Matthew 5 ~ Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

 

 

 

Matthew 5

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio Bible   

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

The Beatitudes

² And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

³  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴ “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

⁵ “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

⁸ “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

¹⁰  “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹  “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹²  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

¹⁴  “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that  they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

¹⁷  “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ¹⁹  Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Anger

²¹  “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ ²² But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother^{[without cause]} will be liable to judgment; whoever insults ^{[a term of abuse]} his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. ²³  So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵  Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. ²⁶ Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Lust

²⁷  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹  If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. ³⁰  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Divorce

³¹  “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ ³²  But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths

³³ “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ ³⁴ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

Retaliation

³⁸  “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰ And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. ⁴¹ And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. ⁴²  Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Love Your Enemies

⁴³  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ⁴⁶  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers,^{[brothers and sister]} what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

It would seem reading Matthew 5, Jesus expects life to be difficult, people deceitful, and mercy something we will need to get by.  We are placed far down the path from the Holiness of GOD. 

I knew a very smart, brash, and fearful young boy. He was on the path to recovery from general abuse from the world. He was in 7th grade and a young girl on the bus to school discovered he was verbal, interesting and handsome. Enter in the trouble Jesus told us we could expect. Jealousy in the form of a spitter. Another young boy who resorted to the most awful expectorant he could spray on my son. Just because he wanted to spoil something sweet and precious.

And this expectorant would find Cal in the hallways, any place he could. And we consulted our Godly friends, and they are, and they advised it was past the forgiveness portion. Go for clocking the spitter in the nose and if an school suspension should result - then so be it. My elder son and the younger son practiced what a nose punch would look like. A moment of comedy erupted when the older son asked the younger son - how do you punch. Total shocked silence. Then laughter. You should know that. Cal raised his thin wrists. And made a very feeble motion.  Alexander showed him the direct, meaty wrist puuuunch. With the comment, "You know this."

How did it go? Cal defied the Godly friends, the Godly Mom and all the non-Matthew 5 advice. By giving mercy in the form of -  Grabbing the expectorant, looking him directly in the eye and pushing the expectorant boy back with a huge thunk into the lockers. God made sure it made a ferocious noise. The expectorant saw:

poor in spirit - abuse recoverer

mournful - the girl had lost interest

meek - took the abuse for a long time

pure in heart -wasn't cleaning the expectorant's face with the floor

persecuted for righteously learning to date 

The expectorant never looked my son in the eye again. Or spat at him. God loves that boy too.

Cal was the Salt that defied the Christian advice. The Light that looked dark in the face for its misdeeds. The Light that didn't tell us for years that he didn't really clock the spitter. 

But Cal did love the people who were enemies of the Matthew 5 advice. Knowing the rain advice was from people who were both just and unjust.

 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

<><

Matthew 23:23-26 ~ hypocrites

Jesus Teaching in the Temple, painted by James Tissot

Matthew 23:23-26

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio Bible 

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

We've talked a lot about Jesus versus the religious elect. And John, the beloved disciple, reflected in his writings, with the Holy Spirit, especially in his later Biblical books; John believed evil had been allowed the power to destroy Jesus.

How do the actions of the religious elect persecuting Jesus act like the evil one? In Scriptures, twice, Satan goes to God for permission to harm Job. The evil one does not lie, but uses truth against Job as weapon. The evil one is perhaps jealous of the blessings spoken of - comfort - given by God. The devil used God's comforts and said they were self-indulgent. The evil one didn't have business with Job, the evil one made it his business.

Truth - sounds great. But what the devil lacked was mercy.

When we lack mercy in our words, in our actions. Then we err. Mercy is God's guide to a new and right Spirit within us.

Micah 6:8  
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

<><

Psalm 28 ~ The LORD is the strength of HIs people

originally published April 28, 2012

Psalm 28

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio


1 To you, O Lord, I call;
my rock, be not deaf to me,
lest, if you be silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
2 Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,
when I cry to you for help,
when I lift up my hands
toward your most holy sanctuary.


3 Do not drag me off with the wicked,
with the workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors
while evil is in their hearts.
4 Give to them according to their work
and according to the evil of their deeds;
give to them according to the work of their hands;
render them their due reward.
5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord
or the work of his hands,
he will tear them down and build them up no more.


6 Blessed be the Lord!
For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.


8 The Lord is the strength of his people;
he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!


Be their shepherd and carry them forever. I had a conversation with a teenage boy, let’s call Charlie, who was conquering his addictions & made a pretty big impression on me. In our small community, it was fairly noticeable he changed from a private school to a public school in the middle of the year; being gregarious and popular, people learned fairly quickly Charlie had been discovered with drugs. Soft drugs, most people assume aren’t addictive, but Charlie received counseling for 14 months because he found it very difficult to quit.

 Some of the reasons, Charlie told me, he’d worked hard to quit - being completely robbed twice during wilder parties by his new “friends”. Not being accepted anymore by old friends, people he respected, like my son. He said one of the things he wanted to do, was to convince teenagers drugs are a slippery slope.

 Charlie said it was easier to quit using soft drugs than convince teenagers drugs weren’t the way to go. With his reputation, new druggies loved to come and tell Charlie about their new highs, Charlie tells them about the lying, the excuses, the spiral down drugs cause & they really didn’t want to hear. Charlie said he hadn’t convinced one person and wanted to know how to reach people better.

On Sunday, someone  at Church asked me to help them out of their a situation. This someone has a complicated life, more complicated than most people I know. I wrote to a few people and asked for help. I really feel pretty powerless to help.

Charlie and I are in the same situation, it is just difficult to help people. It is too large a job. God is in control. Difficulty and trouble can help us send prayer for the light to Him. I read a Max Lucado article on prayer, he reminds, God hears all of our prayers. Max Lucado’s words saying, “Father, the one you love is …. ill, worried, in need, lonely or whatever the situation requires” and Abba hears us. This touched me because it is true. We should help others, when we can’t, we still can, we can pray and the One who loves us will hear.



 <><

Isaiah 11:6

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.

Isaiah 2:4 

He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. 

Ezekiel 34:25 

"'I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of wild beasts so that they may live in the desert and sleep in the forests in safety."

 <><

Psalm 37 ~ the LORD laughs

Psalm 37
English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio 

Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
    be not envious of wrongdoers!
² For they will soon fade like the grass
    and wither like the green herb.

³  Trust in the Lord, and do good;
     dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
⁴  Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵  Commit your way to the Lord;
     trust in him, and he will act.
⁶  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.

⁷  Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
     fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
    over the man who carries out evil devices!

⁸  Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
     Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
 
⁹  For the evildoers shall be cut off,
    but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

¹⁰ In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
    though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
¹¹ But the meek shall inherit the land
    and delight themselves in abundant peace.

¹² The wicked plots against the righteous
    and gnashes his teeth at him,
¹³ but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he sees that his day is coming.

¹⁴ The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
    to bring down the poor and needy,
    to slay those whose way is upright;
¹⁵ their sword shall enter their own heart,
    and their bows shall be broken.

¹⁶  Better is the little that the righteous has
    than the abundance of many wicked.
¹⁷ For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
    but the Lord upholds the righteous.

¹⁸ The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
    and their heritage will remain forever;
¹⁹ they are not put to shame in evil times;
    in the days of famine they have abundance.

²⁰ But the wicked will perish;
    the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
    they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

²¹ The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
    but the righteous is generous and gives;
²² for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,
    but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

²³ The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
    when he delights in his way;
²⁴  though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
    for the Lord upholds his hand.

²⁵ I have been young, and now am old,
    yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
    or his children begging for bread.
 
²⁶ He is ever lending generously,
    and his children become a blessing.

²⁷  Turn away from evil and do good;
    so shall you dwell forever.
²⁸ For the Lord loves justice;
    he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
    but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
 
²⁹ The righteous shall inherit the land
    and dwell upon it forever.

³⁰ The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
    and his tongue speaks justice.
³¹  The law of his God is in his heart;
    his steps do not slip.

³² The wicked watches for the righteous
    and seeks to put him to death.
³³ The Lord will not abandon him to his power
    or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.

³⁴  Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
    and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
    you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

³⁵  I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
    spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
³⁶ But he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
    though I sought him, he could not be found.

^3
7 Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
    for there is a future for the man of peace.
³⁸ But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
    the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

³⁹  The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
⁴⁰ The Lord helps them and delivers them;
     he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.

Chuck Swindall is doing Micah 6 this week on the radio. Today he made the convincing case of Christians so lukewarm in their faith that they are hearers of the word and not doers. Letting Grace be too cheap and not honored.  It is easy to become discouraged with the lack of diligent love in this life. And to look around and see how far we have fallen without a lot of hope the LORD would want to save us.  So many people playing life safely for their own interests. 

Yet we should have hope. The LORD is in charge of Salvation. We call upon HIS name, Jesus Christ the LORD and we shall have the Promises of God for us. What we would cringe over as evil and frightening, is not frightening to the LORD our GOD Almighty.  The LORD is not defeated in HIS Victory. 

Each day, we do what we can. We want to be the man of peace. 

The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
  The Lord helps them and delivers them;
     he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.

Micah 6:8 
He has told you, O man, what is good;

    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?

Psalm 139:12
even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.

 The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
    when he delights in his way;
  though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
    for the Lord upholds his hand.

<><

2 Timothy 4:6-18 
  English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio


For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. ⁷  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

⁹ Do your best to come to me soon. ¹⁰ For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. ¹¹  Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. ¹²  Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. ¹³ When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. ¹⁴  Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. ¹⁵ Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. ¹⁶ At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them!  

¹⁷ But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. ¹⁸ The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.




Two vivid analogies. Water poured out and finished, not to be replaced. A race is one once. It is difficult to know which direction to go in some days.  

I had a time in life where decisions were to be made. With youthful glee I accepted like an arrow shot - an offer from my Texas A&M roommate, who was a graduate Veterinarian student, to help her feed the lioness Delilah. I loved all the "Born Free" movies. I looked forward all day to seeing Elsa. And as we got in the car, I found out all the 400 plus Vet students declined, only two would volunteer to feed Delilah. Delilah was being experimented upon to see if they could impregnate her artificially and then remove the embryo to see if it would freeze. So far, not. So I learned. Delilah was 350 lbs of angry. And my roommate saw in my face, now the situation was calling for a reverse of direction.
 
I did one of the most stupid things I've ever done. When we arrived at the Vet professor's home, Delilah was stealthily stalking in the cage, about 20" x 40", where she was deciding she Would eat the 3 labs who were probably young, but they were running back and forth  either annoying or playing with Delilah. The Vet student, who was other 'second', was visibly worried about the mayhem. She greeted us with, "The dogs escaped and I cannot get them back to the Professor's house and he isn't home." I asked if they played like this often. I was informed it was a bad thing when it happened. Then I was warmly congratulated by both Vet students on my bravery.  I knew I was getting in the cage. I was then informed, one always stood outside to call the Professor for help if there was trouble. They suggested we begin. And I said no. We were going to put the 3 of us to work and get the dogs out of the path until the lioness calmed down. It was greeted, with, "Good Plan."

That done, we waited for a time for Delilah to quit pacing. And my roommate turned to me and said, "She does weigh 350 pounds and if she knocks you down, you need to yell, 'NO, Delilah' and hit her in the eye. And say it forcefully."  I was then told. Delilah had not knocked anyone down, her teeth were filed evenly and she was de-clawed. Then my roommate smiled rather evilly and said her jaws were a powerful enough pressure to crack a skull. I don't think my friend liked the look I gave her.  At that point she sorta punched me in the arm and said, "Well." 

So. She graciously lets me go first. And Delilah ran to the other side of the cage. Whew. No. Delilah was picking up speed. I flew to my back as she hit and was surprised to find I was screaming and punching in the eye, with a very firm voice all that had been taught to me. I was alone in the cage with Delilah. Evidently Delilah decided almost immediately she was sorry. I fed Delilah and got to pet her. My t-shirt had the great marks of Lion Paws on it. My roommate never got in the cage that day. She was tearful and apologetic. And she let me know I got to touch Delilah more than she ever had.

So. Something young and foolish. Became something that from time to time sustains me. But I declined to return to Delilah. Although I really do love the Narnia books and movies.


So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. ¹⁸ The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
 

Psalm 7:2

lest they will tear me like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me

Isaiah 11:6

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.

Deuteronomy 33:20

Of Gad he said, A blessing be on him who makes wide the limits of Gad: he takes his rest like a she-lion, taking for himself the arm and the crown of the head

Zechariah 13:9 
And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

Father God, it is You who sustains us in Your plans each day. Let's be grateful for survival. Give us the day. In the name of Jesus, who is the LORD my God. And yours. Amen.

<><

Deuteronomy 8 ~ who brought you out

Deuteronomy 8

 “The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers. 2 And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. 

5 Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you. 6 So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, 8 a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, 9 a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. 10 And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 

11 “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, 12 lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, 13 and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15 who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. 

17 Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18 You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. 19 And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. 20 Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God. 




There are many ways the people of Scripture have obeyed God. 

1. Abel farmed and gave to God. He prospered
2. Enoch walked with God - pleasing and drawing near to God, believing He exists, rewarding those seeking Him. He avoided death.
3. Noah acted foolishly, building for God - working towards something unseen. He had a huge ship. The whole of earth belonged to him after the flood. Today we have the fossils to prove it. We call it the Ice Age, sometimes, instead of the Great Flood. We are genius people. Although with archaeology, some faith is really building today.
4. Abraham believed and dwelled in tents with Jacob and Isaac. Abraham and Sarah were given the Nation of Israel in promise.
5. Sarah conceived because she was faithful. After she laughed in scorn.
6. Isaac married Rebekah. She worked against him as he was dying. He also inherited the Promises of God.
7. Jacob blessed all of his children, forgiving yet understanding their deeds. When it is not written the children asked to be forgiven. Jacob saw his flocks multiply and knew amazing prosperity in Egypt. Jacob lost a child.
8. Joseph married outside of his faith and his children were blessed. Enduring sexual advances, imprisonment, promises broken and betrayal. Joseph was a Chief Minister to the Pharaoh of Egypt. The top of the known world. He saw Israel become a nation again in the future.
9. The Children of Israel rejoiced to see their enemies Crushed. Only to Crush God with their faithlessness for 40 years. These people would be given vast pieces of Israel.
10. Gideon was asked by God to go to war and fight Injustice. Gideon was made very wealthy.Turning down power to have God beside Him. And not teaching the Children of Israel about relationship with the LORD.
11. Barak gave up his complete victory by demanding a woman go with him into battle. Barak wished to play it safe and lost his fame.
12. Samson cavorted and Killed and taunted. Another Warrior. A Judge over Israel.
13. Jephthah fought the present powers to establish David's offspring. Jephthah was part of the Royal family and Head Priest in the Temple doing mighty, mighty works of God. He is not remembered well enough for the remarkable things He did of God. He was longed for after his death.
14. David hired out to another country to raid and make war. The King was a for hire mercenary for a time. And cagey enough to preserve Israel. All the stories of David, except one, make the heart grow fond for him. Apple of God's eye still.
15. Samuel begged God not to have him anoint David. A messenger of God fearing the reprisal of God's change of plans. Samuel mourned Saul causing God to ask him to stop. Samuel was there for Saul's beginning. Samuel was a poor parent. And ended as a Mighty Man of the LORD. Samuel was given a fine house; people travel to see Samuel's Mountain even today.

  
All of these people did some of this: 

enforced justice, obtained promises,  Fought War, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, were tortured, hoped to rise again to a better life.  Were mocked, flogged and imprisoned.  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. 

All of these actions fit into the words "Be Jesus."  

The Old Testament is not alien from the New Testament. NOT a vengeful God while Jesus was a Lamb of God in golden Sunday School garb. 

Jesus as MESSIAH did SACRIFICE.  Each day. 

How. Jesus did not accept the unacceptable. Jesus was not meek. Jesus was angry. Jesus did not accept injustice. Jesus did not cater to the people abusing the Grace of God's favor in the Temple. Jesus did not remain silent when people abused and declared God's actions to favor poor attitudes and behaviors. Jesus. did. not. accept. bad. behavior. without. trying. to. teach. Without. trying. to. improve.

Jesus Never did use meekness as a tool to get the Pharisees to want to be on His side. 

Jesus honored Love as God's path and plan. Each day. By not giving up.  

Jesus did this:

Romans 12:9 
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

Jesus did not kick the remorseful. Jesus did not leave the sinner who beat his breast and apologize. Jesus did not say to the woman at the well - out. Jesus did not say to the woman caught in adultery - smart work. He said - sin no more.  Jesus did not say to the wealthy gather more wealth to yourselves and work harder. Jesus praised the people who gave of themselves to honor God. 

Jesus knew and lived the bone deep pressure of false judgment the world gave. And Jesus said no to false priorities.  All of the saints listed on this page were judged to be wrong.  

And only one on this list is Good. Jesus Christ, Son of God.

The rest of us will have to ask, daily, for the LORD to forgive us. And when we ask with true remorse. He. will. run. to. you.

This grace requires something from us. We have to ask and we have to be genuine when we ask. We have to acknowledge God's plans and look each day for gratitude and blessing and not grow weary of looking. We have to remember we are forgiven and find love inside of us to give to others. 


 Job 4:8 
As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it. 


Psalm 65:5 
You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas 


Isaiah 17:10 
You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Therefore, though you set out the finest plants and plant imported vines 


Psalm 68:19 
Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Selah 




<><

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

2 Samuel 17 ~ I will bring all the people back to you

 

 

  2 Samuel 17

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio 

Moreover, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight. 2 I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged and throw him into a panic, and all the people who are with him will flee. I will strike down only the king, 3 and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people will be at peace.” 4 And the advice seemed right in the eyes of Absalom and all the elders of Israel. 


5 Then Absalom said, “Call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he has to say.” 6 And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, “Thus has Ahithophel spoken; shall we do as he says? If not, you speak.” 7 Then Hushai said to Absalom, “This time the counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good.” 8 Hushai said, “You know that your father and his men are mighty men, and that they are enraged, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Besides, your father is expert in war; he will not spend the night with the people. 9 Behold, even now he has hidden himself in one of the pits or in some other place. And as soon as some of the people fall at the first attack, whoever hears it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’ 10 Then even the valiant man, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and that those who are with him are valiant men. 11 But my counsel is that all Israel be gathered to you, from Dan to Beersheba, as the sand by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person. 12 So we shall come upon him in some place where he is to be found, and we shall light upon him as the dew falls on the ground, and of him and all the men with him not one will be left. 13 If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we shall drag it into the valley, until not even a pebble is to be found there.” 

14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring harm upon Absalom. 


15 Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, “Thus and so did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and so have I counseled. 16 Now therefore send quickly and tell David, ‘Do not stay tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.’” 

17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En-rogel. A female servant was to go and tell them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they were not to be seen entering the city. 18 But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So both of them went away quickly and came to the house of a man at Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard. And they went down into it. 19 And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth and scattered grain on it, and nothing was known of it. 20 When Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house, they said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And the woman said to them, “They have gone over the brook of water.” And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. 

21 After they had gone, the men came up out of the well, and went and told King David. They said to David, “Arise, and go quickly over the water, for thus and so has Ahithophel counseled against you.” 22 Then David arose, and all the people who were with him, and they crossed the Jordan. By daybreak not one was left who had not crossed the Jordan. 

23 When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to his own city. He set his house in order and hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his father. 24 Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. 25 Now Absalom had set Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Ishmaelite, who had married Abigal the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother. 26 And Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead. 27 When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, 28 brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans and lentils, 29 honey and curds and sheep and cheese from the herd, for David and the people with him to eat, for they said, “The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.”


Absalom begins much differently than David, plotting to kill the King. His father. David spent 22 years being anointed as the future King of Israel, waiting upon the LORD. 

God has not deserted David and in the midst of all of his trouble, God blesses David further with trusted friends.  David spent so many nights in Bethlehem watching over the flock, thinking over the Mighty Acts of God. These thoughts would become eternal Praise for God in the Book of Psalms. 

Surely Absalom nurtured his grievances over his dad's failures. Dwelling on unfairness. Putting himself first. Convincing himself there was popularity and gain at hand. Doing what it took not to abhor evil, but drawing it to himself in poor choices. Perhaps Absalom discarded all ideas of God. Perhaps he hoped God would merely look the other way. Usually people want to feel they make the decisions and are the masters of their own destiny. Not some invisible far away God. Surely he had have suffered enough in life.  Discarding notions of good and evil.

David, in previous chapters, has seen Absalom preen and place himself in influence. Had David forgotten to pray? David took no action until it was far too late. 

Absalom seeks advice, not to honor God, but to continue down his own path. 

Proverbs 27:17 
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. 

1 Corinthians 15:33 

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

<><