My son, give attention to my words…
This week is filled with life discoveries in our Bible reading. We finish Acts and begin our third reading (Round 3) of the New Testament with Matthew. In the Epistles, we begin The Revelation of Jesus Christ. In 2 Samuel, we enter into the reign of David as King of all Israel. We watch David bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and set it in the tent he set up for worship—the Tabernacle of David. We watch his kindness to Johnathan’s heir, and then in his exhaustion, his sin and coverup with Bathsheba and Uriah. Nathan the prophet confronts David, and he repents. Psalm 51 is David’s prayer after Nathan the prophet confronts David; be sure to read this to see into the heart of repentance that God receives. We continue in Proverbs and Hosea. What a gift we have been given in God’s word.
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GOSPELS / ACTS
Matthew 1 – 4
We love the book of Matthew as we see the Lord find Joseph in his doubts, send the wise men from the East, frustrate Herod’s murderous plot, and send Joseph, Mark, and Jesus to Egypt. In Chapters 3 and 4, Jesus begins His ministry and begins calling His disciples from the sea.
Acts 26 – 28
Paul shares his testimony and ministry calling to King Agrippa. His testimony has matured from His conversion (in Chapter 9) to his testimony to the angry mob two years prior in Jerusalem (Acts 21), into His life calling. Take a moment and recall your conversion to God in praise. Chapters 27 and 28 are about Paul’s journey to Jerusalem and his declared destiny coming forth as Jesus saves all the lives on the ship destined for destruction.
REVELATION
Revelation 1 – 7
In the first three verses of the prologue, we are given the purpose for the prophecy being given, followed by Jesus’ glorified appearance, and His letters given to John to send to the seven churches. In Chapter 4, we are brought into the throne room as John is called up and sees God in His glory. There, in His hands, is a scroll that contains the prophecy, but no one is worthy to take the scroll and open the seven seals. The Lamb who was slain has prevailed! He takes the scroll; worship explodes and then in Chapter 6 He begins to open the scroll. Chapter 7 is the sealing of the servants of God, another worship session with those who have come out of tribulation and made their garments white in the blood of the Lamb. This is a vision of our place in Christ, now in heaven, that He prepared for us. Let Him lead and feed and bring us to living fountains of water as God wipes away every tear from our eyes. We can choose to step into experiencing all of this now through an encounter in the Spirit. *(See note below).
HISTORY
2 Samuel 4 – 12
David begins his move by consolidating his reign over all of Israel. His first task was to take Jerusalem from the Jebusites and make it his capital. Next, he brings the Ark into Jerusalem, into the tent/tabernacle that he sets up for worship. David wants to build a temple, but God says, “No.” Instead, God makes an oath through the prophet Nathan to build David’s house and swears that the Messiah will come from David’s lineage according to the flesh (2 Samuel 7:12, Psalm 132:11, Acts 2:30). Then come David’s further conquests, his kindness to Mephibosheth, Johnathon’s son, and more war.
In Chapter 11, David is exhausted and decides not to lead His men, so he sends Joab instead. At home in Jerusalem, he is sleeping a lot. He wakes in the evening, walks out to his rooftop, and sees Bathsheba bathing. Adultery follows, as does a coverup, the murder of her husband, Uriah, and finally marriage to Bathsheba—in what appeared to be a narrow escape from being found out. But God saw what David had done and it displeased Him. In Chapter 12, it all crashes in on David and the man after God’s heart appears again out of hiding in hypocrisy. All David sought to protect is thrown into the wind as he humbles himself by fasting, seeking to save his son who is destined to die. Read the chapter, see the changes, and watch what happens after the child dies. Then read Psalm 51 and see the heart of this same man returning to God.
POETRY
Proverbs 5 – 9
Proverbs bring wisdom into every aspect of marriage, whether the perils of adultery or the blessing of rejoicing in the wife of our youth. Then they (proverbs) speak to how to keep ourselves from becoming snared by our words, the consequences of laziness, the six things the Lord hates, and more warnings against adultery. Chapter 7 gives an appeal to keep these words and then tells the story of a young man devoid of understanding who is brought into the captivity of an immoral woman. Note: the author is addressing his son in these proverbs, so in this case, the threat is female, however, this spirit of captivity can also be found in men seducing women. Chapters 8 and 9 proclaim the excellence and the way of wisdom.
PROPHETS
Hosea 9 – 13
God continues to call Israel to repentance, letting them know that the days of punishment have come. In Chapter 11, the Lord reminds Israel of their relationship long ago, “I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love, and I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck, I stooped and fed them” (Hosea 11: 4). The Lord continues in Chapter 12, recalling Israel’s beginnings and making a promise to return them to the feast, “I will again make you dwell in tents, as in the days of the appointed feast” (Hosea 12:9).
*For a deeper study of encountering the scriptures in real time, refer to my book: Saved Your Seat, available here: www.amazon.com/savedyourseat