Podcasts about Abiathar

David's final instructions for Solomon are found in 1 Kings 2. Note his emphasis was on sustaining Israel's currently high spiritual state and on Solomon's responsibility to ensure God's people walk before Him in faithfulness with all their heart, and soul. After that Solomon, as a wise ruler, needs watch the known troublemakers of his realm. So David died, at 70 years old, having guided the nation for 40 years. Adonijah, David's son, had an obvious agenda that was easily recognised by Solomon. Adonijah must be carefully watched. Adonijah tried, unsuccessfully, to use Bathsheba's influence over her son; so Solomon sent Benaiah to kill Adonijah. Solomon next put restrictions on Abiathar and Shimei, requiring them to remain within the gates of their virtual city of refuge. Both failed to comply and so were slain. Abiathar's death fulfilled the judgment of Eli's house spoken of in 1 Samuel 3 verses 12-14.In Jeremiah 29 we have Jeremiah's words to the exiles in Babylon and for those rebels remaining in Jerusalem to settle in Babylon , where they are to be taken, for the 70 years of their captivity. Judah should have listened to and obeyed the Word of Yahweh who had proven the prophetic authority given to Jeremiah. The actions of the vile figs of Judah were to yet again resist the Word of the Almighty. The false prophets of verse 21 would meet a fate similar to the two roasted in the fire by Nebuchadnezzar. Another false prophet, Shemaiah, is denounced in verses 24-32 for his rebellion against his Sovereign and was guaranteed an obscure death, not seeing the favour to be shown to the return of the exiles after the seventy years captivity. Mark 3 describes the Sabbath healing of a man's withered hand. This was most likely a ploy to trap and discredit Jesus. But it failed miserably. Jesus is followed by crowds who were affected by the miracles. Our Lord Jesus, after a night of prayer with his Father, selects 12 special disciples, who were called Apostles because of the commission given them. Note in verse 14 that part of their calling was for Jesus' need for companionship. We all need friends - companionship. Verses 20-21 tell us that when our Lord comes back to Capernaum his family sought to curtail his behaviour which was upsetting the Jewish leaders. Did his family believe him to be unbalanced? A debate over the authenticity of Jesus' miracles ensues as his enemies attribute the miracles to Beelzebul (the lord of the dung heap). The Master shows how illogical this was and indicated that these rulers were speaking blasphemy against God's Holy Spirit power. The chapter concludes with a further attempt by his own family to get him to desist from upsetting the religious authorities. Jesus educates his natural family by stating that his true family were to be found among those who understood and supported Jesus in his Father's work.

David's final instructions for Solomon are found in 1 Kings 2.  Note his emphasis was on sustaining Israel's currently high spiritual state and on Solomon's responsibility to ensure God's people walk before Him in faithfulness with all their heart, and soul. After that Solomon, as a wise ruler, needs watch the known troublemakers of his realm. So David died, at 70 years old, having guided the nation for 40 years. Adonijah, David's son, had an obvious agenda that was easily recognised by Solomon. Adonijah must be carefully watched. Adonijah tried, unsuccessfully, to use Bathsheba's influence over her son; so Solomon sent Benaiah to kill Adonijah. Solomon next put restrictions on Abiathar and Shimei, requiring them to remain within the gates of their virtual city of refuge.  Both failed to comply and so were slain. Abiathar's death fulfilled the judgment of Eli's house spoken of in 1 Samuel 3 verses 12-14. In Jeremiah 29 we have Jeremiah's words to the exiles in Babylon and for those rebels remaining in Jerusalem to settle in Babylon , where they are to be taken, for the 70 years of their captivity. Judah should have listened to and obeyed the Word of Yahweh who had proven the prophetic authority given to Jeremiah. The actions of the vile figs of Judah were to yet again resist the Word of the Almighty. The false prophets of verse 21 would meet a fate similar to the two roasted in the fire by Nebuchadnezzar. Another false prophet, Shemaiah, is denounced in verses 24-32 for his rebellion against his Sovereign and was guaranteed an obscure death, not seeing the favour to be shown to the return of the exiles after the seventy years captivity.  Mark 3 describes the Sabbath healing of a man's withered hand. This was most likely a ploy to trap and discredit Jesus. But it failed miserably. Jesus is followed by crowds who were affected by the miracles. Our Lord Jesus, after a night of prayer with his Father, selects 12 special disciples, who were called Apostles because of the commission given them. Note in verse 14 that part of their calling was for Jesus' need for companionship. We all need friends - companionship. Verses 20-21 tell us that when our Lord comes back to Capernaum his family sought to curtail his behaviour which was upsetting the Jewish leaders. Did his family believe him to be unbalanced? A debate over the authenticity of Jesus' miracles ensues as his enemies attribute the miracles to Beelzebul (the lord of the dung heap). The Master shows how illogical this was and indicated that these rulers were speaking blasphemy against God's Holy Spirit power. The chapter concludes with a further attempt by his own family to get him to desist from upsetting the religious authorities. Jesus educates his natural family by stating that his true family were to be found among those who understood and supported Jesus in his Father's work. More here  https://christadelphianvideo.org/christadelphian-daily-readings/

1 Kings 1 shows the circumstances that brought Solomon to the throne while David was yet alive. This proves that the promise of 2 Samuel 7 centred on another, who we know as the Lord Jesus Christ. It was brought about by the attempted usurpation of the throne by yet another of David's sons, Adonijah. Nathan the prophet together with Bathsheba, David's wife and Solomon's mother, recover the situation. Solomon is crowned king and the conspirators - Adonijah, Abiathar and Joab - abjectly slink away in defeat. Adonijah went into the Tabernacle to grab hold of the horns of the altar, thus seeking asylum. Adonijah is brought before Solomon and pays homage to king Solomon who shows him mercy.It was in that notable year - the fourth of Zedekiah and the first of Nebuchadnezzar - that the events recorded in Jeremiah 28 occurred. This time in the fifth month of that eventful year the false prophet Hananiah; meaning "Yah is gracious" had not spoken truly in claiming to be the LORD's prophet and had told lies so he was doomed to die a false prophet. Jeremiah is commanded by God to make and wear a wooden yoke and to take the message for Judah to submit to Nebuchadnezzar. Hananiah prophesies that the Babylonian king's power would be broken within 2 years and those who were currently exiled in Babylon would return. Jeremiah said that he wished it could be so. Then Jeremiah issued a prophecy which proved which of the two - Jeremiah or Hananiah - was Yahweh's prophet. Hananiah would die that same year for the rebellion taught against God. This happened within 2 months.Mark's second chapter records Jesus as being home in Capernaum (city of consolation - ie of the Gospel message). It was in all likelihood the synagogue near Peter's home. The miracle of healing the paralytic man, who is carried by his four persistent friends was a marvellous example of the determination and faith of these five men. In healing the paralysed man Jesus declared that by the faith of this man he had been made whole. Jesus shows his power, not only over diseases, but even over sin and death. In associating with tax collectors, and being criticised for so doing, our Lord describes his mission as to those who recognise their illness. Christ answers an enquiry about fasting and says that his disciples need not fast while they enjoyed the Bridegroom's company. Jesus tells a parable about new and old cloth. The parable reveals that the Jewish leaders were stayed in their ways and couldn't coexist with Christ's so called new and radical teachings. Finally our Lord defends his disciples who were accused of having violated the Sabbath. Jesus shows that their needs stood above the need to "keep" the Sabbath (citing 1 Samuel 21 as the precedent) and that further to that, Jesus is 'Lord of (or over) the Sabbath'.More here https://christadelphianvideo.org/christadelphian-daily-readings/

1 Kings 1 shows the circumstances that brought Solomon to the throne while David was yet alive. This proves that the promise of 2 Samuel 7 centred on another, who we know as the Lord Jesus Christ. It was brought about by the attempted usurpation of the throne by yet another of David's sons, Adonijah. Nathan the prophet together with Bathsheba, David's wife and Solomon's mother, recover the situation. Solomon is crowned king and the conspirators - Adonijah, Abiathar and Joab - abjectly slink away in defeat. Adonijah went into the Tabernacle to grab hold of the horns of the altar, thus seeking asylum. Adonijah is brought before Solomon and pays homage to king Solomon who shows him mercy. It was in that notable year - the fourth of Zedekiah and the first of Nebuchadnezzar - that the events recorded in Jeremiah 28 occurred. This time in the fifth month of that eventful year the  false prophet Hananiah; meaning "Yah is gracious" had not spoken truly in claiming to be the LORD's prophet and had told lies so he was doomed to die a false prophet. Jeremiah is commanded by God to make and wear a wooden yoke and to take the message for Judah to submit to Nebuchadnezzar. Hananiah prophesies that the Babylonian king's power would be broken within 2 years and those who were currently exiled in Babylon would return. Jeremiah said that he wished it could be so. Then Jeremiah issued a prophecy which proved which of the two  - Jeremiah or Hananiah - was Yahweh's prophet. Hananiah would die that same year for the rebellion taught against God. This happened within 2 months. Mark's second chapter records Jesus as being home in Capernaum (city of consolation - ie of the Gospel message). It was in all likelihood the synagogue near Peter's home. The miracle of healing the paralytic man, who is carried by his four persistent friends was a marvellous example of the determination and faith of these five men. In healing the paralysed man Jesus declared that by the faith of this man he had been made whole. Jesus shows his power, not only over diseases, but even over sin and death. In associating with tax collectors, and being criticised for so doing, our Lord describes his mission as to those who recognise their illness. Christ answers an enquiry about fasting and says that his disciples need not fast while they enjoyed the Bridegroom's company. Jesus tells a parable about new and old cloth. The parable reveals that the Jewish leaders were stayed in their ways and couldn't coexist with Christ's so called new and radical teachings. Finally our Lord defends his disciples who were accused of having violated the  Sabbath. Jesus shows that their needs stood above the need to "keep" the Sabbath (citing 1 Samuel 21 as the precedent) and that further to that, Jesus is 'Lord of (or over) the Sabbath'. More here  https://christadelphianvideo.org/christadelphian-daily-readings/

“The Rest You Need”Mark 2:23-2823 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”25 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”CONNECT WITH USIf you have any questions or would like to get to know us further, head over to https://www.triumphlbc.org/connect and fill out our online connection card.ABOUT TRIUMPHTriumph wants to see the life and message of Jesus transform your heart, home, and city. To learn more visit https://www.triumphlbc.org/

2 Samuel 15 speaks of the ever increasing effects of David's sin. Absalom having been brought home from his exile in Geshur now vigorously sets out to undermine his father David. Absalom is prepared to take his time by claiming that if he was a judge in the Land the citizens would have their cause fairly judged. This vain son of David pompously rides in a chariot with fifty heralds running in front of the chariot. Sadly, Absalom would send people who came for settlement of their case home, claiming that king David had not appointed anyone to give judgment. Absalom also gave those who came for judgment the kiss of favour and so stole the hearts of Israel from their ruler. David must have had some idea of what his son was doing but he was experiencing a paralysis of power - possibly as a result of his stricken conscience over his sin with Bathsheba and against David's faithful servant Uriah. In verses 7-12 Absalom decided that the time to culminate his conspiracy had come. With the king's permission he asks to go to Hebron to fulfill a vow. Absalom assembles a company of men who have a grudge against their king as well as many others who come in their innocence and are tricked into Absalom's conspiracy. Verses 13-18 says that when David heard the news he fled Jerusalem to prevent bloodshed. David left behind ten of his concubines to keep his household together. David left the city with his warriors coming also. Hushai, David's beloved counsellor, meets king David and he is asked to provide David with information about Absalom's intentions and also to endeavour to defeat the wise counsel that Ahithophel would give Absalom. This request from David came after David would not allow Hushai to accompany the king's forces. In verses 24-29 the priests - Zadok and Abiathar - are told to return to Jerusalem with the ark. If it is God's will, says David, I will return here and worship Yahweh. David with weeping ascended the Mount of Olives just as our Lord Jesus would do a thousand years later as he - our Lord - would go to the Garden of Gethsemane. It was now that David found out that Ahithophel was among those that conspired and it was at this time that David committed his cause to the LORD. And it was now that he asked his counsellor and the two priests to spy for him.  In Jeremiah 19 the prophet is told to buy an earthen ware flask and to gather some of the elders of Jerusalem and take them with him to the Potsherd Gate overlooking the valley of Hinnom and to then tell them of Yahweh's intention to smash Jerusalem like the vessel that the prophet would soon smash before them. He was to say to the elders that the reverberations of the Almighty's destruction of His people would cause the ears tingle of all who heard of this judgment on Jerusalem. Verses 4-5 speak of the abominations of Judah which had aroused the LORD's anger and brought His retribution. Their vile behaviour was almost unspeakable. Verses 6-9 describe the detestation that was to be seen when Judah's Sovereign arose in judgment. In verse 10 the prophet was then commanded to smash the earthen flask before the rulers who represented the nation. So vast would be the carnage brought by Babylon that the valley of Hinnom would be renamed as the valley of slaughter. The horrors of the siege would cause Judah to eat their own children just as Moses had prophesied in Deuteronomy 28 verses 53-57. This happened later when Rome besieged Jerusalem in 70 AD. The carcasses of the slain would be so extensive that Tophet - the site where Judah had burned their children in the fire as reverence to Molech the idol that demanded human sacrifices. It was fitting for that detestable place to be defiled. Jeremiah is told to return from Tophet to the Temple courts and once again tell Judah that the prophesied judgments were imminent because of Judah's wrongdoings. Romans 3 turns attention to the Jewish people who were agreeing with every word Paul had uttered of the depravity among the Gentiles. They, too, were without excuse as they had the Word of God in their midst and yet were just as corrupt. From verses 9-20 Paul advances seven Scriptures supporting this. Then from verses 21-31 he proves that there is only one righteousness, and that on the basis of belief. What is required is a submission to the only way of declaring us to be right with God. This includes a confession that human beings are rightly related to death as we are incurably sinful. Additionally we confess that our Potentate only is righteous and, that He strengthened His Son to accomplish what was humanly impossible. On the basis of the acceptance of these truths and our identification with the Lord Jesus Christ in whom they have been outworked forgiveness of sins is provided.  Chapter 4 illustrates that through the lives of David and Abraham there is absolutely nothing we can do to be saved by works ie our own merits. God's condition for forgiveness involves our acceptance of this truth and confession of our failures if we are  to receive the blessings of forgiveness and become the inheritors of the promised Kingdom that will be,  as verse 13 indicated, international. What is recorded was not for the sakes of those in the recorded Scriptures, but indeed for our sakes.

Group Guide Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week. TranscriptGood morning. We'll continue to walk through First Samuel. We're going to be in chapter 23 and 24 today, so you'll walk through those two chapters together.In high school I played baseball and my freshman year we won state. Going into sophomore year, our senior class was kind of a little bit big headed. Before the season started, you had to pass a conditioning test called the country mile. It's about a four and a half mile run. Our seniors decided that because of where our coach was positioned—he parked his truck and the school was out in the country—it just was a run where you're running down that stop sign and back and around the school near the cow field. They realized that he didn't have visibility in every part of the run, so they thought, we're going to take some shortcuts. We're not going to run the full four and a half miles. We're going to shortcut here, here, and here.When you're 15, 16, 17, you're dumb; you're not thinking through things. We thought we were because we thought, here's what we'll do. We'll all bunch up together here and we'll release here. We had a guy on our team who was about 300 pounds, so we didn't think through that he needed to be way back and finish way late. Our coach picked up pretty quickly that we were cheating. He saw the times and said this is very curious that the biggest guy on our team is running a seven and a half minute mile pace.They finally said, all right, you guys have been running so well and doing so good. Like a cross country team, I've got your times, and that's the time you have to pass in order to make it on the baseball field. If you pass it, you go straight to the baseball field, but twice a week you have to make this run and then go to the field. He said, all right, now it's time to do it. Here are your times. We positioned all the coaches at every part of the run to see how good you were.We quickly learned that cutting this race short and taking the shortcuts was a terrible decision. For weeks as we tried to make those times, I was one of the faster guys. It was like 28 minutes. I'm not a cross country runner; I'm not going to make close to six-minute pace for four and a half miles. I'll finish that story later and what happened. But I learned there, and I think we learn in life, that shortcuts are not good. They are short-sighted. We take them because we think that's ultimately what is good, that if we take the quickest route to get what we want, that's what's best. It's our own nature to trust in our own instincts and to actually not trust in the Lord, when oftentimes He lays out the more difficult road, a difficult path filled with suffering and difficult obedience.Today we're in the part of David's story that feels, when you're in chapter 23, that for years he's been on the run for his life and he's been through trials and suffering and betrayal and the threat of death. He's been in it. But when we shift into chapter 24, he's going to have an option, a shortcut to the throne. We're going to see how this plays out and what this means for the Christian life as we consider what it means to have a long life of obedience to our Lord, even when it is difficult.Let me pray, and then we'll walk through this together.Heavenly Father, I pray that You would help us receive Your word as we walk through these chapters to see Your truth. God, I pray that we would not just be hearers of the Word, but doers of the Word, responding in faith and repentance and ultimately delighting in You above all things. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.All right, so verse 1:"Now they told David, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors."We pick up where we left off last week, where David and his men are on the run. They just heard about the priest of Nob being slaughtered for proceeding to help them out. They're feeling the threat of death. At this point, they hear of a town called Keilah, a town in Judah on the border between Philistine's land and the people of Judah, and they're being robbed by the Philistines.Verse 2:"Therefore David inquired of the Lord, Shall I go and attack these Philistines? And the Lord said to David, Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah."David gives us an example here of what it looks like to walk with God. He sees a difficulty. He asks the Lord. The Lord responds, and he's willing to do it. But his men hear this and have questions.Verse 3:"But David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?"Which is a legitimate question, because if they go into Keilah, they expose themselves. They've been hiding in caves throughout the land. To go and help this town, chances are Saul will hear about it and come. It might be a situation where they're fighting the Philistines and Saul's army is coming. This seems risky.So David goes back to the Lord.Verse 4:"Then David inquired of the Lord again, and the Lord answered him, Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand."David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines, brought away their livestock, and struck them a great blow. David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.Verse 6:"When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David at Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in hand."Abiathar was the remaining priest from the priest of Nob story last week. He comes and brings an ephod. Ephods are priestly garments that priests wore, but this is probably the main ephod that the high priest wore. This is important because in it were two stones—the Urim stone and the Thummim stone. We don't know for sure how they were used, but they generally helped answer prayers in a yes or no fashion, like, should we go here or there? The priest did some type of pulling out or casting of stones.Verse 7:"Now, it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah, and Saul said, God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars."Saul finally hears about it and says, aha, I've got them. They're in Keilah, a place with gates and bars. We'll stop the men there and finally take David down.Verse 8:"Saul summoned all the people to go to war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him."He says to Abiathar the priest, bring the ephod here.Verse 9:"Then David said, O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city on my account. Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard, O Lord, God of Israel, please tell your servant."They seek the Lord, asking if the city will betray them after David's protection.Verse 11:"And the Lord said, He will come down. Then David said, Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the Lord said, They will surrender you."David and his men, about 600 now, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. They asked the question, should we trust Keilah? The answer was no, as you see from the Lord's response.When Saul was told that David escaped Keilah, he gave up the expedition. David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.David saw that Saul had come to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. Jonathan, Saul's son, rose and went to David at Horesh and strengthened his hand. He said:"Do not fear for the hand of Saul. My father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you."Saul, my father, also knows this. The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. David remained at Horesh and Jonathan went home.Jonathan, David's friend, hears about these troubles and encourages him. From Psalm 34, which was written while David was in the cave fearing his life, we know the Lord is near the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. David, on the run for his life with deep discouragement, has this friend encouraging him.This encounter is significant because Jonathan has hopefulness. He says, one day you'll be king, and I'll be beside you. This foreshadows that Jonathan will never see David be king; he will not live to see him on the throne. This is their final encounter. Jonathan, in his last friendship act, encourages David, telling him not to fear and to trust God's promises.Verse 19:"Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah saying, Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Akilah, which is south of Jeshimon? Now come down, O king, according to all your heart's desire to come down, and our part shall be to surrender him into the king's hand."Saul said:"May you be blessed by the Lord for you have had compassion on me. Go make yet more sure. Know and see the place where his foot is and who has seen him there, for he is very cunning. See and take note of all the lurking places where he hides, and come back to me with sure information."They went ahead to Ziph as spies.If you read Psalm 54, David expresses his distress at this betrayal by his own countrymen:"For strangers have risen up against me; ruthless men seek my life; they do not set God before themselves."David is deeply discouraged by continual betrayal, even from people of Judah.David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, about five miles south of Ziphara in the Arabah. Saul and his men went to seek him. David went down to the rock and lived in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard that, he pursued David there. Saul went on one side of the mountain and David and his men on the other side.David was hurrying to get away from Saul, who was closing in to capture them.A messenger then told Saul:"Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land."Saul returned from pursuing David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape. David then lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.At the last moment when Saul was about to capture David, God sovereignly intervened. Saul did what a king should do and protected his people, and God preserved David's life again.Chapter 23 gives us more examples of David continually facing the threat of death and betrayal. Think—he escaped death at Nob, at Ziph, at Maon, at Gath, and at Keilah. This is years of hunting, suffering, and fear. Every time trying to go to sleep, hearing a branch break, wondering, is it the day? Years of hardship and trauma under the threat of constant death.This sets up First Samuel 24, where David has the opportunity to end it.Verse 1:"When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En Gedi. Then Saul took 3,000 chosen men out of Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wild Goats Rocks."Saul handles the Philistine raid, then he finds that David is near Wild Goats Rocks, basically a rocky hill where wild goats live.The story takes an interesting turn.Verse 3:"He came to the sheepfolds, where there was a cave. Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave."Saul goes into the cave to use the bathroom, for privacy. David and 600 of his men are hiding inside that cave, which hopefully gives you an idea of how big it was.David's men were very excited because Saul was most vulnerable now, when using the bathroom. This was a moment on a silver platter—David and his men could have ended all the hardship with one swing of the sword.Verse 4:"And the men of David said to him, Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you."They urged David to take this opportunity.David rose stealthily and cut off a corner of Saul's robe. He could have ended it all but instead cut a piece of his robe.Verse 5:"And afterward David's heart struck him because he had cut off a corner of Saul's robe. He said to his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord's anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord's anointed."David persuaded his men not to attack Saul.Saul rose and left the cave, going on his way.David knew God's heart and the heart of the king. Saul was the Lord's anointed king, even if evil had been done. David would not decide when Saul's kingship ends. He trusted the Lord and obeyed, not murdering a man while he was vulnerable.His men, who have been under the threat of death for years, followed his example. That shows David's leadership.After Saul left the cave, David boldly confronted him.Verse 8:"David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, My lord the king."Saul looked back. David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage.David said:"Why do you listen to the words of men who say, Behold, David seeks your harm? Behold this day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you today into my hand in the cave. Some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, I will not put out my hand against the Lord, for he is the Lord's anointed."David pleaded:"See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. I cut off the corner and did not kill you. You may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it."He called out:"May the Lord judge between me and you. May the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you."He even said:"Out of the wicked comes wickedness, but my hand shall not be against you. After whom has the king of Israel come out? After a dead dog, after a flea? May the Lord therefore be judge and give sentence between me and you, and see to it and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand."David showed that he would not sin to get what God promised. He humbly lowered himself to be insignificant—a dead dog, a flea—and pleaded with Saul to see that he was not the enemy.Verse 16:"As soon as David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, Is this your voice, my son David? Saul lifted up his voice and wept. He said, You are more righteous than I, for you repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. You have declared this day how you have dealt well with me and that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands."Saul has moments of clarity and contrition. He weeps and realizes David is the better man.There's a cool link to Judah and Tamar back in Genesis 38, a picture of having evidence in hand and declaring righteousness.Saul continued:"Now behold, I know that you shall surely be king, that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hands. Swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father's house."David swore to this.Saul went home; David and his men went up to the stronghold.Saul finally sees it: David will be king. He pleads for the protection of his offspring, as it was common in history for successors to kill rival family members.When you think about chapters 23 and 24 back to back, you see how long David suffered and how many years of hardships he endured. He had the opportunity right then to end all his hardships with one swing of the sword and take the throne. But he did not. He trusted the Lord and was obedient to the will of the Father.This is a beautiful picture of trust in God.It's also a foreshadowing of the more righteous path of Christ.Jesus also would be offered a shortcut to the throne during His temptation in the wilderness.In Matthew 4:"The devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. He said to Him, All these I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.Then Jesus said to him, Begone, Satan, for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve."Jesus was offered the throne but rejected the shortcut because He trusted the will of the Father, even when that road was filled with suffering—the road to the cross.Jesus suffered agony, physical pain, separation from the Father as the full cup of God's wrath bore down on Him.Even when Jesus was suffering, He could have called down angels to end it, but He did not.He endured to the final breath, with redemption in mind for us.When He finished His work on the cross, He ascended to the right hand of God, where He rules over all kingdoms forever.Amen.Going back to 10th grade, when we were running this unreasonable time every day before practice, it was clear we were never going to make our times.Finally, our coach said, all right, I'm going to bump up the time to what it should have been.You smaller guys got 32 minutes, which was a pretty steady pace.I hate running. To this day you won't see me running; I'm not a runner. I don't want to be a runner.Because I hated running so much, I was determined to make the time. I ran faster than I ever had in my life. I was blazing fast.Coming around the final turn, about a quarter of a mile left, my coach said, you're not going to make it.I sprinted, after running four-ish miles, with everything I had.The final few steps before the finish line, I puked. Then I puked walking across the finish line because I was not going to miss this time.He said 29 minutes.I was like, are you kidding me? I could have walked.What we failed to see about this conditioning test was we could only see what was right in front of us—a stupid run we had to do.You may think, why do baseball players have to run? It's because of endurance for the season.When you play 30 games in high school, 60 plus in college, or 162 in pro baseball, you have to get in shape, or your body will break down mid-season.At 15, you don't see what the coach is doing. You don't see that the suffering he puts you through over and over again is for a greater good, so you can make it through the season and not break down.We didn't trust our coaches. We saw what was good in our minds, so we took the shortcut.But that's what we do all the time in life. We see the easier option right in front of us and want to take it.We have wonderful examples from Scripture about what it looks like to be obedient and how good that is.David could have taken a shortcut to the throne, but didn't.Jesus was obedient to the Father, even through suffering, for our redemption.We have wonderful examples of the long road of obedience, even when it's difficult.So the question today: What shortcuts are we tempted to take?In business or work, we know shortcuts: how to cut corners, how to cheat.We see others do it and wonder why we have to do it the right way.But God calls us to integrity and obedience for our good.In relationships, it's common now to simulate marriage without the covenant.Living as if married, moving in together, enjoying pleasures without commitment.It's hard to be obedient in that and honor the Lord.But God has good for us when we trust Him in obedience.We fail to see that when we take shortcuts.Some feel a desire for vengeance when they've been wronged.Shortcut is to take vengeance ourselves.God calls us to trust Him for justice, which is far better.In parenting, there are shortcuts.Moments needing patience, control of emotions.Shortcut is to lose control or discipline wrongly.In marriage, conflict, and other struggles, shortcuts abound.We often coach people to confront, to avoid gossip, to be faithful to God's calls.Some suffer deeply and may see shortcuts like substances, self-harm, or worse.We cannot see the long obedience God calls us to.As you consider today, what shortcut options are you taking when God calls you to obedience?My hope is we consider David's actions and the better David, Jesus Christ, and follow their lead.Matt will come up and lead us in one final song.As he comes, don't shift or move, just listen.The wrong response to the call is to say, "I'm going to do this by my strength," trying to muscle obedience.The response is to look to Jesus.Hebrews 12 says this after chapter 11:"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race set before us,looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."Our example is to look to Christ, put our hope in Him, who endured the cross and now rules from heaven.May we first look to Christ by grace through faith and be people who trust God every step in obedience.Let me pray.Heavenly Father, I pray that You would help us hear the good news of the Gospel that calls us to trust You, so that we might not take the shortcuts in life that do not bring joy, honor You, or bring good to us or those around us.God, I pray for faithfulness, but that it comes by first trusting in You.We have failed, sinned, and chosen shortcuts.May You cover us in grace, by Your grace, through the blood of Jesus shed for us.May we leave here as a people obedient to You, even when it is hard.In Jesus' name, Amen.

Back To Basics // Week 12 // Sabbath RestPastors JF and Ashley WilkersonExodus 20:8-11 NIV 8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.In the original language, the terms translated to Sabbath refer to a literal settling down to pause from creating and make a conscious choice to reflect on all that God has done.We are to work from rest - not rest from work. That order is SIGNIFICANT.1. What if we view rest as support in remembering?Genesis 2:1-3 NIV 1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.Deuteronomy 5:12-15 NIV 12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,14 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.1. What if we view rest as support in remembering?2. What if we view rest as strengthening our relationship?Exodus 20:1-5a; 7-17 NIV1 And God spoke all these words: 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5a You shall not bow down to them or worship them…Exodus 20:7-17 NIVHebrews 4:9-14 NIV1. What if we view rest as support in remembering?2. What if we view rest as strengthening our relationship?3. What if we view rest as a solidifying of our reliance?Exodus 16:21-26 NIV 21 Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much—two omers for each person—and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. 23 He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.'” 24 So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. 25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. 26 Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any.”When God created Sabbath by resting after six days of creation, He declared that He was the Master of work and that work was never the master of Him. And When a believer takes a Sabbath, the same declaration is made…keeping work from ever becoming a god in our lives. Allowing us to have a healthy relationship with work and thus promoting health in all areas of our lives…physical, spiritual and relational.Mark 2:23-28 NIV 23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” 25 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” 27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”1. What if we view rest as support in remembering?2. What if we view rest as strengthening our relationship?3. What if we view rest as a solidifying of our reliance?

Group Guide Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week. TranscriptGood morning, my name's Chet, I'm one of the pastors here. If you will grab your Bible and go to First Samuel, chapter 21. We're going to be in chapters 21 and 22 today. We're looking through both of those chapters.When I was growing up, probably three to five, I think I watched Mary Poppins 42,000 times. I'm pretty sure that we only had like a handful of VHS that my grandmother had recorded from her television. So I also have a lot of commercials really, really memorized. But I watched that on a regular basis. And there's this scene towards the end of the movie where the children had been in a bank and there was some bank trouble. And I don't want to get into a whole discussion of finance, but they had to run out of the bank and they get lost in London. And thus begins a series of back to back to back to back moments that were utterly terrifying to me.It was like they took all the vulnerabilities of a four year old and just pummeled them. So they're lost in a city. Terrifying. Just not knowing where your parents are for like 12 seconds when you're four and five is scary. They're running through a city. This is, you know, it's awful. Then they come around a corner in an alleyway and an old lady pops out and goes, come with me, children. And it's like, why would she do that? And you don't know if she was intending to be helpful. They run away. She seemed scary. So they take off. Then they come around a corner and a dog jumps out and starts barking aggressively at them. When you're a child, a dog is the size of a bear. Like, I mean, you know. Then they turn and they run and they go down an alleyway and a shadowy figure grabs them. Turns out that that's their friend, but you don't know it at the time.I just remember like this seared in my brain, this series of events. And I remember even as a little kid, like, I'm pretty sure there were times where I just stopped watching the movie before that I was like, well, let's move on. I know they make it at the. And I think there were other times where I just left the room and like waited till I heard the song start back up, you know, because it's a children's movie where things are supposed to be happy. And then I returned, but it was really this interesting peek into things that made me feel very vulnerable and very alone. And this real dive into fears that I had.As we're reading through this text today, we're going to see how Saul, David and a handful of other people deal with fear. What it does to them, where it takes them. There's a reality to fear, that it drives us towards something, towards someone, it exposes us in a way. And so what I hope we see in this text is we're going to see them as they interact with it. They're going to see how they handle it. And what I hope we'll learn together is the scariest place to be and the safest place to be as we study this text together.So let's pray quickly for us and then we'll move into chapter 21 of First Samuel. Lord, we ask for your help. We ask for your Spirit to speak in a way that we can understand, that you would help us to deal with our fears and to see what fear does to us in a way that draws us to you. In Jesus name, amen.So David's on the run. Saul wants to kill him. Saul's the king. David was very close to Saul, was a general, was his bodyguard, was all these different things. And he's now having to flee for his life. And that's what we saw last week as Jonathan, Saul's son, helped David escape.Chapter 21.Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. So he goes to Nob, and we're going to find out that Nob is a whole city of priests. It seems as if after everything, after Shiloh was destroyed and the ark was taken, they get the ark back, and it seems like now the center of the priesthood is here. It's unclear whether the ark is also here, but the priests are. And this is where priestly activities will be taking place for the people of Israel, the sacrifices and all that.So he goes there to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him,"Why are you alone and no one with you?"So it's odd for David to be by himself. Ahimelech knows David, but David usually has like a whole crew. He's either with the king, he's with his military units that he's overseeing. For David just to show up is what business does he have? Did something terrible happen? What's going on?So he comes out, that's why he's trembling. And he says, what? What's going on? And David said to Ahimelech, the priest,"The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, 'Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you and with which I have charged you.' And I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread or whatever is here."So David just says, secret king business. And I've got some people that I'm definitely meeting who are real at a very specific place that you can't know about, and I need bread. None of that is true, except for that David wants bread, but he's on the run and he is just trying to get out of here.And the priest answered, David,"I have no common bread on hand, but there is holy bread if the young men have kept themselves from women,"which just has to do with sexual activity, makes you unclean in the law. So that's what that is. It's not just like women, some mean thing about them. It just has to do with sexual activity.David answered the priest,"Truly, women have been kept from us. As always, when I go on an expedition, the vessels of the young men are holy, even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?"So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there, but the bread of the Presence which is removed from before the Lord to be replaced by hot bread on the day that it is taken away.So the tabernacle seems to be here, the bread of the Presence is here. They would set it out on the Sabbath before the Lord as a picture of the meal, the connection, the communion that we have with the Lord, that they have with the Lord. And then they would rotate it out on the Sabbath. And the old loaves were allowed to be eaten by the priests. And Ahimelech breaks that rule to give to David in a time of need.Jesus references this and says that he did right, that this was correct to do, to break a ceremonial law for the sake of caring for someone. And he says this in this argument with the Pharisees about the Sabbath, saying that some things were built for our good and our blessing, and therefore, if there's opposition, we can bless others in those moments. And that's what he's talking about.So David takes that bread and he now has five loaves of bread that was the bread of the Presence, but the priest is allowing him to have it.Verse 7.Now, a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord. His name was Doeg, the Edomite, the chief of Saul's herdsmen, he's detained before the Lord. It may be a Sabbath if they've just swapped the bread out. So it's possible he wasn't allowed to travel very long. It's also possible he's doing some sort of thing because he's an Edomite to become a follower of God. It's also possible that he has some sort of sickness or skin disease and he's having to be watched because there's all these. These are several of the reasons why you might be detained before the Lord. He could also just be there doing some, basically, some holy days for himself as he worships the Lord.But that's it. That's all it tells us about him. It just in the middle of this story goes, hey, Doeg, the Edomite is here. And it's going to go right back to the story. And that's foreshadowing. So remember him, he'll show up later, but he doesn't do anything here.Verse 8.Then David said to Ahimelech,"Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me because the king's business required haste."And the priest said,"The sword of Goliath, the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah. Behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the Ephod, if you will. Take that, take it, for there's none but that here."And David said,"There is none like that. Give it to me."So David says, I was in such a hurry, I don't even have any weapons. Do you have any weapons? He says, you gave us Goliath's sword. It's still here. And David says, great, that sword is awesome. I will take it. And so he has a nice, probably fairly large sword that he leaves with.Verse 10.And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish, the king of Gath.Okay, David doesn't have any options. That's what this just told us. The plan that he's come up with is, I'm going to show up to Gath with Goliath of Gath's sword and see how that goes. It seems like he's intending to maybe be like a mercenary. He's just going to go there and serve there. He's absolutely on the run from his home, his people, his everything.And the servants of Achish said to him, to Achish,"Is not this David, the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances? Saul has struck down his thousands and David his ten thousands."So if David was planning on being undercover, he shows up and they're like, mmm. And they go to the king and they're like, I'm pretty sure they have a song about how good he is at murdering us. I'm pretty sure that's him.And David took those words, these words to heart. So he somehow overheard this. In this situation, was much afraid of Achish, the king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them, pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard.So somehow, on his way before the king, he just starts acting insane, drooling, marking up the walls. That's the best disguise he can come up with on the fly, you guys. And it works.Then Achish said to his servants,"Behold, you see, the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? Do I lack mad men that you've brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?"So they're like, hey, we've got David. And then he goes, you brought a crazy person here. Thank you so much. Did you think that was what I really needed? I needed those.Some of y'all like to memorize verses for specific situations that you can remind, you know, rehearse yourself or say to other people. Maybe this one for, like, when your family's coming over for vacation or something, or your in-laws are coming and you can just quote to your spouse,"Do we lack mad men in their house? Are we gonna let this fellow in just for y'all?"Bible memorization, you're welcome. Probably won't be one of our monthly verses, but it's a good one.All right, chapter 22.David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam.So David then leaves. He heads back over into Israelite territory and hides in King Achish's. So his plan to go to Gath does not work and he escapes. Now, an interesting thing happens as we get to follow this story and as we have the whole revelation of the Scriptures, because this text doesn't tell us a lot of what's going on with David, what he's thinking. We just hear what he's doing. We hear some of what he says, but we don't get to see what's going on with him.And so far, in the midst of fear, he's just run and he's come up with what arguably is an ill-advised plan to run to Gath. But that's all he comes up with. He ends up in this cave. But in the book of Psalms we have songs and poems and worship that David writes. And there's one that has this inscription above it. It says, this is Psalm 34. It says of David when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out and he went away.Now this text calls him Achish, which seems to be a title, and Abimelech seems to be his name. So like if you said he was in front of Caesar and then later it says Nero, it's the same guy. So Achish and Abimelech.So we actually get to hear what, how David responds after this moment when he gets to escape. And so it seems like he wrote this while in the cave or on his way to it. He starts off in the first four verses, worshiping, praising. He says,"I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and delivers them."So he says, I had fear and he rescued me. And those who fear the Lord he protects. So David's interaction with fear is shifting here. He's saying, in my fear I began to go to the Lord, and now I fear him. He's the most fearful, so he's been on the run. It doesn't seem like he's handled everything so well so far. But now, as everything slows down, as he's trying to process through this, and he's worshiping the Lord for rescuing him out of Gath, this is what he's writing.Verse 8,"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack."He keeps going.Verse 18,"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."In verse 22 he says,"The Lord redeems the life of his servants. None of those who take refuge in him will be condemned."This is how he ends it. So he says, I'm hiding in him. I'm taking refuge in him. My hope is in him. That's David as he deals with this fear.So chapter 22, let's pick back up in the text.David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him.David on the run, hiding in a cave, trying to figure out what he's going to do, trying to lay low, writing some songs from his expert hiding place. He looks out one day, keeping a good lookout, and he's like, mom.Because his whole family shows up. They all come to him, which makes sense. And maybe he had to go out for supplies. Maybe word spreads at some point where David is, but his whole family comes to him, which makes sense, because if David's on the run from Saul, they're probably not that safe from Saul. And Saul may go look to them to find David.So they all go to David. Then it says this."And everyone who was in distress and everyone who was in debt and everyone who was bitter in soul gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about 400 men."So his mom, his brothers, his dad, they all show up. Then other people just start showing up. And it's like, why are you here? I am stressed beyond belief. Everything out there is terrible. I heard David was in a cave, and I thought, I'm gonna go get in that cave. Somebody else shows up. Why are you here? I owe so many people so much money. Cave started sounding pretty good. Everyone who's bitter in soul, so the most frustrated, angry people who are, they're not going to read, they're not going to vote for Saul when reelection time comes back around like, this hasn't worked for them. That's who's showing up to David. And then it says he becomes commander of them. So they showed up and they were like, everything is awful. And he's like, okay, do some push ups. It's time to start training. I guess y'all are gonna have to listen to what I say if you're hanging out in my cave. And they do. So now he has 400 distressed, bitter in soul people who owe a lot of money to other people. They're all with David now, plus his mom and his brothers and his dad, okay?And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab. So now he leaves again. He takes all these people with him, it seems. And he said to the king of Moab,"Please let my father and my mother stay with you till I know what God will do for me."And he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.So reading some commentaries on this, there was a couple of different ideas as to why the king of Moab would let him do that. Some of the things they put out were housing fugitives because the Moabites were enemies of the Israelites. So the king to house fugitives that are against Saul seems like maybe that's a good idea.There's also just a general cultural thing of hospitality. So it's possible they're just doing what their culture does, which is show hospitality in these sort of situations.There's a theory that it's possible that one of the reasons they went to Moab was that Jesse is the grandson of Ruth, who was from Moab. So there's some family connection here.And I've come up with my own theory, which is that David showed up with 400 desperate men and said, hey, will you watch my mom? And they were like, sure. You and your friends gonna leave? He's like, we're gonna hang out a little bit, but just keep an eye on them until we figure out what's gonna happen.So any one of those is possible as to why they've said yes to this, but they do say yes to this. David leaves his parents with the king of Moab, and he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.Then the prophet Gad said to David,"Do not remain in the stronghold. Depart and go into the land of Judah."So he says, we're not going to stay in Moab. The Lord wants you to go back to Judah. And he does. And we're going to see Gad show up periodically through the story of David.So David departed and went to the forest of Heref.Now the story is going to shift to Saul. So we've seen David dealing with fear. We've seen him on the run, and we've seen him as this process is happening, growing in worship and saying, he's going to trust in the Lord.And now we're going to see Saul as he deals with fear.Verse 6.Now, Saul heard that David was discovered and the men who were with him.If you're playing hide and seek and someone finds you, you may not have had the best hiding spot. If your entire family finds you, plus 400 strangers, you don't have a good hiding spot.So David now is discovered. They know he's out. They know kind of where he is. And he's got 400 people traveling around with him. And this news makes it to Saul. So he's no longer incognito. He's known.Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand. And all his servants were standing about him, which first of all, of course he has a spear in his hand. He seems to always be holding a spear. But also what is happening in this text, it says he was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear. And all his servants, all of those things are markers of leadership and kingship. That you would sit under an obvious tree, they would hold court there, they would answer questions there, they would judge there that he's on a height, that he's got servants, that he's holding his spear. So in some ways this text says Saul the king was out kinging in a very kingly way. That's kind of what that text is doing. It's building him up as much like he's super kinging. Right now. We got David hiding in a cave, wandering around other places, trying to figure out what he's going to do, hiding in a forest. And now we've got Saul, the kingiest king that ever did king.And Saul said to his servants who stood about him here now,"People of Benjamin."Okay, that's interesting. Benjamin is the tribe that Saul is from. He's been king for a long time. He's been king over all of Israel for a long time. It's possible that he only always has kept just Benjaminites the closest to him. Or as he's grown more and more paranoid and more and more fearful, he's gotten rid of everybody who doesn't belong to his tribe and now has perfectly surrounded himself with Benjaminites. But either way, he's paranoid and fearful.And we're going to hear from his speech how far that goes.But these are only people from his clan. He's suspicious, fearful."Hear now, people of Benjamin, will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, that all of you have conspired against me?"So he stands there and says, you just are so certain that David's gonna bless all of you, that he's gonna care for all of you, that you're all gonna be so important when he becomes king, that you've all conspired against me? And that's not true. But he now doubts everyone that's around him.Still, in verse 8, he says,"No one discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me to lie in wait, as at this day."He is correct that Jonathan did make a covenant with David, but it was because they loved one another. It was a covenant of friendship to care for one another. They make a covenant that they're not going to harm each other. And Jonathan goes out of his way to keep his dad from sinning against David.But he is not helping David lie in wait against Saul.David isn't lying in wait against Saul. David's not out to get Saul. Saul's out to get David. Saul is actually not in danger, not from David, but he thinks he is. And he's saying, everyone's against me.And Saul's entire world has shrunk to just him. It's just him. Everybody's an enemy. Everybody's in on it. Everything's a secret. Everything's falling apart.Then answered Doeg, the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul,"I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, and he inquired of the Lord for him and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine."We actually don't know if he inquired of the Lord from him. Our text doesn't tell us that. But Doeg says he did. But that's something you do before military stuff. He doesn't say he gave him five loaves of bread. He calls it provisions, just militarizing it up a little bit. And he gives him a sword. He basically says, hey, Ahimelech's in on it.Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub and all his father's house. The priests who were at Nob and all of them came to the king. It would have taken a couple miles away, so to go get them to come back. This took a couple hours, but they all come.And Saul said,"Hear now, son of Ahitub?"And he answered,"Here I am, my lord."And Saul said to him,"Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he has risen against me to lie in wait as at this day?"Then Ahimelech answered the king,"And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, who is the king's son-in-law and captain over your bodyguard and honored in your house? Is today the first time that I have inquired of God for him? No. Let not the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of this, of all of this. Much or little."So Ahimelech just says, it's David. David, your bodyguard, your son-in-law. I've done this. I do this. I would do this for him anytime he comes. I'm not in on something. I didn't know any of this. Don't add that to me. Don't add that to my family. That's not the case.Aside from those noises, that's what he said. He may have said it really calmly, I don't know, but he just kind of lists out like five things in a row where he's just like, I didn't have anything to do with anything, and this is normal for me to do whatever David asks.Verse 16.And the king said,"You shall surely die, Ahimelech. You and all your father's house."And the king said to the guard who stood about him,"Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David. They knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me."But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the Lord.You got to hear the sentence that Saul said. He looks at his servants and says, that's it. Kill all the priests of the Lord because they're on David's team. Priests of the Lord. They're on David's team.And then I don't know if y'all can see the fear and the frustration. And Saul's face turned purple as all of his soldiers are just like, nope, I'm not.I love his soldiers in this moment because they all know there's going to be a day I stand before the Lord and it won't be Saul. There's a day that I will stand before my king and it isn't Saul. And I'm not going on record as killing a priest, it's not happening. You can kill me. That's fine. Then I'll go stand before the Lord and go, do you see me not kill that priest? Do you see what I just died for? Like, they just don't move.And again, I'm sure this just confirms in Saul that everyone is against him. His whole world has shrunk down to his center of gravity and Doeg.Then the king said to Doeg,"You turn and strike down the priests."And Doeg, the Edomite turned and struck down the priests. And he killed on that day 85 persons who wore the linen ephod. Doeg is an Edomite. He doesn't care.So he kills them, 85 of them. They brought all the males from that household. They kill all of them. And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep. He put to the sword.Saul does to the city of the priests what he was not willing to do to the Amalekites when it was for the Lord and it was holy war, he was unwilling to do it. When it's for him and it's his trying to keep his seat of power, he's willing to.Verse 20.But one of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to David.Alright, so something very interesting has happened in this passage.In chapter two, a man of God comes to Eli and says the priesthood is not going to stay with your family because you've dishonored me. He says they're going to be wiped out. There will only be left one who will cry his eyes out. That's what just happened. Abiathar is that one.And eventually it's taken from him. He doesn't get to carry on serving the Lord. So the curse of God is poured out on this family through the wicked choices of Saul.So Saul is very wrong to do what he does. But we also see the hand of God at work in fulfilling his promises. It's a very interesting thing that happens here. But it doesn't mean that Saul's right to do what he does. It just means that when God says something, it happens.And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord.And David said to Abiathar,"I knew on that day when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul, I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father's house."David's response is, that's on me. While David was on the run, while David was doing what he did, he said, I knew that. I knew he was going to tell him. And I don't know if David fully understood what was going to come from that. I don't see how he could have. But he just says, yeah, that's. I'm the one to blame for this.Verse 21,"Stay with me. Do not be afraid for he who seeks my life seeks your life with me. You shall be in safekeeping."So that's his response to Abiathar.There's a very interesting call it a social phenomenon that's happening in this text. But everybody who's absolutely desperate is going to David. If everything has fallen apart, if you have no hope of a future, if everything has fallen around your ears, they go to David.And I can't help but see that and see that that's exactly what happens in the New Testament with Jesus. That when Jesus is on earth, the people who flock to him are the poor, the destitute, the sinners, the weak, the small, the outcasts.This actually is one of the things that he and the religious leaders get into arguments over all the time. They're like, you hang out with absolute human garbage. And Jesus is like, right, because the sick need a physician, not the well.And there's this thing where if you really know that you're in need, you start looking for somewhere to go, some bit of hope, someone to run to.And so we see in this story as it plays out that you have fear, legitimate, real, terrible fear, actual bad things.And David, as we follow this out, he runs to the Lord and there's all of these people that run to David. And then there's Saul who tries to handle everything in his own strength.And I told you earlier that we would see. I'm trying to tell you the scariest place to be.The scariest place to be is where you are the biggest person in the world.The scariest place to be is where you are utterly, completely, absolutely self-sufficient.The scariest place to be is where the center of existence has boiled down to your center of gravity, where it's all up to you.That's where Saul is.Trust, no one believes, no one hopes in nothing, just whatever he can tooth and nail and claw and grab, whatever he can get done, all up to him.And I don't know if you know it, but that's what our culture has told you over and over again is what you need to go do.Express yourself, find yourself, succeed, accomplish, win, earn.It's up to you.The most powerful snowflake in the world that you've got to on your own. Be sufficient, be capable, be good.That's what religion shows up and tells you so often is be good, be moral, do it. It's up to you.That's terrifying.The guards around Saul know something that we need to know is that one day you're going to stand before the real Lord, the real King.And on that day you do not want to stand in yourself self-sufficient.You do not want to stand before the King and say, judge me, evaluate me, I am big enough, I am good enough, I am capable.That's terrifying.You don't want to live your life that way.And you certainly don't want to end your life that way.We get to do with Jesus what Abiathar does with David and we get to have the same response.We get to run to him and say, I have no hope anywhere but with you.And what David says to Abiathar is what Jesus says to us.Your life is connected to my life and with me you'll be in safekeeping.That we get to hide ourselves in Christ.That when he died for sins, he died for us.That when he was buried, we were buried.When he rose, we rise.We get to be hidden in Christ and what he has accomplished.And we get to stand before the Lord in Christ and not in ourselves and not in our sufficiency.But we get to say, I have hidden in him.And no one is put to shame who takes refuge in the Lord.David prophetically says it at the end of his psalm."The Lord redeems the life of his servants. None of those who take refuge in him will be condemned."And then we get to live like that in all the fears of life.You get to go to the Lord. You get to do what David did. He's in the, he's in the cave and he's rehearsing.You know how long it takes to write a song? It's possible that this just came out, but I think a lot of it is he's working on, he's rehearsing, he's remembering and he's reminding himself over and over and over and over again.My hope is in you. My trust is in you. I have no good apart from you.Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.Nobody who is condemned, who places their hope in you.Nobody who runs to you in refuge, oh, let me hide in you.Over and over and over and over again.And then we get to do the same thing that we don't in the middle of fear go, I must act, I've got to do something.But we get to in the middle of the fear go, okay Lord, if you don't help, I'm in trouble. If you don't show up, I'm in trouble.I see so often in my own sin. I'll talk to the Lord and I'll say, Lord, if you aren't merciful, if you don't forgive sinners, I have no hope.But oh thank you that you do. And let me hide in you.Let me. Let the righteousness of Christ be applied to me.Let his life and death and burial apply to me.Let me hide in him.It's one of my favorite songs is Rock of Ages.And just at the end it says,"Let me hide myself in thee, let me hide in you."And let it be about you.And so if you've never seen that you actually are not capable enough, strong enough, good enough, if your whole world is about you and you still think you are strong enough, I would say no, come to the Lord.But if you know you're in debt, in sin, you're destitute, you're distressed, you're bitter, come to the Lord, run to him and say, I need to hide in you.And for the Christians in the room who are struggling with fear, rehearse for yourself what's true about him.Start with Psalm 34.Read it, pray it. Sit. Remind yourself my hope is bound up in you.That's what Colossians 3 says,"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."We are hidden with him.His life and our life, our life is bound up in him.And with him we are in safe keeping.Let's pray.Lord, I pray right now in the name of Jesus, for every person in this room who is self-sufficient. For every person in this room who, when it all boils down, it's just them. Just them and their wisdom, just them and their morality, just them and their strength, just them and their ingenuity, that it's just them.Lord, I pray that you would, through your Spirit, help them to see how small and how vulnerable and how scary that is, that they might run to you.Lord, we pray for the person in this room who already sees that, who already feels debt, distress, destitute, desperate, that they would run headlong to you and say, oh, let your life cover me, let your righteousness apply to me. Let me hide myself in you.And Lord, may the Christians in this room rehearse that over and over and over again. That in fear we might fear you more and know that no one is condemned who takes refuge in you.In Jesus' name, Amen.The band's going to come back up. We're going to respond in communion and worship.

In 1 Samuel 29 David will find that his lies and deception have brought him to a dilemma from which there would appear to be no opportunity to escape. The lords of the Philistines had mustered their forces at Aphek in order for a full scale war with Israel. Achish has summoned David and his men to go with them to fight against their enemies. The other 4 lords express their objections believing that should the battle not go in favour of Philistia David could change sides and fight for Israel to reconcile himself to Saul. These lords recount what a thorn in their sides David had been in the past. Achish defends David's loyalty before the lords. However they still insist that David and his men leave the Philistine camp before sunrise - before the battle. David agrees to do this. Once again David's Almighty God has saved him out of an exceptionally dangerous predicament. Chapter 30 sees David and his troop reach a very low point where David despairs of life. As David's troop come to Ziklag they find their town destroyed and burning and strewn with corpses. David's followers are so distraught that they want to blame him for what has happened and to stone him to death. David prays as verse 6 tells us. Never let us forget that no matter how bad things seem to be we can always count on our LORD for support. David then asks counsel from his God by asking Abiathar the priest to find out what the Almighty would have him do. Their Sovereign instructs them to pursue the enemy and that they will recover their families and their wealth. David's company found a sick and starving Egyptian who had been left behind by the Amalekite raiding party. Just think that had Saul destroyed the Amalekites as God had commanded him this catastrophe could not have happened. The Egyptian promised help as long as he was not sold to those Amalekites. Verses 16-20 tell us that just as the Almighty had promised so it came to pass. Two hundred of David's men had minded the luggage whilst the other four hundred had risked their life in battle. The 400 did not wish to share the spoil. David made a rule from that point and beyond the spoil was to be divided evenly whatever part his followers had played in the warfare. David always tried to act with justice and equality for all. David then distributed much of the wealth to the nearby regions with an explanation that it had come from the enemies of Yahweh. In Jeremiah 5 the prophet is told to run through Jerusalem to see if he could find anyone who would walk in the ways of the LORD. If the prophet could find such a person God promised to pardon Judah. However, says Almighty God, He saw only hypocritical lip service - outward worship without any truth. All this despite their Sovereign's discipline. Ezekiel was given a similar task in chapter 9 of that prophecy. The nation had set her face against her Maker. Jeremiah acknowledges that this is true, but claims that the LORD's people are ignorant of His ways. In verse 6 their Omnipotent Judge declares that they would be savaged by the Babylonian lion and that God would observe the nation's actions as closely as a leopard does his prey. In verses 7-9 her Sovereign describes her lascivious behaviour and that Judah's appetite for immorality is unquenchable. Graphic word pictures are used by her God. Verses 10-13 outline the vast extent of the coming judgments - even the prophets would be destroyed (excepting Jeremiah as we shall find out later). In verses 14-17 the LORD describes the arrogance and ruthlessness of the Babylonians. He also speaks of the destruction that would be brought upon Judah. The Babylonians would show no mercy. Verses 18-25 reveal that Yahweh, in contrast to Babylon, would show mercy in sparing Judah and saving a remnant. Verses 26-29 speak of the treacherous behaviours of the Judeans among themselves. God says that such actions cannot go unpunished. In verses 30-31 God describes the perverse practices of the priests and ruler. Sadly, says the prophet, the people not only tolerate it, but want it to be that way.  The 16th chapter of Matthew shows the incapacity of the nation's rulers to see what was happening in their midst. This is followed by a treatise on the deception contained in corrupt teachings; whose pervasive influence rapidly permeates like leaven. Next comes the greatest confession by Peter, upon which rock-like foundation the entire ecclesia is built - namely, that "Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God" (see John 6verses 68-69; Ephesians 2 verses 20-21). Our Lord Jesus next explicitly explains to his Apostles his coming sufferings, death and resurrection on the third day. Our Lord Jesus Christ's resurrection was the sign of the prophet Jonah. That prophet spent 3 days in the belly of the whale which in Jonah's prayer is called the belly of hell: Jonah 2 verses 1-2. The Apostle Paul says that this proved the Lord Jesus Christ's divine Sonship: Romans 1 verses 4; Ephesians 1 verses 15-22. The Apostle Peter reminds us of the same matter: Acts 2 verses 22-36. The chapter concludes with a final appeal to each believer to take up our stake - Greek "staurus" - and follow our Lord through suffering even unto death should that be our lot.

The incidents in these two chapters reveal David at a low point in his life. They reveal his despair and exasperation which were to cost the lives of those associated with David. David has fled from Saul in fear of his life and the lives of the men who are with him. David's first thoughts are of food and a weapon to protect himself. He goes to Nob to the high priest - Ahimelech - seeking sustenance and a sword. David's trust should have been in his God. In Yahweh he would have found provision - as Israel had for 40 years in the wilderness - and he would have found protection. The high priest was fearful at David's arrival. So many throughout Israel knew of Saul's envy of David. To help David will be extremely dangerous. Yet Ahimelech also knew that Yahweh was with David. David commences on a course of deception that will be his pattern for years. Once you start lying it will become a habit that will be hard to break. David requests the shewbread which had just been changed that Sabbath day: Luke 6 verses 1-4. Verse 7 of 1 Samuel 21 notes, almost as an aside, that Doeg was there and that he was a chief cattle herder of king Saul. Doeg was a vile and violent Edomite as chapter 22 records. Verse 8-9 tell us that Ahimelech gave Goliath's sword to David. David received it with great anticipation not knowing the grief that the possession of this sword would cause him. Verses 10-15 speak of David's folly in fleeing to Gath with the sword of the giant champion - Goliath of Gath. David's fame proceeds him and his folly exposes him to great danger. David is brought into the presence of Achish king of Gath to explain what he is doing in Gath. In terror David feigned madness but also silently prayed intensely for his God's rescuing of him. Other accounts tell us that David was imprisoned in Gath, but later inexplicably released. The reason David was released is told us in Psalm 34 - recording his prayer in his extremity and from that what he would teach to his band of men: Psalm 34 verses 1-22. Slowly read these words aloud and contemplate the lessons for each of us. That Psalm, due to the vital lessons it teaches, is one of the most frequently quoted Psalms in the New Testament.: eg 1 Peter 3 verses :8-17. 1 Samuel 22 speaks of the snowballing consequences of lying. Verses 1-5 tell us that David fled from Gath to the cave of Adullam where he first sought to educate his followers in the need for truth and trusting in the Almighty. Next he arranged for the rescuing of his mother and father who were sent to Moab and remain there whilst David was a fugitive. Many people who felt oppressed by Saul's ways fled and came to David for leadership, protection and security. David would do this for them and more as he would guide theme in the way of Yahweh their Sovereign. The prophet Gad urged David to flee from Adullam. Verses 6-8 tell of Saul appealing to the Benjaminites, his own tribe, to betray David. Saul says that he will enrich his tribesmen and that David would not do this. The Benjaminites are reluctant despite being offered a bribe to betray David. Verses 9-10 describe Doeg's enthusiasm to tell Saul of Ahimelech's support of David. Verses 11-19 tell of the high priest being interrogated by Saul; his being sentenced to death for supposed treachery. We are told of the reluctance of Saul's soldiers to slay the priests and Doeg's single handed slaying of 85 priests at Nob. In addition Doeg slew the women, children and livestock of the town. Verses 20-23 speak of Abiathar's escape and his relating the incident to David, who offers him asylum. Isaiah 65 verses 1-7 tells us of God's lament at the unholiness of His people who refuse to obey His voice. Israel commit every imaginable abomination despite the LORD's continual pleadings with them. They were like an irritating smoke in God's nostrils. Yahweh cannot be ignored without consequences. The Almighty will punish them for their contempt towards Him. Verses 8-10 present a contrast with the attitude of the majority. The remnants of the LORD's people - His servants - will experience abundance of blessings from Him. Even the curse that Achan brought upon the nation of Israel when he took from the devoted things of Jericho will be reversed. The valley where he was buried will become an oasis for sheep and as the prophecy of Hosea says - 2 verses 15 - will become "a door of hope" (Hebrew' Peta Tikva' the words of Israel's national anthem composed in 1882). There is always hope for those who wholeheartedly turn to the LORD: Joel 2 verses13-14. Verses 11-12 describe the punishments that Yahweh would bring upon His people. Verses 13-16 also contrast God's obedient servants with His disobedient nation. When Yahweh blesses His servants those rebels will experience want. Our Omnipotent Creator promises that the time will come when those who are blessed acknowledge that their blessings come from the "God of Truth" - Hebrew' Eduth here translated as "Amen". Verses 17-25 talk of the blessings of the kingdom age under the rule of Jesus Christ the Messiah. Verses 17-19 are quoted in 2 Peter 3 verses 11-13. Peter says we are looking for God to fulfill His promise to the faithful. The new heavens and earth speak of the administration of Christ's kingdom. Note how Revelation 21 verses1-5 speaks of a change of government and although this vision is of the time after the millennium the figure still stands that the heavens relate to rulership and the earth to those peoples who are subject to the heavens: see also Deuteronomy 32 verses1; Isaiah 1 verses 2,10. Verses 20-25 describe the longevity which will prevail during the millennium - 1,000 year - reign of our Lord Jesus Christ. Mortality still exist, but life will be prolonged so that one dying at one hundred years of age will be considered to be but a child. However the persistent sinner dying at 100 years will still be considered to be cursed. There will be a  harmonious relationship between animals commencing in Mount Zion and eventually throughout the entire world: Isaiah 9 verses 1-7; 11 verses 6-9. This is also symbolic of the peace between the nations of the earth. But this is only possible under the government of our Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah 65 verse 25 reminds us that the curse from Adam and Eve's disobedience in Eden has been rolled back when we are told that the serpent - snake - will still eat dust. The blessings apply to productive farming and long occupancy of houses because the wicked have been restrained. How this contrasts greatly with what we see in our world in this troubled age. Matthew 10 verses 1-4 tell of our Lord Jesus' selection of his 12 Apostles. Their mission is described and their names given. In verses 5-15 they are sent forth with a commission to preach solely to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel". Mark 16:15-16 tell us that the Lord's ambassadors after his resurrection were to be sent into all the nations of the known world. The Apostles' message was to repent because the kingdom was at hand. Accompanying miracles were to be done to demonstrate that the work was from God. A failure to respond to the preaching was to be met with a curse upon those refusing the invitation from the Almighty through His Son and His Son's emissaries. Verses 16-25 tell us that those carrying the good news - ie the gospel - could expect to receive persecution just as Jesus their Master was experiencing. In verses 26-33 Jesus says to those Apostles that they must preach without any fear of human authorities as they could only take away their life until God would resurrect His faithful witnesses. Jesus' witnesses must not put their light under a bushel: Matthew 5 verses 14-16. The same remains true today. Although we are respectful of human government our allegiance is to our Sovereign Omnipotent Creator: 1 Peter 4:1-11. Verses 34-39 teach us that in our witness for Christ we will often find that this proclamation will bring division within families. We must not be overzealous in pushing our message upon anybody including our family; and we need to be kind in the way we present our views to them. We need individually to pick up our stake and deny ourselves in following our Lord Jesus Christ. In so doing we will in the kingdom receive the blessings of the faithful. Verses 40-42 tell of the blessings for showing kindness now - even in the smallest of ways.

In our last episode, Solomon's brother Adonijah tried to take the throne while David was on his death bed. His plan failed, and Solomon successfully ascended to the throne. During the attempted coup, Adonijah recruited Abiathar the priest and Joab, David's former commander. Since then, Adonijah has been executed, Abiathar has been banished, and today. Joab will be executed. Later, the Lord appears to King Solomon in a dream, and instead of asking for wealth or long life, he asks the Lord for wisdom to lead God's people. This pleases the Lord, who promises blessing upon Solomon's reign, including both wisdom and wealth.1 Kings 2:28 - 1:08 . 1 Kings 3 - 5:16 . 1 Kings 4 - 11:37 . 2 Chronicles 1 - 16:55 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Today we'll be reading about the death of King David from two sources. The first will be from 1 Chronicles as we conclude that book. In this reading, we'll hear a prayer that David gives in the assembly of the leaders of Israel, followed by a brief account of Solomon coming to power as king. Our second reading will be from 1 Kings, which gives a much more dramatic perspective on what took place during that transition of power. David's oldest son, Adonijah, gains support for himself from well-known leaders like Joab and Abiathar, calling Judah together for a feast to celebrate his bid for kingship. Nathan the prophet catches word, and teams up with Bathsheba to alert the king that Solomon's title of king is being contested in an underhanded scheme to usurp David's decree.1 Chronicles 29:10 - 1:08 . 1 Kings 1 - 6:33 . 1 Kings 2 - 18:01 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Mark 2:23–28 (ESV): 23 One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

JUNE 8 | II The Authority of the King | Mark 2:13-28 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came tohim, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son ofAlphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, andLevi got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many taxcollectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there weremany who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw himeating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why doeshe eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy whoneed a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, butsinners.”  Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some peoplecame and asked Jesus, “How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of thePharisees are fasting, but yours are not?” Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast whilehe is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the timewill come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day theywill fast. “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment.Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burstthe skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pournew wine into new wineskins.” One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as hisdisciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Phariseessaid to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and hiscompanions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, heentered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful onlyfor priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man forthe Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

JUNE 8 | II The Authority of the King | Mark 2:13-28 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came tohim, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son ofAlphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, andLevi got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many taxcollectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there weremany who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw himeating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why doeshe eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy whoneed a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, butsinners.”  Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some peoplecame and asked Jesus, “How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of thePharisees are fasting, but yours are not?” Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast whilehe is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the timewill come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day theywill fast. “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment.Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burstthe skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pournew wine into new wineskins.” One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as hisdisciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Phariseessaid to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and hiscompanions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, heentered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful onlyfor priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man forthe Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

JUNE 8 | II The Authority of the King | Mark 2:13-28 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came tohim, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son ofAlphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, andLevi got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many taxcollectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there weremany who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw himeating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why doeshe eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy whoneed a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, butsinners.”  Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some peoplecame and asked Jesus, “How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of thePharisees are fasting, but yours are not?” Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast whilehe is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the timewill come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day theywill fast. “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment.Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burstthe skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pournew wine into new wineskins.” One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as hisdisciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Phariseessaid to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and hiscompanions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, heentered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful onlyfor priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man forthe Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

JUNE 8 | II The Authority of the King | Mark 2:13-28Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

JUNE 8 | II The Authority of the King | Mark 2:13-28 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came tohim, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son ofAlphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, andLevi got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many taxcollectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there weremany who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw himeating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why doeshe eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy whoneed a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, butsinners.”  Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some peoplecame and asked Jesus, “How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of thePharisees are fasting, but yours are not?” Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast whilehe is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the timewill come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day theywill fast. “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment.Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burstthe skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pournew wine into new wineskins.” One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as hisdisciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Phariseessaid to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and hiscompanions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, heentered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful onlyfor priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man forthe Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

JUNE 8 | II The Authority of the King | Mark 2:13-28 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came tohim, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son ofAlphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, andLevi got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many taxcollectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there weremany who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw himeating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why doeshe eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy whoneed a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, butsinners.”  Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some peoplecame and asked Jesus, “How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of thePharisees are fasting, but yours are not?” Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast whilehe is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the timewill come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day theywill fast. “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment.Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burstthe skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pournew wine into new wineskins.” One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as hisdisciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Phariseessaid to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and hiscompanions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, heentered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful onlyfor priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man forthe Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

JUNE 8 | II The Authority of the King | Mark 2:13-28 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came tohim, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son ofAlphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, andLevi got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many taxcollectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there weremany who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw himeating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why doeshe eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy whoneed a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, butsinners.”  Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some peoplecame and asked Jesus, “How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of thePharisees are fasting, but yours are not?” Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast whilehe is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the timewill come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day theywill fast. “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment.Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burstthe skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pournew wine into new wineskins.” One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as hisdisciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Phariseessaid to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and hiscompanions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, heentered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful onlyfor priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man forthe Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

JUNE 8 | II The Authority of the King | Mark 2:13-28Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

JUNE 8 | II The Authority of the King | Mark 2:13-28Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

JUNE 8 | II The Authority of the King | Mark 2:13-28 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came tohim, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son ofAlphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, andLevi got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many taxcollectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there weremany who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw himeating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why doeshe eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy whoneed a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, butsinners.”  Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some peoplecame and asked Jesus, “How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of thePharisees are fasting, but yours are not?” Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast whilehe is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the timewill come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day theywill fast. “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment.Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burstthe skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pournew wine into new wineskins.” One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as hisdisciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Phariseessaid to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and hiscompanions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, heentered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful onlyfor priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man forthe Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

JUNE 8 | II The Authority of the King | Mark 2:13-28 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came tohim, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son ofAlphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, andLevi got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many taxcollectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there weremany who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw himeating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why doeshe eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy whoneed a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, butsinners.”  Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some peoplecame and asked Jesus, “How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of thePharisees are fasting, but yours are not?” Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast whilehe is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the timewill come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day theywill fast. “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment.Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burstthe skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pournew wine into new wineskins.” One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as hisdisciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Phariseessaid to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and hiscompanions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, heentered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful onlyfor priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man forthe Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

JUNE 8 | II The Authority of the King | Mark 2:13-28 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came tohim, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son ofAlphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, andLevi got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many taxcollectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there weremany who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw himeating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why doeshe eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy whoneed a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, butsinners.”  Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some peoplecame and asked Jesus, “How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of thePharisees are fasting, but yours are not?” Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast whilehe is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the timewill come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day theywill fast. “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment.Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burstthe skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pournew wine into new wineskins.” One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as hisdisciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Phariseessaid to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and hiscompanions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, heentered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful onlyfor priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man forthe Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

With King David on his death bed, the royal family knows that the time to transfer power is drawing near. David's oldest son, Adonijah, gains support for himself from well-known leaders like Joab and Abiathar, calling Judah together for a feast to celebrate his bid for kingship. Nathan the prophet catches word, and teams up with Bathsheba to alert the king. Later, the Lord appears to King Solomon in a dream, and instead of asking for wealth or long life, he asks the Lord for wisdom to lead God's people. This pleases the Lord, who promises blessing upon Solomon's reign.1 Kings 1 - 1:15 . 1 Kings 2 - 12:49 . 1 Kings 3 - 23:28 . Psalm 87 - 29:00 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Teacher: Dave Brown Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.—1 Samuel 18:7; 21:11 Saul was very angry; “they have credited David with tens of thousand,” he though, ‘but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.— 1 Samuel 18:8-9 David went to Nob, to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?” David answered Ahimelek the priest, “The king sent me on a mission and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about the mission I am sending you on.' As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place.”— 1 Samuel 21:1-2 The king ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.” So Does the Edomite turned and killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.— 1 Samuel 22:18-19 But one son of Ahimelek…named Abiathar, escaped and fled to join David. He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord, Then David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your whole family.— 1 Samuel 22:20-22 If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.— John 15:18-20 The story of David isn't set before us as a moral model to copy. David isn't a person whose actions we're inspired to imitate. In the company of David we don't feel inadequate because we know we could never do it that well. Just the opposite; in the company of David we find someone who does it as badly as, or worse than, we do, but who in the process doesn't quit, doesn't withdraw from God.— Eugene Peterson God's will for our lives can be divided into two parts: 1 - General will — Loving God and loving others 2 - Specific will — “The place were your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.” David isn't an ideal life bit an actual life. We imaginatively enter the company of David not to improve our morals but to deepen our sense of human reality: this is what happens in the grand enterprise of being human. Reentering through my believing imagination the world of David, I'm more myself—free to be myself and able find God in the middle of what's going on right now.— Eugene Peterson

In a paranoid rage, Saul has slaughtered a city of priests and their families. One man has escaped from that raid and joined David's ranks; his name is Abiathar and he has come with a priestly ephod in hand. At every turn, it seems that Saul is hot on David's tail until, at long last, he unwittingly happens upon the cave where David is hiding. However, he doesn't realize David and his men are there, and when he goes in to relieve himself, David takes advantage of the opportunity, but not in the way you might expect from someone who is being hunted down by the ruler of a kingdom.1 Samuel 23 - 1:13 . 1 Samuel 24 - 7:53 . 1 Samuel 25 - 12:38 . Proverbs 30 - 23:48 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every single day. Don't forget today we drop a chapter review of Mark 2 on The Weekly Vince Miller Show; check that out. It will add some perspective on Jesus by looking at Chapter 2 from a slightly higher level. I would love to give a shout-out today to Joseph Myall from Klamath Falls, OR. Thanks for being a partner with the ministry. We cannot do what we do without the faithful support of families like yours. This is for you, Joseph! Today, we're looking at Mark 2:23-28: One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” — Mark 2:23-28 Jesus and his disciples were walking through a field on the Sabbath, and they casually picked grain to eat. It was a simple, innocent act. An everyday moment. However, the religious leaders turned it into a legal trap and dispute. To them, the issue was not their present physical hunger but religious rebellion. The religious leaders had built layers of tradition over centuries around God's commands—so many that they'd lost sight of the heart behind the law. Jesus answers with an account they'd all remember: David, while running for his life, was also hungry and desperate and ate not merely grain in a field but the sacred bread from within the Temple. It wasn't sanctioned, yet God didn't condemn him. Because sometimes, mercy takes precedence. Then Jesus offers a correction they didn't expect: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” In other words, the Sabbath isn't a burden—it's a blessing. A time for rest, renewal, and remembering who provides everything we need. Then, Jesus takes his point to a whole new level. He claims authority not just to interpret the Sabbath but to own it: “The Son of Man [Jesus] is Lord even of the Sabbath.” This wasn't about rules—it was about who rules. Jesus was declaring that true spiritual rest isn't found in rules. Rest is found in Him. and of course, they missed the point he was making. Just like they did, we miss the point: We still fall into the same trap. We turn faith into performance. We hustle for approval. We keep spiritual scorecards. But Jesus invites us to something entirely different—not a religion to prove, rules to follow, but a relationship to enjoy. Spiritual rest isn't earned. It's received. And real rest begins when we trust that his work—not ours—is what makes us right with God. #LordOfTheSabbath, #SabbathRest, #MercyNotRules ASK THIS: Why do you think the Pharisees had such a hard time letting go of their rules? In what ways do you find your worth in performance instead of God's presence? What would it look like for you to receive Sabbath as a gift, not a burden? Where is Jesus inviting you to stop striving and simply rest? DO THIS: Set aside 10 minutes today to stop and rest in God's presence. No agenda, no noise. Just be still and let Jesus remind you that you're not defined by what you do—but by who He is. PRAY THIS: Jesus, thank you for being my rest. Teach me to slow down, to trust your provision, and to find peace in your presence—not my performance. Amen. PLAY THIS: Run To The Father.

The book of Kings begins where Samuel left off. David is old and near the end of his reign, but he has not clearly laid out which son will succeed him as king. Adonijah attempts to take advantage of the situation to establish himself as king, with the help of Abiathar and Joab. However, Nathan the prophet knows the intent of David and the LORD. Nathan enlists the help of Bathsheba to remind David of his previous promise that Solomon would reign as king over Israel next. David takes quick action to proclaim Solomon as king publicly.  Rev. Martin Dressler, pastor at Salem Lutheran Church in Black Jack, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 Kings 1:1-40.  "A Kingdom Divided” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Kings. The division in the kingdom of Israel in this part of history was greater than a matter of north and south. The biggest division was between the people and their God. Yet even as the people rebelled against the LORD as their King, still He remained faithful to call them back to Himself through His prophets, working through history to send the good and gracious King, Jesus Christ. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

Mark 2:23-28One sabbath he was going though the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" 25 And he said to them, "have you never read what David did, when we as in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?" 27 And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.

Mark 2:23-28One sabbath he was going though the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" 25 And he said to them, "have you never read what David did, when we as in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?" 27 And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.

To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (NOT a Morning Mindset resource) ⇒ Listen to our other podcasts: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Mark 2:23–28 - [23] One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. [24] And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” [25] And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: [26] how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” [27] And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. [28] So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” (ESV) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Support a daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen -- Support our SPANISH TRANSLATION: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/supportSpanish -- Support our HINDI TRANSLATION: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/supportHindi -- Support our CHINESE TRANSLATION: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/supportChinese  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish HINDI version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Hindi CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖~ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/ ***All NON-ENGLISH versions of the Morning Mindset are translated using A.I. Dubbing and Translation tools from DubFormer.ai ***All NON-ENGLISH text content (descriptions and titles) are translated using the A.I. functionality of Google Translate. To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (NOT a Morning Mindset resource) ⇒ Listen to our other podcasts: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:   ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Support a daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen -- Support our SPANISH TRANSLATION: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/supportSpanish -- Support our HINDI TRANSLATION: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/supportHindi -- Support our CHINESE TRANSLATION: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/supportChinese  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish HINDI version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Hindi CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖~ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/ ***All NON-ENGLISH versions of the Morning Mindset are translated using A.I. Dubbing and Translation tools from DubFormer.ai ***All NON-ENGLISH text content (descriptions and titles) are translated using the A.I. functionality of Google Translate.

To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (NOT a Morning Mindset resource) ⇒ TODAY'S DAILY SPONSOR: Morning Mindset listener, Debi - in memory of her mom. You can sponsor a daily episode of the Morning Mindset too, by going to https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/DailySponsor ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Mark 2:23–28 - [23] One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. [24] And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” [25] And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: [26] how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” [27] And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. [28] So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” (ESV) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Support a daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen -- Support our SPANISH TRANSLATION: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/supportSpanish -- Support our HINDI TRANSLATION: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/supportHindi -- Support our CHINESE TRANSLATION: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/supportChinese  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish HINDI version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Hindi CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/ ***All NON-ENGLISH versions of the Morning Mindset are translated using A.I. Dubbing and Translation tools from DubFormer.ai ***All NON-ENGLISH text content (descriptions and titles) are translated using the A.I. functionality of Google Translate.

As David hides from Saul, he pours out his lament before the LORD in confident faith. At the same time, many of those who are in need gather to David, who begins to fulfill the role of a faithful king. Meanwhile, King Saul continues in his unfaithfulness, selfishly feeling sorry for only himself and accusing everyone of conspiracy against him. Only Doeg the Edomite sides with Saul, who hears the accusations against Ahimelech and the priests at Nob and orders their execution for their aid to David. When David hears of Saul's evil, he provides refuge to Abiathar, the lone survivor of Saul's vicious attack. David's actions throughout the text point us forward to the reign of the true King, the Son of David, Jesus Christ.  Rev. Martin Dressler, pastor at Salem Lutheran Church in Black Jack, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 Samuel 22:1-23.  "A Kingdom Unlike All the Nations” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Samuel. This time in Israel's history has its highs and lows, but the LORD's faithfulness never wavers. He provides His Word to be proclaimed faithfully through prophets like Samuel and Nathan. Even as princes like Saul and David sit on an earthly throne, the LORD remains King over His people, even as He does now and forever through the Lord Jesus Christ. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

Ultime esortazioni di Davide a Salomone e sua morte. Adonijah, Joab e Scimei messi a morte da Salomone. Abiathar destituito dal suo ufficio di sacerdote

I Samuel 30:1-5 (NIV) David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it and had taken captive the women and all who were in it, both young and old. They killed none of them but carried them off as they went on their way. When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel I Samuel 30:6-7 (NIV) David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God. Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, Own Your Spirit Pray for Guidance I Samuel 30:8 (NIV) …and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.” Go Together I Samuel 30:9 (NIV) David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Ravine, where some stayed behind. Expect Recovery  I Samuel 30:18 (NIV) David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken…

How do we react to the sinners in our lives? Do we enable them? Do we hope for their demise? Or do we recognize that we are also sinners, face-planting through life, in desperate need of a savior? Today is part 2 of our parable finale through the story of the Prodigal Son. Last episode, we met Abiathar, the father, and Jarahmeel, the youngest son. Today we meet Amnon, the do-gooder - the good kid - the one who stuck around. While many people can relate to Jarahmeel’s unruly and wild spirit, I personally relate to Amnon. He’s done his best to do the right thing all his life. So, when he sees his younger brother squandering his father’s wealth and galavanting off into the sunset, he’s understandably bitter. What does Amnon’s story have to teach us? What is Jesus trying to communicate through him? Download the Pray.com app for more Christian content including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Pray.com is the digital destination for faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David had to flee for his life from King Saul, and then he ran into Abiathar. ******* By the way, if you haven't bought a copy of my new book yet, check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Visions-Stories-Faith-Pastor/dp/161493536X

Today's Topics: 1) Gospel - Mark 2:23-28 - As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath, His disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain. At this the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry? How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions?” Then He said to them, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” Memorial of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr Saint Agnes, pray for us! Bishop Sheen quote of the day 2) Consecration of Government post-election prayer by Father Chad Ripperger Are fires a divine punishment by God?' Many modernist Catholics say, NOT AT ALL

As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath,his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.At this the Pharisees said to him,“Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”He said to them,“Have you never read what David didwhen he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priestand ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat,and shared it with his companions?”Then he said to them,“The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

This podcast is a ministry of the Bonners Ferry Baptist Church and Pastor Nevin Neal.  If you have any questions, you can reach us by email at answers@bfbaptist.com.

True Leadership and Revival (2) (audio) David Eells – 12/8/24   The great anointing of the beginning of the Latter Rain is coming for the purpose of first empowering the Man-child, who will then be used to bring the Bride into her ordained calling. It will be as it was in Jesus' time where John said of Jesus' disciples in Joh.3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom…. The anointing of wisdom and knowledge and power of Jesus will be theirs for He lives in them. Glenn H. Jackson received just such a prophecy in July 2006. (This speaks of the anointing of the Man-child reformers.) Jesus said, “I am going to ‘bring you up' with Me for a time, My beloved one, and I shall show you supernaturally in this time all that you need to be shown and truly I say to you, you will never be the same and I shall lay My hands upon you and thus I shall ‘impart' to you the ‘special anointing' that shall enable (empower) you to carry out powerfully and gloriously every facet of My will for your life and ministry and you shall help ‘elevate' My Church to the place that I have called her to! Do not fear, My beloved one, only put yourself in a position continually to receive all that I have for you!” The Jewish Feast of Hanukkah typifies the time of the anointing of the Man-child at the beginning of the Tribulation in order to spread that anointing throughout the Bride and the larger Church. Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days and nights, starting on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar. [In 2024, 5,6,7,8, Hanukkah starts at nightfall on Dec 25th or Christmas, when the world celebrates the birth of Jesus, the Man-child. Jesus was really born in the fall when the shepherds, who visited the birth, were still in the field with their sheep.]  Hanukkah is a Hebrew word meaning “dedication”. It celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the Grecian beast kingdom of 165 B.C. and the rededication of the Temple that had been defiled by that kingdom. Their situation typifies the same spiritual situation we are seeing presently in the Church. The beast kingdom of this world has defiled the Temple of God's people with its thinking and ways. The Hellenists, who were a type of the worldly Christian and their leaders, felt that their brethren were not a modern sophisticated society like the Greeks and so did everything they could to merge Israel into the Grecian beast kingdom in culture and thought. As a true type, the light of the menorah of Israel was put out during those days when God's people indulged in the lukewarm darkness of the world even as today in spiritual Israel, the Church. The Maccabees were a priestly family of Jews whom God used to cast off the bondage of Antiochus IV Epiphanes at the head of the beast kingdom. Judas Maccabaeus and his army recaptured Jerusalem and reconsecrated the temple. We are told that he wanted to light the menorah of the Temple but they had only one small flask of oil, which would last for about a day. God answered their prayers with a miracle and the oil lasted for eight days. The Feast of Hanukkah celebrates this miracle of the multiplication of the oil for the light of the Temple, which is now the people of God. Hanukkah is also called the “Feast of Lights”. As Jesus told His disciples, “Ye are the light of the world” (Mat. 5:14). The one small flask of oil was a remnant in Israel and represents the Lord Jesus birthed in the anointed Man-child of our day. The first seven days of Hanukkah represent the miraculous revival of that light through the Church in the seven day/years of the Tribulation. This was symbolized by the lighting of the Temple menorah, a seven-branched lampstand representing the seven Churches. Jesus, as a type of the Man-child, was circumcised eight days after His birth, symbolizing the cutting off of the flesh on the eighth day/year, called the Day of the Lord. This will be after seven day/years of the Man-child's Tribulation ministry when the old body is cut off and the new body is received. I do not know if the First-fruits Man-child will be anointed during the Feast of Hanukkah but God is still about to fulfill that sign in the days to come by rededicating the New Testament Temple and multiplying the oil of the First-fruits Man-child in them. As Jesus multiplied His anointing through His apostolic witnesses to the larger Church, so the Man-child will multiply that anointing through end-time witnesses to miraculously restore the light of the Church. On the evening of the 24th of Kislev begins Hanukkah on the 25th when Haggai was told by the Lord that He would bless them “from this day” by shaking the heavens and earth and breaking the power of the nations over them, sending them into the wilderness tribulation behind the man-child. Hag.2:10 In the four and twentieth [day] of the ninth [month-Kislev], in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet... 19 ...from this day will I bless [you]. 20 And the word of Jehovah came the second time unto Haggai in the four and twentieth [day] of the month (Kislev), saying, 21 Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; (During the 8 day/years of Tribulation/Day of the Lord. Also, our dreams show the New Madrid goes off at the time of the birth and anointing of the Man-child ministry.) 22 and I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; (Kingdoms of Deep State Babylon fall to the One World empire of Cyrus as a type of Trump.) and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. (This is as when Egypt's power was broken over the called-out ones of Israel as they went into the wilderness tribulation to learn to walk by faith in God. At this time Israel was led by their Man-child, Moses, who is being typed here as the first-fruits Zerubbabel, meaning “born from Babylon”. War may very well cover their flight into the wilderness.) 23 In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith Jehovah, and will make thee as a signet; for I have chosen thee, saith Jehovah of hosts. Notice “In that day” of Hanukkah, Zerubbabel will be a signet, which is a seal of authority such as kings have. The Man-child will come with the authority of God to bring God's people out of bondage to the world and through the wilderness tribulation. Also on this day the foundation of the Lord's house, not made with man's hands, is laid again after a great falling away since the time of the Apostles. Hag.2:18 Consider, I pray you, from this day and backward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth [month], since the day that the foundation of Jehovah's temple was laid, consider it. It is through the shaking of the nations in the tribulation that God's “desired” people come out of them to become the temple of peace. 2:7 and I will shake all nations; and the precious (Hebrew: desired) things (Not Numeric) of all nations shall come (Jesus); and I will fill this house with glory, saith Jehovah of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith Jehovah of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, saith Jehovah of hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith Jehovah of hosts. In the former rain, Jesus, the Man-child, laid the foundation of the former glory house. 1 Cor.3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. So also in the latter rain, Jesus in Zerubbabel, as a type of the Man-child, will lay the foundation of the latter, greater glory house. Zec.4:9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me unto you”. Notice this verse is saying that it is the Lord who is coming in Zerubbabel (first-fruits born from Babylon) to build the house of God.     Man-child Sends out the Witnesses Amos Scaggs (David's notes in red) I received a vision from the Lord showing two stages of His work in and through His last day disciples. The first stage was these modern disciples were being gathered, including myself. Preparations had been made well in advance by the Lord. We were adequately taken care of and our needs were met without asking. We gathered together in fields, feasting and listening to JESUS while he taught us his ways. (This is a repetition of history. Jesus, manifested in the first-fruits/man-child, will teach and protect the disciples for the first three and one half years of the tribulation just as it was in the Gospels. They will be trained to be his witnesses and signs and wonders will follow their teaching just as it was with the first disciples.) We were going through different parts of the world but seemed to be in the same field. (“the field is the world”) We were also given protection well in advance. We were being given monetary things from Christians who believed in and were sympathetic to our cause but stayed in their prosperous communities. They were good people and kind to us. When we left this first teaching stage, they even came to see us off on our journey. (These brethren were not called to be among the Man-child or witnesses, who are God's apostles to raise up the end-time Church but they are called to support these ministers. Just as the witnesses were handpicked by Jesus in the Gospels, so it will be this time.) The second stage was that we were gathered into groups of two's and three's and being sent out into the world. Some would never return to see their families ever again. (Some will have translation powers and may return that way.) We were being sent into different groups and then being dispersed. One had the same spirit and anointing as John. Another had the same spirit and anointing as Peter. Another had the same spirit and anointing of James and so forth. (The two witnesses who have the spirits of Moses and Elijah also have the spirits of the Apostles. As Jesus sent out the corporate two witnesses two by two in the Gospels and then in the Book of Acts, so in our day will the Man-child send out the corporate two witnesses. They will give their life to raise up the Church and the true five-fold ministries according to type.) I also saw two rich people that were in government power. These were two older friends who partially raised me when I was younger and have been dead for 30-40 plus years. He was the Lt. Governor of Ohio and his wife. I was finishing up some meaningless work that I was doing for them so I could leave in a rush. She said, “I will have a baby by another means if you won't help me.” He said, “It will have to be by other means because I can't help you”. She said, “I think I'll have one by a Cherokee.” (The woman here is a remnant of the apostate Church, which will realize that it could not bring forth the fruit of Christ through their patriotic, allegiance to their husband, the beast government, so it will be done by “other means”. The Cherokee represent the witnesses who, like them will hold tenaciously to the roots of their forefathers, the apostles and Christ Himself. The Cherokee are an oppressed minority who live in camps separate from the world representing these coming witnesses of primitive Christianity. These will rise up and sow the seed of their forefathers into the apostate Church to bring forth the fruit of Jesus in them. These are a weak people in themselves who lost their land to the American beast but have held to the “Great Spirit” whose power will bring the true Church back to her roots.) Amos goes on, I thought the Cherokee child would be born mature as Adam was. (God will do a very quick work in His people. Rom.9:28 for the Lord will execute [his] word upon the earth, finishing it and cutting it short.)   Latter Rain Anointing Rex V. - 06/05/2005 (David's notes in red) While asleep, I heard a voice say: “Remember the linen ephod and the number 6427”. A few minutes later I heard the voice say the same thing again. I began to think about the number; then the third time I heard, “Don't forget the linen ephod and the number 6427”. The ephod was a garment made of linen, woven with gold, purple, blue and scarlet in Exo.28:4 And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a coat of checker work, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. (An ephod was a sacred vestment worn by the high priests (Exo. 28:4-14, 31-35; 25:7; 39:5). It was used as a prophetic mantle by David in the wilderness to know what Saul's armies were doing so that God's people would escape him (1Sa.23:9-14). Saul represents the old-order leadership that is keeping God's people in bondage to Babylonish religion. God spoke to me many years ago that, “I am moving the Sauls out of the way to make room for my Davids and you are one of my Davids”. Saul's death represented the spiritual death of the old-order leadership as they opposed David. This prophetic mantle was worn by David when He brought the ark to Jerusalem in 2Sa.6:14 …and David was girded with a linen ephod. And he said “let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we sought not unto it in the days of Saul” (1 Chr.13:3). The Saul ministries of our day do not have the presence of the Lord in their midst nor do they seek his direction. This prophetic mantle was used by David for wisdom and direction to conquer beast armies who had captured God's people in 1Sa.30:7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David. 8 And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, If I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue; for thou shalt surely overtake them, and shalt without fail recover all. Jesus was the Son of David who received the anointed mantle to be the Man-child of His day for the first 3 1/2 years of their tribulation. God is saying through Rex's revelation that He is about to return the mantle of the ephod, which is a prophetic anointing for the spiritual seed of David in our day, to begin our tribulation. It will be for wisdom and direction to deliver God's people from bondage to the Sauls and the beast system.) Rex: I felt impressed that the numbers 6427 represented Isaiah 64:2-7, which says, 2 as when fire kindleth the brushwood, [and] the fire causeth the waters to boil; to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence! (As in Jesus' day, God is about to reveal his name, i.e. nature, character, and authority, manifest initially in His first fruits Man-child, and then in His disciples. This will bring judgment to the beast kingdom of this world. He will be seen in the earth again, manifested in His people.) 3 When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains quaked at thy presence. 4 For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen a God besides thee, who worketh for him that waiteth for him. (Jesus said He was coming again manifested in a Man-child born to a woman church who is in travail in Joh 16:19-22 Jesus perceived that they were desirous to ask him, and he said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, A little while, and ye behold me not, and again a little while, and ye shall see me? 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for the joy that a man is born into the world. 22 And ye therefore now have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one taketh away from you. He said he would come as the latter rain on the morning of the third day in Hos 6:1 Come, and let us return unto Jehovah; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. 2 After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. 3 And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth. Notice Jesus is coming as the latter rain and this will be on the Man-child reformers. We are now at the morning of the third, thousand-year day when Jesus will come in His saints before He comes for His saints. He said He would come to minister to His flock when the Man-child is born in Mic 5:3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth: then the residue of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. 4 And he shall stand, and shall feed his flock in the strength of Jehovah, in the majesty of the name of Jehovah his God: and they shall abide; for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. He will work for those who have waited by faith for their help from above. The first tribulation judgment will be the white horse rider, whose words from God will spread the latter rain. This is the first fruits Man-child ministry, for those who are now awaiting this anointing to shake the earth.) Going on in 5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways (An obedient first fruits company is about to meet their Lord face to face.): behold, thou wast wroth, and we sinned: in them [have we been] of long time; and shall we be saved? 6 For we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee; for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us by means of our iniquities. (As in Jesus' day many have waited “of long time” to see God once again do His mighty works in the earth and now God is about to answer the prayers of those who are waiting in faith. Like in Jesus' day, many are waiting for their provisions, healings, and deliverances from the curses upon this world. God is about to answer in this way which perfectly repeats history (Ecc.1:9). Because of unfaithfulness to the Word, the ephod was absent from Israel - who lived in her sins “of long time”. So it has been with the Church. Hos.3:1 And Jehovah said unto me, Go again, love a woman beloved of [her] friend, and an adulteress, even as Jehovah loveth the children of Israel, though they turn unto other gods, and love cakes of raisins. The King of Babylon (Isa.14:4,12-13) that the adulteress Church has loved is none other than Satan who said, “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God (who are Abraham's seed in Gen.22:17); and I will sit on the mount of the congregation”. Christianity has been a harlot bribed by God so that she will even profess Him for “many days”. 2 So I bought her to me for fifteen [pieces] of silver, and a homer of barley, and a half-homer of barley; 3 and I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be any man's wife: so will I also be toward thee. For almost 2000 years Christianity has been missing anointed, Christ-like leadership. 4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without pillar, and without ephod or teraphim: These are the days when God's people will return from Babylon to the city of God, heavenly Jerusalem. 5 afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek Jehovah their God, and David their king, and shall come with fear unto Jehovah and to his goodness in the latter days. These are “the last days” when New Testament Israel will “return, and seek Jehovah their God, and David their king” who will be anointed with the ephod of God to lead them. This anointing will be passed on to them as they present their bodies as living sacrifices and they will shake the earth. Glory to the living God!)     The Greater Anointing Is Coming Amos Scaggs - 06/03/2007 (David's notes in red) The separation is coming. I saw a new bottle of HD (high detergent) oil opened and the top portion poured out on the ground, as if to skim off the impurities. The major portion of it was to be poured into the oil tank where it belongs. The top portion was skimmed off to make sure there was no impurities mixed with the oil, although there were no impurities in the new oil. A little of God's anointing oil is being poured out on the earth now among all believers, even the ones with impurities in them, but the two will soon separate to expose the true vine. The separation to expose the false believers is happening. The balance of the oil is to be poured out upon the true believers to do His work. “HD” or Harley Davidson dominated the 1/2 mile dirt track races in my time. The HD oil was poured in for the final run to win the race. Yes, I am a Harley rider, although I used to ride the fast Japanese bikes. God communicates to us in a fashion so we can understand. (I guess the small amount of oil poured on the earth is for the earthly Christians and the great amount poured in the engine is for the anointed to win the race to the end. High Detergent oil is for cleaning up engines, too. Pour the whole bottle on me, Lord! I need to keep this engine running. :o)     True and False Leadership Seen Jan Albayalde (David's notes in red) I dreamed the following two dreams back to back on 08/28/2007. The Fasting Dream I was sitting on the front row of a huge church that was the true church of the Lord Jesus. The Church was very plain with white walls with a little wood trim but nothing ornate and no stained glass. A man I don't know walked to the podium to address the people. He was a small man in stature, almost frail. He said just a couple words, called forward a large man who was about his age, around 45, had him face the crowd and began to introduce him. Suddenly, the man at the podium fell on the floor weeping under the presence of God. At the same time, the man standing to be introduced, who was a Jew in a business suit with an azure blue shirt, was also filled with the Spirit and began speaking in tongues. This man was slightly overweight, let's say he was hearty with a rosy robust complexion. He had a lot of snow-white hair, so much I'm sure the Lord wanted me to notice (i.e., it was very high on his head). I rushed forward to help the man on the floor but before I got to him, as I passed the man speaking in tongues, I became filled with the Spirit, fell on my knees, and began worshipping God. A man in the congregation, a man I DO know as pastor of a local church here, came forward, looked at the man weeping on the floor, the Jew speaking in tongues, me worshipping, and said, “This is what happens when you fast and pray; this man on the floor had been in a long fast before the Lord, seeking the face of God and is why the power and glory of God are falling”. An interesting thing about the dream: the man at the podium who had been fasting and fell weeping on the floor was dressed in a suit as he stood, but when I rushed forward to help him, as I fell to my knees under the anointing, I saw he was naked. (The man standing behind the pulpit was fasting to weaken the old outer man and so he fell. He was small because “the outer man is decaying yet our inner man is renewed day by day” (2 Cor.4:16). The man introduced represented the new inner man because he had gained what the outer man had lost. He stood in the fast and had a lot of perfectly white hair, meaning much submission to holiness. As in 1 Cor.11:1, the hair is a sign of submission to authority. He had a blue shirt representing heavenly works. He is the spiritual man because he spoke the words of the spirit and is a spiritual Jew because he is circumcised in heart, not flesh. Fasting is so that the old man, who is naked, because he is not dressed up with the works of Christ can be removed so that the new man who is dressed up with Christ in his heavenly works would face the congregation. (Rom 13:12-14 The night is far spent, and the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in revelling and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.) This is a good exhortation for the coming new Church leadership to deny feeding self and pray so that Christ through them can minister to His people.     The Snake Dream Immediately after the above dream, I dreamed this: I was in my spirit looking down over an orchard of pure white trees which represents the true Church. A huge green snake with huge muted splotches of black along its body appeared at the edge of the grove of white trees. From this point I no longer saw the trees, the focus was on the snake. Next, the snake turned totally blue. Then the snake turned totally black. End of dream. (The green snake is the false leadership of the church or false prophet. In Acts 16:16 the spirit of false prophecy or divination is translated in Greek as “a spirit; a python”. It is green because it is the natural man ministering and not the spiritual. He stands outside of the white or holy trees but not in their midst for he is not holy. The black splotches represent its works of darkness that are plainly seen. His turning blue as a chameleon represents deception in that he is attempting to be seen as heavenly but he serves the (black) darkness and will be seen that way. God is raising up a new leadership for the true church that refuses to feed the flesh (fasting) and the old leadership will be plainly seen for what it has been all along. They will bring a great persecution against the holy as it was with the Pharisees in Jesus' time.)     Unity Coming to the True Body Brandon Corsi - 03/01/2008 (David's notes in red) In my dream, my friend (a friend in real life). and I were in a shopping mall of some sort, purchasing some items. (This symbolizes the 'buying and selling' done in the 'merchandising' church.) We noticed two little girls fighting over some kind of object, I think a stuffed animal, and they were each tugging at it. (The immature children in the church squabble over relatively insignificant doctrines and things.) The next moment, my friend and I were in front of a large group of young children, and the two girls were among the crowd. Their attention was directed toward us. One of the girls who was arguing earlier spoke up and asked us what Jesus would have said about the disagreement they had. (Some of the immature will be convicted of their petty divisions and seek the wisdom of the unity of body from those who know better.) My friend and I looked at each other, both of us amazed that such a young child was inquiring about Jesus. Then, all of the children started to sing a song about Jesus in unison, in perfect harmony, as if the anointing came over them. My friend and I looked at each other once more in astonishment. We said to each other, “I can't believe it”. Then the anointing came over me from watching them, and it was very strong. It was so strong that I began to cry, and then I knelt down on my knees and laid my hands on the ground in front of me as an act of submission to God. (The unity of the true body will come then by the anointing of God in a surprising way.) A moment later, my friend and I were in the cockpit of a plane (overcoming the world) that was crashing into the side of a snowy mountain. (The purity of the Kingdom of God.) I said to him, “I guess we don't have to wait any longer to meet God”. (Death to self through overcoming the world brings us into God's presence.) I was very scared, and it seemed so real. Along with intense fear, I remember feeling a bit excited and anxious to meet my Maker, thankful the time was finally here. I prayed to God as we descended. And then we crashed, and I woke up, thankful to be alive. (Resurrection life comes through death to self as we wake up in a new Kingdom.)     Promise of Return to New Leadership Eve Brast - 07/25/2015 (David's notes in red) I dreamed I was in a building with many connecting rooms. (The body is many houses made into one.) I was going around and checking on all the local UBM brethren and talking with them. There was a huge waterslide that many children were playing on in this building. (This building could represent the body of Christ all being connected to one another and the waterslide the water of life that keeps us connected.) After I finished talking with a brother, I went out and got in my car to drive back into town. (My car is a Mazda Protégé. The meaning of protégé is: “A person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protégé's career”. We are disciples and protégés of Christ.) It was early morning (the morning of the third day) and the road was a freshly paved, narrow, two-lane blacktop road with a newly painted double yellow line down the center. (Meaning, “Stay to the right where the sheep are.  The freshly paved road represents the Highway of Holiness. The narrow road of a holy life.) Suddenly, I realized that David Eells was in the passenger seat of my car with his Bible in his lap. He said, “I'll bet they're thinking that I'm going to send a word over there to them”. I asked, “Well, what is it?” And he said, “Psalm 85!” (I believe David here represents the Son of David, Jesus (in the Man-child), and he was referring to the UBM brethren when he said “them” because I had just left them in the building to head back into town.) He then started to hand me his Bible and I just casually took my hands off of the steering wheel and took the Bible, as the car continued to drive itself as if this was normal. As I was looking up Psalm 85, I was thinking, “Psalm 85 and verse 13”. Psa.85:13 Righteousness shall go before him, And shall make his footsteps a way to walk in. (This verse is referring to the Man-child ministers.) Then I woke up. (This first part is about the captivity returning and the last part is about God giving them the Man-child leadership.) Psa.85:1 Jehovah, thou hast been favorable unto thy land; Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. 2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people (Some are coming out of fleshly, beast captivity now and some later, as it was in the history of Israel.); Thou hast covered all their sin. (Because of repentance and faith towards God.) 3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath; Thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. 4 Turn us, O God of our salvation, And cause thine indignation toward us to cease. 5 Wilt thou be angry with us forever? Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? 6 Wilt thou not quicken us again, (revival) That thy people may rejoice in thee? 7 Show us thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, And grant us thy salvation. 8 I will hear what God Jehovah will speak; For he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: But let them not turn again to folly (which would bring captivity). 9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him, That glory may dwell in our land. 10 Mercy and truth are met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 11 Truth springeth out of the earth; And righteousness hath looked down from heaven. 12 Yea, Jehovah will give that which is good; And our land shall yield its increase. 13 Righteousness shall go before him, And shall make his footsteps a way to walk in. (Man-child ministry will be an example.)   Vision: Religions Serve Religious Spirits Tim Mathis Several years ago, I found myself in the middle of an open vision. As I looked, I could see the backs of a crowd of people to my left. They were intently looking in the same direction away from me. It was obvious they were engaged in worship--some with hands raised, some with bowed heads, and most were singing. I watched myself disappear into the crowd and reappear dragging a dead person by the collar. I dragged the person across the street and laid him on his back with his head against the curb. I continued to enter and reappear with more dead people until there was a long line of bodies lying side by side along the curb. All at once, I began to weep over them because they were dead. Then, I walked out before them, raised my hands and spoke over them. I could not hear what was said, but immediately, they all sat up. For the next few minutes, they began to recover and make their way, one by one, to a standing position. It took some longer than others, but eventually, they were all standing. As their recovery process was proceeding, I disappeared once again into the throng and began dragging more dead people out. When those from the first group were able to stand and then walk, they joined me in dragging more and more bodies out of the throng. Each time the area along the curb was full, I stepped forward, raised my arms and spoke. The whole line of bodies would sit up alive, work their way to a standing position, and eventually help us in our work. Before long, my view began to pan back to see the extent of the crowd worshiping off to my left. There were hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, gathered around a circular object in the middle. This object was domed toward its center and was turning very slowly around, much like a merry-go-round. It emanated a bright light that the people worshiped. At the center of the object stood a brilliant angel with his arms outstretched receiving the adoration of the crowd. The people were worshiping the angel in a myriad of worship styles and traditions, from the solemn to the exuberant. As I looked closer, the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see that the angel was not an angel of light after all but a dark angel appearing as an angel of light. The people were worshipping this dark angel, not knowing that it was a spirit of false religion. Then, Father showed me what it meant: The crowds of people were not the throngs of some cult religion. Rather, they were major portions of the Church of Jesus Christ upon the earth. They were actively involved in their own methods of worship without regard for the source of the light. They were going about their church business--some vigorously, some lethargically--but all with some level of commitment. Most of the worship and church business was being done out of guilt without a true and intimate relationship with the one honored. These are the religious lost. I was sent into the crowd to retrieve those who had died in the middle of worship of the dark angel. They were the ones who KNEW they were dead, not those who thought that their religious activities still held some life. This is a picture of the people and denominations that no longer make any hypocritical pretense of spirituality. They knew there was no life there and they had become desperate for the return of the Holy Spirit breathing life into their dried bones. It is a mystery how I knew which ones to drag out of the crowd, though it was evident this identification came from the Holy Spirit. The act of speaking to the dead bodies brought them back to life. This pictures the mission statement of Jesus when He read Isaiah 61 for those gathered in the temple. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19 KJV). As the people became whole enough to stand, they were immediately put to work dragging more dead out of the crowd and bringing others to wholeness. A spirit of false religion, that is, witchcraft, has deceived much of the Church. This spirit appears as an angel of light, but its true motivation is binding the worshipers in darkness. I began to understand that the spirit of witchcraft was manifesting in the Church as control and religious spirits, using manipulation and false spiritual authority. Well-meaning leaders had taken control of the sheep in an effort to keep them on the path of righteousness. However, this control and manipulation is what keeps the Church impotent as an army and distances them from the One with Whom an intimate relationship should be developed. The man-made religious system designed to maintain the sheep is the very thing that has drained out the power and intimacy of the Body of Christ. Our mission is made crystal clear in this vision: to reach into the organized religious system and bring out those who have been made desperate to know the life-giving breath of the Living God in spite of the bondage of their doctrine and in spite of their theological training. The harvesters miraculously find those who are dead and desperate, raise them from the dead, and the Lord of the Harvest sends them into the harvest fields to bring the true light of salvation and wholeness to the multitudes who will otherwise die in their deceptive religious stupor.   Set Free By the Real Jesus B.A. - 08/01/2013 (Notes: David | Ellie) This dream is prophetic. Many are going to hear the Word of truth from anointed people of God and they will recognize it, as many did in Jesus' day. They will depart from Babylon and its whoredoms. Keep praying and believing for your lost loved ones, saints. The day is drawing near. I dreamed that it was Sunday evening (darkness) and my husband, Allen, was sitting in the family room watching TV. Being an obedient wife, I went into the family room to serve him his dinner. I glanced up at the TV screen and I saw a preacher standing at a podium and I noticed that the podium was monogrammed. (A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos.) (Monograms identify people and belongings: Joh.8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof. Rom.6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves as servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?) I thought that was very odd; I've never seen that before. Then I noticed that this preacher's suit, tie, the collar of his dress shirt, and wing-tip shoes (representing unclean spirits) were also monogrammed. As I served my husband his dinner, he said, “Hey, sit down for a while and watch this with me”. Well, I really didn't want to do that, but just then I heard in my spirit, “It's okay, go ahead and sit down. You are protected by the blood of Jesus”. So I obeyed and sat down. 1Pe.1:2 …in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:… I noticed immediately that this man's face looked funny. I asked my husband, “Does that man's face look funny to you?” He studied the man's face and then said, “I don't think so. Why? What's funny about his face?” I got up and said, “Oh, that's okay. Hand me your dirty dishes”. So he gave me his dirty dishes and I took them into the kitchen to be washed. As I was standing at the kitchen sink, I began to pray for my husband and I realized what was wrong with that man's face. His nose was spread wide across his face, distorting his features and my husband didn't appear to notice. A week went by and again it was Sunday evening and my husband was watching this same TV preacher. I went to serve my husband his dinner and he said to me, “Sit and watch with me for a while”. So I did and I noticed upon closer observation that not only was this man's nose unusually wide across his face, but it was rather long for a human nose. Again, I asked my husband, “Do you notice anything strange about that man's face?” Again he studied the man's features and then said, “Well, there is something different about him but I'm not sure what it is”. I gathered up the dirty dishes and got up and took them into the kitchen to clean up. This same scenario played out for a few more weeks. Then one day I was taking my husband his lunch (lunch is usually served around noon, representing no shadows). Psa 37:6 And he will make thy righteousness to go forth as the light, And thy justice as the noon-day. I noticed that he was watching a much younger man (Man-child) on TV. As I was serving my husband his lunch, he said, “Sit down and watch with me; this man's message is really good”. So I did. As I listened to this young man, my heart leaped for joy, as this young man's words were so familiar to me; they were the TRUE GOSPEL and the REAL GOOD NEWS! I sat there and watched with my husband until the program was over. Php.4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice. Psa.40:16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: Let such as love thy salvation say continually, Jehovah be magnified. I said to my husband, “Wow, he was really good!” and my husband said, “Yeah, I liked him, too. He was different and there was something about him that just drew me to him”. I got up to take our dishes to the kitchen and tears of joy were running down my face, as I realized that the Father had revealed His Son, the real Jesus, to my husband. Joh.6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day. As I was standing in the kitchen washing the dishes, my husband came in very excited and said, “I need to call Daniel McBride and talk to him about this”. I said, “Okay”, but I was a bit puzzled as to why my husband wanted to call Daniel. (In the natural, my husband does not know Daniel. I believe the Lord used Daniel because Daniel represents one who walks by faith and not by sight, as he had spiritual eyes to see.) My husband went into the den and picked up the phone and called him. When Daniel answered the phone, my husband said, “Hi, Dan. This is Allen and I need to tell you something”. As Allen began to explain this young man preaching the Gospel on TV to him, Daniel stopped him and took him to some Scripture, read it to him and asked, “Is this who you saw?” Allen said, “It could be. I'm not real sure”. Daniel took him to more Scripture and asked, “Is this him?” Allen said, “It sounds like it is”. Then Daniel quoted more Scripture and then asked, “Okay, Allen, is this him?” Allen shouted, “That's him! That's him! That's the man!” (The true, sent minister of God has Jesus or the WORD living in Him.) Then I heard my husband tell Daniel, “You know, my wife and I were watching a TV preacher who has a Sunday evening program and my wife mentioned that this man had a strange face” (he didn't look like Jesus). “I didn't see it at first but now I do” (his spiritual eyes were opened by the real Jesus Who spoke the truth of the real Gospel from the beginning). “I know what's strange about that man: he has a Pinocchio nose. And as the story goes, we know Pinocchio's nose grew longer (Exposing his sin) every time he told a lie.” (Which represents the false apostate leadership today.) Joh.8:32 and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Upon hearing my husband's exclamation, I ran to get my cell phone and called Dan's wife, Ellie. When Ellie answered the phone, I asked, “Ellie, did you hear that? Did you hear what Dan and Allen were saying?” Ellie said, “Yes, I did and praise the Lord!” I said, “Oh, yes! Praise the Lord, as my husband can now recognize the REAL Jesus!”  End of dream. 36 If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.   Dream of the Two Witnesses Daniel Potvin (David's notes in red) I was in a Middle Eastern place, possibly in Israel, a desert environment. I saw a group of men standing around, discussing an empty grave, mentioning that one of their patriarchs was missing. I had the impression they were Israelites. (These people who are observing represent New Testament Israel, the Church, who are circumcised in heart not flesh and know that Jesus was their patriarch Who was resurrected. They are about to enter into the desert wilderness of tribulation, worldwide.) They began looking up at the sky. As they were looking up, I saw great fear come over their faces. I looked up as well and saw two men coming down from the sky dressed in sackcloth. We all instinctively knew that these men were Moses and Elijah. Elijah landed first and within seconds, Moses landed. (Obviously, Moses and Elijah are not going to physically come down from the sky but their holy anointing will be born from above into the hearts of men who will then return the fear of the Lord to the Church as the Lord also interprets at the end of this dream. This will happen the same way that it happened when Jesus walked the earth. Peter said that Jesus was the “prophet” that Moses said would come - just like he did in Act.3:22 Moses indeed said, A prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me. To him shall ye hearken in all things whatsoever he shall speak unto you. 23 And it shall be, that every soul that shall not hearken to that prophet, shall be utterly destroyed from among the people. In Hebrews 3:5-6, Paul compared Jesus to Moses in that both were heads of their houses. As a type for the end-times, Jesus raised up a corporate body of two witnesses that went forth two by two and confessed several times that they were His witnesses. He said to them, “The words that I have spoken unto you are spirit and are life”. Jesus sowed the Word of the spirit and life of Moses and Elijah into the two witnesses of His day. The great patriarch that was resurrected from the grave and caught up in this dream, returns as the spirit of Elijah and Moses first in the Man-child of our day. Moses and Elijah individually are types of the Man-child but combined they are types of the two witnesses. As it was with Jesus, the Man-child will sow this seed and anointing in the corporate body of the two witnesses of our day. We shouldn't confuse types here. In another type, Jesus revealed that John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah. Although John preached repentance as Elijah did, he spoke no miracles or judgments like Elijah. The prophetic difference for our time between these two separate manifestations of Elijah is that one came before the Man-child, Jesus, and a much greater group came after Him. The later manifestation is accompanied by Moses' and Elijah's miracles and the judgments they pronounced. John represented those in our day who come before the Man-child and faithfully preach repentance but the miracles and judgments will come through the Man-child and the witnesses afterwards.) Back to Daniel's dream: We also knew instinctively that if these two men were impeded or restrained in any way by any individual, the consequence would be death. As Elijah and Moses started to walk, the men dispersed on either side, like the parting of the Red Sea, for their own safety, as if to recognize the holiness of these men. This is the strange part of the dream. I well knew that I could be killed by touching either of these two men. I thought to myself, ‘This man Moses was just in the presence of God Himself.' So I hugged him. I waited for the consequence of my actions and saw in his face that it was permitted by God and I was spared. He smiled and then walked his way. (Only those who are holy among God's people will both love and have no fear of the anointing of the witnesses. These witnesses will have the total protection of God until they are finished with their testimony. Rev.11:5 And if any man desireth to hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies; and if any man shall desire to hurt them, in this manner must he be killed. 6 These have the power to shut the heaven, that it rain not during the days of their prophecy: and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they shall desire. 7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them.) Elijah and Moses went on separate paths into the desert. Two different groups followed each man. They each set a tabernacle (podium) and started preaching to their respective crowds. Immediately, a bleacher appeared behind me, so I sat down and started to listen to what they had to say. (I was at a distance witnessing the whole of both groups). (This symbolizes that two corporate bodies will receive the anointing of both Moses and Elijah. You will notice in the above text from Revelation that all of the witnesses had power to do both the signs common to Moses and the signs common to Elijah; not some, ‘the signs of Moses' and some, ‘the signs of Elijah'. These witnesses will not only bring repentance, miracles, healing, deliverance, and provision to the body like the witnesses of Jesus did but will also bring the miracles and judgments of Moses and Elijah.) Appearing beside me was a beautiful woman who started talking to me. I ignored her because I wanted to hear what Moses and Elijah had to say. Her words then turned into flattery, saying how special I was and what a great guy I was. As I continued to ignore her, her flatteries became more flirtatious. As I turned to her, I wondered why she was doing this because I wanted to listen to the preaching and she was distracting. So I told her, “I am trying to listen to these men of God”. I turned my attention back to the preaching. She then responded with a sexual proposal: “I would not stop you if you want to have me”. (The harlot of apostate Christianity, who receives the seed of men and not her husband, will attempt to seduce many from hearing the witnesses with her flesh-pleasing doctrines.) As the dream ended, I asked the Lord, “Who is this woman?” The Lord replied, “Jezebel”. And then I heard from God that Jezebel hates men who have the anointing of Elijah and Moses. (Notice that the way the Lord uses “men” here is to indicate many. He didn't use “the men” which could indicate two. The Jezebel harlot of Christianity, worldwide, will seek to hinder the witnesses who are also a worldwide body.) PS: It is beyond my words how to describe how Technicolor and vivid this dream was. It felt as if I actually met Moses and Elijah.     Your Way Is Marked Sandy Warner - 10/17/2005 I have heard your anxious worries over walking to the tune of My Spirit and walking with others of like minds. I know who and what has been missing in your life, dear one. I understand the pain. You have been sent like a pioneer into non-charted territory and few have walked this way. They have not recognized this great drive that is within you to see what is beyond the next valley. Come walk with Me. Your way is greatly protected and sheltered. I have given you My Word which you have hidden in your heart. I have covered you and shaded you. Resist carrying too much weight, dear one, for such encumbers your way. Instead, travel light and easy and become so sensitive to My leading that I can lead you with My eye. Look up, change your focus, for it is faith that causes you to rise above all that encumbers you. You belong to Me, My love. I belong to you. Fear not, for your prepared way has an impenetrable fence against the dogs or wolves who devour and bite. I am taking you cross-country and bringing you along the path of laurels, the overcoming ones. Also, you need not fear deception from the wolves, for I have paved the trail before you. Your path is well marked with signs of My Word liberally sprinkled to your right and to your left. I have also sent others before you and they have given much in order to leave a trail of breadcrumbs and seeds for you, My precious hungry birds. And even as you have followed the signs and been faithful with what I have given you, you shall be promoted. I will send you into the marketplace to release My Words to those who are starving and, yes, they will listen. In the past, they did not heed My Word and grew hungry while they walked in circles. You are My chosen generation who walked ahead of them. You shall walk out of the wilderness pioneering, leaning upon your Beloved. A great company travels with you and you shall never be alone again. (SoS.8:5-7 NKJV) Who is this coming up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved? I awakened you under the apple tree. There your mother brought you forth; There she who bore you brought you forth. Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave; Its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised.     The Worm Has Turned Graham - 08/04/2005 The worm has turned. The poor, and the downtrodden are about to rise. This new hour about to dawn is all about the Hidden Manna. Those who receive this ('the love of the truth') will be kept from the hour which is to try every man on earth, The Hidden Manna is Jesus Himself - His spirit. This truth answers all the scriptural questions about 'the restrainer', the reason for the tribulation, why there are believers mentioned in the tribulation time, why the Holy Spirit will be present during that time, the parable of the ten virgins, etc. I wrote the following recently on a Christian board: There is a great change coming, and people will again see the real 'power' (for want of a better word) of true gentleness. It will be in the Hidden Manna which will be so delightful to the heart that you'll feel that you've eaten the whole Bible in a few words. You will never be the same again, and you will understand how Jesus walked in the truth like you've never known before. You'll see miracles happen, but these will not mean as much to you as knowing the Lord even closer and closer. This Hidden Manna will sanctify the body/the flesh - that which presently holds sincere Christians back from gaining the victories that they so long for. The arrogant in the church will either withdraw or soften their hearts - there will be great consternation for many who have become hardened and thereby (sadly) destroyed many enquirers. There will be such a natural humility, understanding, and harmony that will baffle all the powers of darkness, and as “the city rejoiceth when the wicked are overthrown”, so the true sincere believers will rejoice to see the Lord working to overthrow the strongholds of the enemy. For that is what the Hidden Manna is - it is Jesus Himself. We will be one with Him as we have never known before. Worship will gradually become different. Just as a person may quietly within themselves admire someone seated at the same table - so worship will become so quiet, so rich, so heavenly. You will know exactly what is required of you and it will be without pressure or force of any kind for it will be from within - suited exactly to your individual personality and ways. Sincere Christians will gladly and willingly do the Lord's will His way. Some things you will understand immediately and just be amazed how God works so gently and other things you will understand after a time. The words He will give you from the Bible may well be a compilation of words from a number of verses which you, or no man could ever bring together. These words will so perfectly answer all the questions and needs of your heart, that from this basis the Lord will gently bring you round to understanding how things have happened the way they have in your life. Friendships will change and you will see people lighten up in their eyes to you by just a word or so that just happens and endears their heart to you. And that is what it is all about -- Brotherly/Sisterly Love which is a pure blend of His will and yours without the restrictions upon you or the Lord of an unsanctified body. Those receiving the love of the truth will embrace all this like a young child grabs a beach ball at the beach. Children will be drawn by your joy and those sweet glimpses/dreams/visions of glorious colors etc. which are so pleasant to the heart - thus drawing their hearts by means of beauty and lovely impressions of Heaven. The impulses of the flesh being overcome are no longer an advantage to the enemy, battles are raised to a different level (spiritual) so that false seeds of elevation do not grow. However, these are not to be feared at all for they are those things which will be welcomed to keep sincere believers dependent upon the Lord. These small perplexities are also means of revealing which words the Lord has for you, and many other things. The Lord will not leave you comfortless as you see Him working saving and restoring families with much Joy. Why is it urgent that we walk in the path of Jesus now?   Nazis Will Return, Stronger Marie Kelton 12/2/24 (David's notes in red) During the meeting, I had an open vision of huge field (“the field is the world”). The whole vision looked like a black and white photo but with a light brown tint (Nazi) over it.  I saw a crowd of little boys dressed from the 1940s, they had little suits on with newsboy caps on. The little boys then turned into Nazi soldiers wearing the Nazi uniform and marching. (When we were dealing with our un-Christian faction God likened them to Nazis in our dreams and revelations. Then we saw them in the political realm. The DS Nazi Satanists have sowed their seed of demons into their captives who grow up to be just like them, whether still physically captive, or set free. The reason that the DS perverts must molest their captured women and children is because Satan uses this method to get their demons in them. Take for example Diddy and Hollywood. So, getting rid of the sowers by tribunal is not getting rid of the problem, only delaying it for a season, until mid-trib, when their crop comes to maturity at the mark of the Beast. Spirit filled Christians should cast these demons. You can do this remotely and on a mass scale as we have proven.)   I then saw what look like huge concentration camp, behind the Nazi soldiers. There was a chain link fence up. In the concentration camp I saw Jewish people (spiritual Jews are Christians) they had on the blue (Dems) and white (Rino's feigning righteousness) striped clothing. (Again we will see the Nazi crucifiers of God's people in the Christian and secular realms.) A little to the right of them in a separate area was this huge round building that was a dark brown color. It had smoke coming from the chimney. But I couldn't remember if it was a gas chamber or an incinerator. (They will force a decision with the mark of the Beast in mid-trib. Those who have not born fruit beforehand will have to lose their carnal life to gain their spiritual life.) In the distance behind the concentration camp. I saw a black dragon land on the field. (The first beast of the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation is the dragon in whom Satan lives – Revelation 12.) The black dragon then turned into a multitude of black people after it landed. (Black is walking in darkness. This is the Beast of the second 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation under the mark.) Rev 13:4 and they worshipped the dragon, because he gave his authority unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? And who is able to war with him? The black people began to run toward the concentration camp. I knew in the vision it wasn't for a good reason. (Jesus said we would be hated of all nations for His name sake. Meaning so His name would be manifest in us.) I knew from the vision that history would repeat. (Now they are killing the sowers but their spiritual children will not forget or forgive without deliverance.) I asked the Lord why did the Holocaust happen and the scripture came to mind.  Mat 27:25 And all the people answered and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. (This is true of all Christians too who walk in willful disobedience. Heb 10:26-29  For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins,  27  but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries.  28  A man that hath set at nought Moses' law dieth without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses:  29  of how much sorer punishment, think ye, shall he be judged worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? )     Casting Out Demons Mar 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. So, Anything you ask will happen if you believe, even mass deliverances. Mar 16:17 And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues… Mat 18:18-19 Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.  19  Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. Luk 10:19-20 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions (orders of demons in the next verse), and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you.  20  Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Can the demons return? Mat 12:43-45 But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places (Wherever the “water of the Word” isn't present.), seeking rest, and findeth it not.  44  Then he saith, I will return into my house whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. (Not filled with the Word and Holy Spirit) 45  Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this evil generation. (They have already been through hell so the cure is for us to pray and believe for the called and elect among them to be saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. Please command the demons out of the captives and pray for them to be filled with the Spirit and Word.)

What do hard times reveal about your hope? In Chapter 30, the Philistines advanced toward the Jezreel Valley for a final showdown with Saul, while David headed south to Ziklag to discover his land burned and his families taken. Here's how David responds in 1 Samuel 30:7-10. And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.” So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. But David pursued, he and four hundred men. Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor. — 1 Samuel 30:7-10 David and Saul faced immense external pressures—enemies advancing and personal losses—and both were pressed from within by fear and desperation. Yet their responses could not have been more different, revealing the foundations of their faith. Saul, in Chapter 28, turns to the forbidden. In his desperation, he seeks out a medium, the Witch of Endor, hoping for answers. Saul's decision highlights his lack of relationship with God. He resorts to man-made solutions, which ultimately leave him more hopeless than before. This action is the culmination of Saul's life of self-reliance and disobedience. Instead of finding relief, he sinks deeper into despair, paving the way for his tragic end. David shows us a better way in Chapter 30. Upon finding Ziklag burned and his family taken captive, he doesn't act impulsively or turn to ungodly solutions. Instead, he strengthens himself in the Lord (1 Samuel 30:6) and seeks God's guidance. By calling for the ephod, David demonstrates a heart fully dependent on God. His inquiry is met with clarity and hope: “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and rescue.” David's reliance on God not only brings assurance but also restores direction and unity among his men. The contrast between these two leaders reminds us of an essential truth: Hard times reveal where your hope resides. Like Saul, we can be tempted to seek quick fixes in worldly wisdom or human advice. But true relief comes when, like David, we let the hard task ahead reveal that our hope is only in the Lord, who is our strength and our salvation. #FaithUnderPressure, #HopeInGod, #StrengthInTrials Ask This: When life presses in, do you seek God first, or do you look for relief elsewhere? What steps can you take today to strengthen your relationship with him so turning to God becomes your natural response in times of need? Do This: When it's hard, which could be today, find your hope in the Lord. Pray This: Lord, when trials press in, help me to turn to You as my source of strength and hope. Teach me to trust Your guidance and depend on Your promises, no matter how hard the road ahead may seem. Amen. Play This: Hope Has A Name.

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.Mark 2:23 - 3:6

Do you default to your will, convincing yourself it's God's will, or just to God's will? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are in Chapter 23 of 1 Samuel. I've titled this chapter "Your Way Or The Lord's Way." Yesterday, David went over to Keilah and defeated an invasion of the Philistines, putting him within Saul's reach. Today, we will see how that turns out in  1 Samuel 23:6-12 which reads: When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand. Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” Then David said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, the God of Israel, please tell your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.” Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will surrender you.” — 1 Samuel 23:6-12 An ephod was a cloth garment worn by Israel's high priests. It was made from fine and colorful materials; think of it as a long, lightweight, sleeveless vest worn over other clothing to distinguish a priest (see image here). Attached to it was a jem-covered breastplate. The garment was used during worship and to seek God's guidance because within a pocket of the ephod were the Urim and Thummim—objects used to discern God's will. So what are the Urim and Thummim? These objects are a bit of a mystery. We don't know exactly how they were used or what they looked like. We believe they were two small stones (maybe gems), one white and the other black. But in some way, they were used exclusively by a high priest to inquire of God and determine his will. The words Urim and Thummin literally meant "lights" and "perfections," so some believe that when light shone on them, they gave direction. Given this context, we can compare Saul and David in the text. If you remember back a few verses, Saul had just murdered all the priests, minus one who escaped—Abiathar. So the fact that he thinks God has given David into his hand is preposterous. This is how delusional Saul has become. He kills defenseless priests of God and then believes he is still hearing from God. It troubles me to say this but there are believers who can become this delusional. On the other hand, we have David. In the previous text, David consulted God twice before going to Keilah and will now do it again. He does it in the traditional way because God has given him a secret weapon—a surviving priest who slipped away with an ephod that no doubt had the Urim and Thummin. Notice the shift in the story: Saul has eliminated all means of hearing God's voice, and David has been given the means of hearing God's voice. This is a vital power shift in this story. If you want to do God's will, you have to be willing to hear God's will. This means you cannot eliminate all means of hearing from God and then justify the voice in your head as God's will. That's delusional. Instead, the better choice is to surround yourself with as many means of hearing God's will as possible, including God's Word, God's people, and God's Spirit, and engaging in intercessory prayer. #GodsWill, #Discernment, #FaithJourney Ask This: What practices or resources are you currently using to discern God's will in your life, and how can you deepen those practices? Can you identify a recent decision where you felt torn between your own desires and what you believed to be God's direction? How did you navigate that situation? Do This: Seek God's will, not your own. Pray This: Father, please help me to seek Your will above my own and to recognize the guidance You provide through Your Word, Your Spirit, and the community around me. May I be open to hearing Your voice and willing to follow the path You have set before me. Amen. Play This: I Lift My Eyes.

Leaders bear the responsibility for their decisions. Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are in Chapter 22 of 1 Samuel. I've titled this chapter "From Caves Of Distress To Community Connections." Yesterday, Doeg slaughtered the entire priestly line of Ahimelech. But today, we learn one priest escapes. Let's find out who that is in 1 Samuel 22:20-23: But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. And David said to Abiathar, "I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father's house. Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping." — 1 Samuel 22:20-23 Abiathar is the sole heir of Eli's house, who remains according to the prophecy in Chapter 2. If you can remember, about 20 weeks ago, when we began this series, there was a man of God who prophecied against Eli because of his wicked sons, and he said: Only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men. — 1 Samuel 2:33 That prophecy has come true for Abiathar, the final heir of Eli. But notice two details. First, Abiathar does not cast any blame on David for what has happened to his father or his entire family. He comes in peace, seeking refuge. David provides refuge for him for all the days of his life and will be a high priest in his empire. Second, even though Abiathar doesn't blame David, David takes full responsibility for the events that led to his family's death. This is quite the comparison to Saul, who takes no responsibility at all. Great leaders take responsibility for their actions and inaction and the impact they have on others, no matter how big or small. This is a fundamental principle of leadership. Today, I want to encourage you to take a moment to reflect on your leadership roles. Carefully consider any areas where you may need to start taking responsibility for your actions or inaction. Bear the weight of your leadership responsibility. Then, share your conviction with the people you lead and make the commitment to step up as a leader and provide the leadership they need. #LeadershipResponsibility, #AccountabilityInFaith, #FaithfulLeadership Ask This: In what areas of your leadership—whether at work, community, or home—do you need to take more responsibility for your actions and their impact on others? How can you create an environment of openness and accountability within your team or community, encouraging others to also take ownership of their roles? Do This: Take responsibility in one area of leadership this week. Pray This: Father, help me to embrace my leadership responsibilities with humility and courage, acknowledging the impact of my actions on those I lead. Grant me the wisdom to create a culture of accountability where we can support one another in our journeys of growth and service. Amen. Play This: I Have Decided.

Beanie Babies are a GREAT investment! Don't waste your money on Bitcoin. Work for the weekend UPGRADE Karoshi Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)  //  “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.” Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out? God's plan for supernatural rest is sabbath. Sabbath means to cease. Exodus 16:23-30 (NIV)  //  He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.'” 24 So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. 25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. 26 Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any.” 27 Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? 29 Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day. If you work on the Sabbath, God's just not going to help you. Joy & Delight Sabbath is a commandment. Exodus 20:8-11  //  “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. We don't obey the commandments to be saved, we obey them to be blessed. Consequences and Blessings Sabbath is a witness. Exodus 31:14-17 (NIV)  //  “‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people. 15 For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death. 16 The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 17 It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.'” “If I can just catch my breath” “I need a breather” What do you do on your day off? What do you not do? - work. Sabbath is a blessing. Mark 2:23-28  //  Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: 26 how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?” 27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” Divert daily. Withdraw weekly. Abandon annually.

With King David on his death bed, the royal family knows that the time to transfer power is drawing near. David's oldest son, Adonijah, gains support for himself from well-known leaders like Joab and Abiathar, calling Judah together for a feast to celebrate his bid for kingship. Nathan the prophet catches word, and teams up with Bathsheba to alert the king. Later, the Lord appears to King Solomon in a dream, and instead of asking for wealth or long life, he asks the Lord for wisdom to lead God's people. This pleases the Lord, who promises blessing upon Solomon's reign.1 Kings 1 - 1:15 . 1 Kings 2 - 12:49 . 1 Kings 3 - 23:28 . Psalm 87 - 29:00 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org