1 Samuel 20; 1 Chronicles 4; Psalms 56, 57, 142; Acts 14
In 1 Samuel, David flees from Saul, saving his own life. A long history of Saul's persecution of David begins from then on.
1 Chronicles 4 provides a detailed list of Judah's descendants, the son of Jacob, and a description of the descendants of the other tribes of Israel to demonstrate the documentary nature of the Holy Scriptures. Some representatives of the different generations are mentioned more because they are better known.
Psalm 56: Saving his life from Saul's persecution, David experienced many fearful situations. These were moments of special faith training” - “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You, ...I shall not fear. What can flesh do to me?" (Psalm 56:4-5).
Psalm 57: During this time, David experiences many blessings, seeing God's protection, which strengthens his faith” - “They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down. They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves" (Psalm 57:7). Because of this, he praises the Lord.
Psalm 142 is another prayer of David during his wanderings due to Saul's persecutions. David's faith is unwavering but does not free him from sorrow. Psalms like this one describe the state of his soul during this period: sorrow and a sense of injustice - "...they have secretly set a snare for me" (Psalm 142:3), a feeling close to despair - "No one cares for my soul" (Psalm 142:4). This directs him to the Lord, the only source of safety and reliability - "I cried out to You, O Lord: I said, 'You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living'" (Psalm 142:5).
In Acts 14, Apostle Paul, like other apostles, could perform miracles and signs (Acts 14:3). This led Paul and Barnabas to be considered gods in human form. The enthusiasm was so great that they wanted to offer sacrifices to them. The apostles struggled to convince them not to do this. Interestingly, the crowd radically changed their views just a few days later. Now, instead of worshiping Paul and Barnabas, they stoned them, thinking that Paul was dead.
Paul speaks important words here: "Through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). Tribulations are an integral part of the Christian life. They can be diverse, but God uses them to strengthen our faith.
In conclusion, Paul and Barnabas return to their church in Antioch to give an account of their ministry.
1 Chronicles 4 provides a detailed list of Judah's descendants, the son of Jacob, and a description of the descendants of the other tribes of Israel to demonstrate the documentary nature of the Holy Scriptures. Some representatives of the different generations are mentioned more because they are better known.
Psalm 56: Saving his life from Saul's persecution, David experienced many fearful situations. These were moments of special faith training” - “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You, ...I shall not fear. What can flesh do to me?" (Psalm 56:4-5).
Psalm 57: During this time, David experiences many blessings, seeing God's protection, which strengthens his faith” - “They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down. They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves" (Psalm 57:7). Because of this, he praises the Lord.
Psalm 142 is another prayer of David during his wanderings due to Saul's persecutions. David's faith is unwavering but does not free him from sorrow. Psalms like this one describe the state of his soul during this period: sorrow and a sense of injustice - "...they have secretly set a snare for me" (Psalm 142:3), a feeling close to despair - "No one cares for my soul" (Psalm 142:4). This directs him to the Lord, the only source of safety and reliability - "I cried out to You, O Lord: I said, 'You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living'" (Psalm 142:5).
In Acts 14, Apostle Paul, like other apostles, could perform miracles and signs (Acts 14:3). This led Paul and Barnabas to be considered gods in human form. The enthusiasm was so great that they wanted to offer sacrifices to them. The apostles struggled to convince them not to do this. Interestingly, the crowd radically changed their views just a few days later. Now, instead of worshiping Paul and Barnabas, they stoned them, thinking that Paul was dead.
Paul speaks important words here: "Through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). Tribulations are an integral part of the Christian life. They can be diverse, but God uses them to strengthen our faith.
In conclusion, Paul and Barnabas return to their church in Antioch to give an account of their ministry.
Posted in Reading Bible Together