2 Samuel 1-2; 1 Chronicles 11; Psalm 96; Psalm 106; Acts 21
2 Samuel 1: David mourns the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, honoring the first king of Israel. Despite all the evil Saul had done to him, David refers to him as the "beauty of Israel," listing his numerous merits. David does this by emphasizing the importance of God and His people, of whom Saul was a representative.
2 Samuel 2: For the first 7.5 years, David ruled only over the tribe of Judah. Over the rest of Israel, Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, attempted to reign.
1 Chronicles 11: Describes the critical event of David conquering Jerusalem, which was then under the control of the Jebusites. David immediately made this city his home, practically turning it into the capital of Israel, which it became after David reigned over all Israel.
Psalm 96: Calls to sing a new song to the Lord. The song we sang yesterday is not enough. We need to realize and experience God anew every day. The psalmist provides an example of such awareness by enumerating God's many qualities and deeds.
Psalm 106: Written during the great dispersion of Israel. Calling to praise the Lord for His goodness, the psalmist acknowledges that the calamity the people are in is well deserved by them. He lists Israel's numerous sins and transgressions, for which they deserve the worst punishment (Psalm 106:6-46). The psalm ends with a plea for mercy - "Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the Gentiles, to give thanks to Your holy name…" (Psalm 106:47).
Acts 21 Describes Paul's return to Jerusalem, during which his arrest and journey to Rome took place. Being led by the Holy Spirit, Paul understood the importance of connecting the churches he had founded with the first church, initiated by the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem. Moreover, he sincerely loved his people and wanted to bring them the Gospel, even though much of his ministry was dedicated to preaching to the Gentiles.
James, apparently the leading elder at the time, suggests to Paul that he confirm that he continues to live by observing the law, and Paul agrees to it. This did not contradict his dedication to the Gospel. He followed the law not because he saw it as a means of salvation but not to create additional barriers to preaching the Gospel to the Jews.
Despite Paul's sincere willingness to engage in dialogue with the Jews, some of them, who had come from Asia where Paul had preached to the Gentiles, stirred up the people in Jerusalem with lies, creating a real danger to Paul's life. By God's providence, Roman soldiers prevented his lynching.
2 Samuel 2: For the first 7.5 years, David ruled only over the tribe of Judah. Over the rest of Israel, Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, attempted to reign.
1 Chronicles 11: Describes the critical event of David conquering Jerusalem, which was then under the control of the Jebusites. David immediately made this city his home, practically turning it into the capital of Israel, which it became after David reigned over all Israel.
Psalm 96: Calls to sing a new song to the Lord. The song we sang yesterday is not enough. We need to realize and experience God anew every day. The psalmist provides an example of such awareness by enumerating God's many qualities and deeds.
Psalm 106: Written during the great dispersion of Israel. Calling to praise the Lord for His goodness, the psalmist acknowledges that the calamity the people are in is well deserved by them. He lists Israel's numerous sins and transgressions, for which they deserve the worst punishment (Psalm 106:6-46). The psalm ends with a plea for mercy - "Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the Gentiles, to give thanks to Your holy name…" (Psalm 106:47).
Acts 21 Describes Paul's return to Jerusalem, during which his arrest and journey to Rome took place. Being led by the Holy Spirit, Paul understood the importance of connecting the churches he had founded with the first church, initiated by the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem. Moreover, he sincerely loved his people and wanted to bring them the Gospel, even though much of his ministry was dedicated to preaching to the Gentiles.
James, apparently the leading elder at the time, suggests to Paul that he confirm that he continues to live by observing the law, and Paul agrees to it. This did not contradict his dedication to the Gospel. He followed the law not because he saw it as a means of salvation but not to create additional barriers to preaching the Gospel to the Jews.
Despite Paul's sincere willingness to engage in dialogue with the Jews, some of them, who had come from Asia where Paul had preached to the Gentiles, stirred up the people in Jerusalem with lies, creating a real danger to Paul's life. By God's providence, Roman soldiers prevented his lynching.
Posted in Reading Bible Together