn to your right or to your left, and take hold of one of the young men for yourself, and take for yourself his spoil.” But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him. ²² Abner repeated again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?” ²³ However, he refused to turn aside; therefore Abner struck him in the belly with the butt end of the spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died on the spot. And it came about that all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.

²⁴ But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and when the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is in front of Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. ²⁵The sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one band, and they stood on the top of a certain hill. ²⁶ Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long will you refrain from telling the people to turn back from following their brothers?” ²⁷ Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then the people would have gone away in the morning, each from following his brother.”²⁸ So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people halted and pursued Israel no longer, nor did they continue to fight anymore. ²⁹ Abner and his men then went through the Arabah all that night; so they crossed the Jordan, walked all morning, and came to Mahanaim.

³⁰ Then Joab returned from following Abner; when he had gathered all the people together,nineteen of David’s servants besides Asahel were missing. ³¹ But the servants of David had struck down many of Benjamin and Abner’s men, so that three hundred and sixty men died.³²And they took up Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb which was in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men went all night until the day dawned at Hebron.

2 Samuel 3

The House of David Strengthened

3 Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; and David grew steadily stronger, but the house of Saul grew weaker continually.

²Sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;³ and his second, Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur;⁴ and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; ⁵ and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David at Hebron.

Abner Joins David

⁶ It came about while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David that Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. ⁷ Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?” ⁸ Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hands of David; and yet today you charge me with a guilt concerning the woman. ⁹ May God do so to Abner, and more also, if as the Lord has sworn to David, I do not accomplish this for him, ¹⁰ to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.” ¹¹ And he could no longer answer Abner a word, because he was afraid of him.

¹² Then Abner sent messengers to David in his place, saying, “Whose is the land? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel over to you.” ¹³He said, “Good! I will make a covenant with you, but I demand one thing of you, namely, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see me.”¹⁴ So David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was betrothed for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” ¹⁵ Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish. ¹⁶But her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return.” So he returned.

¹⁷ Now Abner had consultation with the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past you were seeking for David to be king over you. ¹⁸ Now then, do it! For the Lord has spoken of David, saying, ‘By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.’” ¹⁹Abner also spoke in the hearing of Benjamin; and in addition Abner went to speak in the hearing of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin.

²⁰ Then Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. ²¹ Abner said to David, “Let me arise and go and gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may be king over all that your soul desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

²² And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought much spoil with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. ²³ When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, they told Joab, saying, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace.”²⁴ Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why then have you sent him away and he is already gone? ²⁵ You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you and to learn of your going out and coming in and to find out all that you are doing.”

Joab Murders Abner

²⁶ When Joab came out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David did not know it. ²⁷ So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the belly so that he died on account of the blood of Asahel his brother. ²⁸ Afterward when David heard it, he said, “I and my kingdom are innocent before the Lord forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. ²⁹ May it fall on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and may there not fail from the house of Joab one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who takes hold of a distaff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.” ³⁰ So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.

David Mourns Abner

³¹ Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and gird on sackcloth and lament before Abner.” And King David walked behind the bier. ³² Thus they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. ³³ The king chanted a lament for Abner and said,

“Should Abner die as a fool dies? ³⁴ “Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters; As one falls before the wicked, you have fallen.”

And all the people wept again over him. ³⁵ Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was still day; but David vowed, saying, “May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down.”³⁶ Now all the people took note of it, and it pleased them, just as everything the king did pleased all the people. ³⁷ So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the will of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death. ³⁸Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? ³⁹ I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too difficult for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil.”

2 Samuel 4

Ish-bosheth Murdered

4 Now when Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel was disturbed. ²Saul’s son had two men who were commanders of bands: the name of the one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin (for Beeroth is also considered part of Benjamin, ³ and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been aliens there until this day).

⁴Now Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the report of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened that in her hurry to flee, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

⁵ So the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, departed and came to the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day while he was taking his midday rest.⁶They came to the middle of the house as if to get wheat, and they struck him in the belly; and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. ⁷ Now when they came into the house, as he was lying on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and killed him and beheaded him. And they took his head and traveled by way of the Arabah all night. ⁸Then they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; thus the Lord has given my lord the king vengeance this day on Saul and his descendants.”

⁹David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, ¹⁰when one told me, saying, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. ¹¹ How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood from your hand and destroy you from the earth?” ¹² Then David commanded the young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)

June 4, 2014 Central Christian Church

June 4- OT Reading

Psalm 121

The Lord the Keeper of Israel.

A Song of Ascents.

121 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? ²My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. ³ He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. ⁴ Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade on your right hand. ⁶ The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night. ⁷ The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. ⁸ The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.

Psalm 123

Prayer for the Lord’s Help.

A Song of Ascents.

123 To You I lift up my eyes, O You who are enthroned in the heavens! ² Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the Lord our God, Until He is gracious to us.

³ Be gracious to us, O Lord, be gracious to us, For we are greatly filled with contempt. ⁴ Our soul is greatly filled With the scoffing of those who are at ease, And with the contempt of the proud.

Psalm 124

Praise for Rescue from Enemies.

A Song of Ascents, of David.

124 “Had it not been the Lord who was on our side,” Let Israel now say, ² “Had it not been the Lord who was on our side When men rose up against us, ³Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their anger was kindled against us; ⁴Then the waters would have engulfed us, The stream would have swept over our soul; ⁵Then the raging waters would have swept over our soul.”

⁶ Blessed be the Lord, Who has not given us to be torn by their teeth. ⁷Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper; The snare is broken and we have escaped. ⁸ Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 125

The Lord Surrounds His People.

A Song of Ascents.

125 Those who trust in the Lord Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever. ² As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the Lord surrounds His people From this time forth and forever. ³ For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest upon the land of the righteous, So that the righteous will not put forth their hands to do wrong.

⁴ Do good, O Lord, to those who are good And to those who are upright in their hearts. ⁵ But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways, The Lord will lead them away with the doers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel.

Psalm 128

Blessedness of the Fear of the Lord.

A Song of Ascents.

128 How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, Who walks in His ways. ² When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, You will be happy and it will be well with you. ³ Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine Within your house, Your children like olive plants Around your table. ⁴ Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the Lord.

⁵ The Lord bless you from Zion, And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. ⁶ Indeed, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!

Psalm 129

Prayer for the Overthrow of Zion’s Enemies.

A Song of Ascents.

129 “Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up,” Let Israel now say, ² “Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up; Yet they have not prevailed against me. ³ “The plowers plowed upon my back; They lengthened their furrows.” ⁴The Lord is righteous; He has cut in two the cords of the wicked.

⁵ May all who hate Zion Be put to shame and turned backward; ⁶ Let them be like grass upon the housetops, Which withers before it grows up; ⁷ With which the reaper does not fill his hand, Or the binder of sheaves his bosom; ⁸Nor do those who pass by say, “The blessing of the Lord be upon you; We bless you in the name of the Lord.”

Psalm 130

Hope in the Lord’s Forgiving Love.

A Song of Ascents.

130 Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord. ² Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. ³ If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? ⁴ But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope. ⁶ My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning. ⁷ O Israel, hope in the Lord; For with the Lord there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption. ⁸ And He will redeem Israel From all his iniquities.

June 3, 2014 Central Christian Church

June 3- OT Reading

1 Samuel 28

Saul and the Spirit Medium

28 Now it came about in those days that the Philistines gathered their armed camps for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Know assuredly that you will go out with me in the camp, you and your men.” ² David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” So Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”

³ Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed from the land those who were mediums and spiritists. ⁴ So the Philistines gathered together and came and camped in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together and they camped in Gilboa. ⁵ When Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was afraid and his heart trembled greatly. ⁶ When Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets. ⁷ Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a woman who is a medium at En-dor.”

⁸ Then Saul disguised himself by putting on other clothes, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, “Conjure up for me, please, and bring up for me whom I shall name to you.” ⁹ But the woman said to him, “Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who are mediums and spiritists from the land. Why are you then laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?” ¹⁰ Saul vowed to her by the Lord, saying, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” ¹¹ Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” ¹² When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul.” ¹³ The king said to her, “Do not be afraid; but what do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a divine being coming up out of the earth.” ¹⁴ He said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped with a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and did homage.

¹⁵ Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” And Saul answered, “I am greatly distressed; for the Philistines are waging war against me, and God has departed from me and no longer answers me, either through prophets or by dreams; therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I should do.” ¹⁶ Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has departed from you and has become your adversary?¹⁷ The Lord has done accordingly as He spoke through me; for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, to David. ¹⁸ As you did not obey the Lord and did not execute His fierce wrath on Amalek, so the Lord has done this thing to you this day.¹⁹ Moreover the Lord will also give over Israel along with you into the hands of the Philistines, therefore tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. Indeed the Lord will give over the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines!”

²⁰ Then Saul immediately fell full length upon the ground and was very afraid because of the words of Samuel; also there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day and all night. ²¹ The woman came to Saul and saw that he was terrified, and said to him, “Behold, your maidservant has obeyed you, and I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to your words which you spoke to me. ²² So now also, please listen to the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you that you may eat and have strength when you go on your way.” ²³ But he refused and said, “I will not eat.” However, his servants together with the woman urged him, and he listened to them. So he arose from the ground and sat on the bed. ²⁴ The woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly slaughtered it; and she took flour, kneaded it and baked unleavened bread from it. ²⁵ She brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they arose and went away that night.

1 Samuel 29

The Philistines Mistrust David

29 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek, while the Israelites were camping by the spring which is in Jezreel. ² And the lords of the Philistines were proceeding on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were proceeding on in the rear with Achish. ³ Then the commanders of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found no fault in him from the day he deserted to me to this day?”⁴ But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him, and the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Make the man go back, that he may return to his place where you have assigned him, and do not let him go down to battle with us, or in the battle he may become an adversary to us. For with what could this man make himself acceptable to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of these men? ⁵ Is this not David, of whom they sing in the dances, saying,

‘Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands’?”

⁶Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army are pleasing in my sight; for I have not found evil in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, you are not pleasing in the sight of the lords.⁷ Now therefore return and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.” ⁸David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant from the day when I came before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” ⁹ But Achish replied to David, “I know that you are pleasing in my sight, like an angel of God; nevertheless the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go up with us to the battle.’ ¹⁰ Now then arise early in the morning with the servants of your lord who have come with you, and as soon as you have arisen early in the morning and have light, depart.” ¹¹ So David arose early, he and his men, to depart in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

1 Samuel 30

David’s Victory over the Amalekites

30 Then it happened when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev and on Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire;² and they took captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great, without killing anyone, and carried them off and went their way. ³ When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive. ⁴ Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep. ⁵ Now David’s two wives had been taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite.⁶ Moreover David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

⁷ Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Please bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. ⁸ David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this band? Shall I overtake them?” And He said to him, “Pursue, for you will surely overtake them,and you will surely rescue all.” ⁹So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those left behind remained. ¹⁰ But David pursued, he and four hundred men, for two hundred who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor remained behind.

¹¹ Now they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David, and gave him bread and he ate, and they provided him water to drink. ¹² They gave him a piece of fig cake and two clusters of raisins, and he ate; then his spirit revived. For he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. ¹³ David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” And he said, “I am a young man of Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me behind when I fell sick three days ago. ¹⁴ We made a raid on the Negev of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.” ¹⁵ Then David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this band.”

¹⁶ When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all the great spoil that they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. ¹⁷ David slaughtered them from the twilight until the evening of the next day; and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. ¹⁸ So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and rescued his two wives. ¹⁹ But nothing of theirs was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that they had taken for themselves; David brought it all back. ²⁰ So David had captured all the sheep and the cattle which the people drove ahead of the other livestock, and they said, “This is David’s spoil.”

The Spoils Are Divided

²¹ When David came to the two hundred men who were too exhausted to follow David, who had also been left at the brook Besor, and they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him, then David approached the people and greeted them. ²² Then all the wicked and worthless men among those who went with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away and depart.” ²³ Then David said, “You must not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us, who has kept us and delivered into our hand the band that came against us. ²⁴ And who will listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage; they shall share alike.” ²⁵ So it has been from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

²⁶ Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Behold, a gift for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord: ²⁷ to those who were in Bethel, and to those who were in Ramoth of the Negev, and to those who were in Jattir,²⁸ and to those who were in Aroer, and to those who were in Siphmoth, and to those who were in Eshtemoa, ²⁹ and to those who were in Racal, and to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to those who were in the cities of the Kenites, ³⁰ and to those who were in Hormah, and to those who were in Bor-ashan, and to those who were in Athach, ³¹ and to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to go.”

1 Samuel 31

Saul and His Sons Slain

31 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. ²The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua the sons of Saul. ³The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was badly wounded by the archers.⁴ Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised will come and pierce me through and make sport of me.” But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it.⁵ When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him.⁶Thus Saul died with his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men on that day together.

⁷ When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, with those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; then the Philistines came and lived in them.

⁸ It came about on the next day when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. ⁹They cut off his head and stripped off his weapons, and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. ¹⁰ They put his weapons in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. ¹¹ Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all the valiant men rose and walked all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. ¹³ They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

June 2, 2014 Central Christian Church

June 2- OT Reading

Psalm 17

Prayer for Protection against Oppressors.

A Prayer of David.

17 Hear a just cause, O Lord, give heed to my cry; Give ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips. ² Let my judgment come forth from Your presence; Let Your eyes look with equity. ³ You have tried my heart; You have visited me by night; You have tested me and You find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. ⁴ As for the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips I have kept from the paths of the violent. ⁵ My steps have held fast to Your paths. My feet have not slipped.

⁶ I have called upon You, for You will answer me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech. ⁷ Wondrously show Your lovingkindness, O Savior of those who take refuge at Your right hand From those who rise up against them. ⁸ Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings ⁹ From the wicked who despoil me, My deadly enemies who surround me. ¹⁰ They have closed their unfeeling heart, With their mouth they speak proudly. ¹¹ They have now surrounded us in our steps; They set their eyes to cast us down to the ground. ¹² He is like a lion that is eager to tear, And as a young lion lurking in hiding places.

¹³ Arise, O Lord, confront him, bring him low; Deliver my soul from the wicked with Your sword, ¹⁴ From men with Your hand, O Lord, From men of the world, whose portion is in this life, And whose belly You fill with Your treasure; They are satisfied with children, And leave their abundance to their babes. ¹⁵As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.

Psalm 35

Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.

A Psalm of David.

35 Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; Fight against those who fight against me. ²Take hold of buckler and shield And rise up for my help. ³ Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me; Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.” ⁴ Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life; Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me. ⁵ Let them be like chaff before the wind, With the angel of the Lord driving them on. ⁶Let their way be dark and slippery, With the angel of the Lord pursuing them. ⁷ For without cause they hid their net for me; Without cause they dug a pit for my soul. ⁸ Let destruction come upon him unawares, And let the net which he hid catch himself; Into that very destruction let him fall.

⁹ And my soul shall rejoice in the Lord; It shall exult in His salvation. ¹⁰ All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like You, Who delivers the afflicted from him who is too strong for him, And the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?” ¹¹ Malicious witnesses rise up; They ask me of things that I do not know. ¹² They repay me evil for good, To the bereavement of my soul. ¹³ But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, And my prayer kept returning to my bosom. ¹⁴ I went about as though it were my friend or brother; I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother. ¹⁵ But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together; The smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me, They slandered me without ceasing. ¹⁶ Like godless jesters at a feast, They gnashed at me with their teeth.

¹⁷ Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, My only life from the lions. ¹⁸ I will give You thanks in the great congregation; I will praise You among a mighty throng. ¹⁹ Do not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me; Nor let those who hate me without cause wink maliciously. ²⁰ For they do not speak peace, But they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land. ²¹ They opened their mouth wide against me; They said, “Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it!”

²² You have seen it, O Lord, do not keep silent; O Lord, do not be far from me. ²³ Stir up Yourself, and awake to my right And to my cause, my God and my Lord. ²⁴ Judge me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness, And do not let them rejoice over me. ²⁵ Do not let them say in their heart, “Aha, our desire!” Do not let them say, “We have swallowed him up!” ²⁶ Let those be ashamed and humiliated altogether who rejoice at my distress; Let those be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves over me.

²⁷ Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication; And let them say continually, “The Lord be magnified, Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.” ²⁸ And my tongue shall declare Your righteousness And Your praise all day long.

Psalm 54

Prayer for Defense against Enemies.

For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Is not David hiding himself among us?”

54 Save me, O God, by Your name, And vindicate me by Your power. ²Hear my prayer, O God; Give ear to the words of my mouth. ³ For strangers have risen against me And violent men have sought my life; They have not set God before them. Selah.

⁴ Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul. ⁵He will recompense the evil to my foes; Destroy them in Your faithfulness.

⁶ Willingly I will sacrifice to You; I will give thanks to Your name, O Lord, for it is good. ⁷ For He has delivered me from all trouble, And my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.

Psalm 63

The Thirsting Soul Satisfied in God.

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

63 O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. ² Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. ³Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You. ⁴ So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. ⁵ My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.

⁶ When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, ⁷For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. ⁸My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.

⁹ But those who seek my life to destroy it, Will go into the depths of the earth. ¹⁰ They will be delivered over to the power of the sword; They will be a prey for foxes. ¹¹ But the king will rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him will glory, For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.

May 31, 2014 Central Christian Church

May 31 – Weekend Passage

Genesis 20

Abraham’s Treachery

20 Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar. ²Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. ³But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married.” ⁴Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a nation, even though blameless? ⁵Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” ⁶Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. ⁷Now therefore, restore the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

⁸So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were greatly frightened. ⁹Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” ¹⁰And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What have you encountered, that you have done this thing?” ¹¹Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. ¹²Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife; ¹³and it came about, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is the kindness which you will show to me: everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’” ¹⁴Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored his wife Sarah to him. ¹⁵Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; settle wherever you please.” ¹⁶To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, it is your vindication before all who are with you, and before all men you are cleared.” ¹⁷Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore children. ¹⁸For the Lord had closed fast all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

Psalm 43

Prayer for Deliverance.

Psalm 44

Former Deliverances and Present Troubles.

For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.

Psalm 45

A Song Celebrating the King’s Marriage.

For the choir director; according to the Shoshannim. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.

Psalm 49

The Folly of Trusting in Riches.

For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

Psalm 84

Longing for the Temple Worship.

For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

Psalm 85

Prayer for God’s Mercy upon the Nation.

For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

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1 Chronicles 1

Genealogy from Adam

Descendants of Abraham

1 Chronicles 2

Genealogy: Twelve Sons of Jacob (Israel)

Genealogy of David

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Genesis 21

Isaac Is Born

Sarah Turns against Hagar

Covenant with Abimelech

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Psalm 6

Prayer for Mercy in Time of Trouble.

For the choir director; with stringed instruments, upon an eight-string lyre. A Psalm of David.

Psalm 8

The Lord’s Glory and Man’s Dignity.

For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.

Psalm 9

A Psalm of Thanksgiving for God’s Justice.

For the choir director; on Muth-labben. A Psalm of David.

Psalm 10

A Prayer for the Overthrow of the Wicked.

Psalm 14

Folly and Wickedness of Men.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

Psalm 16

The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.

A Mikhtam of David.

Psalm 19

The Works and the Word of God.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

Psalm 21

Praise for Deliverance.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

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Thoughts About What We’re Reading…

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2 Samuel 1

David Learns of Saul’s Death

David’s Dirge for Saul and Jonathan

2 Samuel 2

David Made King over Judah

Ish-bosheth Made King over Israel

Civil War

2 Samuel 3

The House of David Strengthened

Abner Joins David

Joab Murders Abner

David Mourns Abner

2 Samuel 4

Ish-bosheth Murdered

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Psalm 121

The Lord the Keeper of Israel.

A Song of Ascents.

Psalm 123

Prayer for the Lord’s Help.

A Song of Ascents.

Psalm 124

Praise for Rescue from Enemies.

A Song of Ascents, of David.