Save or print this page by clicking on “Download” below:
January 4, Sunday
Reading B4 — Psalm 58 — Unrighteous Judges Audio: Psalm 58 (ESV)
An audio recording of the following comments is available below:
Reward for the Righteous — This is a psalm about now and later. The “now” is filled with unrighteous leadership, having judges who “devise wrongs … [and] deal out violence” (v. 2). They are judges with preconceived ideas and desires for bribes, and in their decisions, innocent people suffer. The prayer is that God would stop them entirely (vv. 6-9). The “later” is sometime in the future, when “there is a God who judges on earth” (v. 11b). Then, “[t]he righteous will rejoice” and everyone will see that “there is a reward for the righteous” (v. 11a). Why isn’t there righteous judgment now? It is because most leaders making these decisions do not know the Lord, so they are sometimes led away by sinful desires. Imagine what the world would look like without ungodly leadership! Wars would cease because they are motivated by sinful desires. Revelation 20:1-6 speaks of such a time, when Satan will be bound and Christ will reign with His saints for 1,000 years.
January 5, Monday
Reading B5 — Psalm 61-62 — Waiting in Silence Audio: Psalm 61-62 (ESV)
An audio recording of the following comments is available below:
Our Rock and Refuge — David wrote both of these psalms, and they may have been written during his time of being threatened by the rebellion of Absalom. David was concerned about safety. He repeatedly prayed for God’s protection: “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge” (Ps. 61:2-3); “Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!” (v. 4); and “Prolong the life of the king” (v. 6). In Ps. 62, David returned to the subject of God as the rock, not to be led to the rock, because he feels that he is already there: “He only is my rock … my mighty rock, my refuge is God” (vv. 6-7). In that protection, David then anticipated being rescued, saying, “For God alone my soul waits in silence” (v. 1), and repeating later, “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him” (v. 5). Waiting in silence is not easy. It requires trust in the source of our security. There is no better safety than that which God provides. He is our Rock, and He is our Refuge.
January 6, Tuesday
Reading B6 — Psalm 64 — Evildoers Will Fall Audio: Psalm 64 (ESV)
An audio recording of the following comments is available below:
Arrows of Words — This is a psalm about indirect verbal attacks. The enemy described here uses words to try to bring down David and other righteous people by degrading them before others. These enemies “whet their tongues … [with] bitter words like arrows” (vv. 3-4). They do it behind the scenes with “secret plots … shooting from ambush … laying snares secretly” (vv. 2, 4-5). Those are like people today who talk behind the back of someone they dislike, intentionally trying to make them look bad in the eyes of others. We need to guard against doing that ourselves, because it is so tempting. Don’t describe someone’s faults to others! So, what can we do when others are speaking negatively about us to others? Much of the time, we don’t even know about it, although sometimes we hear about it from others. One thing we can do is to continue to try to live a righteous life so they will have no true ammunition. An even more powerful response for us is what David did. He cried out to God for help (vv. 1-2). We might not know what enemies are saying, but God does; their plots are not secret to God. Whereas they shoot their bitter words like arrows toward us, “God shoots his arrow at them” (v. 7) and “they are brought to ruin” (v. 8). We might feel helpless against our enemies, but they are helpless against God.
January 7, Wednesday
Reading B7 — 2 Samuel 19 — Bringing David Back Audio: 2 Samuel 19 (ESV)
An audio recording of the following comments is available below:
Fighting Within — There is a lot of conflict in this chapter. The first was when Joab boldly and strongly confronted David about showing more concern regarding the death of rebellious Absalom than for David’s supporters (vv. 5-7). Soon after this, Joab was demoted and replaced by Amasa (v. 13). After Absalom’s death, the northern tribes were in conflict about what to do next: “And all the people were arguing … saying … why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?’” (vv. 9-10). These former deserters of David were the first to accept him back. Then, David prodded Judah for being so slow in wanting to bring him back (v. 11). There was individual tension shown in the repentance of Shimei (v. 20) and Mephibosheth’s exposure of Ziba’s deceit (vv. 26-27). The fact that “All the people of Judah, and also [only] half the people of Israel, brought the king on his way” (v. 40), is also a possible sign of tension. At the end, the tribe of Judah and the rest of Israel debated, using hostile words like “stolen you away … Why are you angry…? … we have more than you … you despise us …[and]words … were fiercer” (vv. 40-43). Why was there so much conflict between these descendants of Jacob? The ultimate basis is probably selfishness. Wherever there is competition, there is the selfishness of “I want to win.” Sin is the root of conflict, which we see in our lives today as well. Christians ought to stand out in this regard as being different. Jesus promised that “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matt. 5:9).
January 8, Thursday
Reading B8 — 2 Samuel 20 — Sheba’s Rebellion Audio: 2 Samuel 20 (ESV)
An audio recording of the following comments is available below:
Leadership Struggles — There were five people involved in a wide struggle for leadership in today’s reading. Even before leaving the Jordan River for Jerusalem, the dissatisfied leader, Sheba, called for a rebellion against Judah and David. He was apparently successful at the beginning because “all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba” (v. 2). At the end, however, this “son of Bichri” (v. 1) seemed to be followed only by his own small clan, “all the Bichrites” (v. 14). The second leader was David, who appointed the third leader, Amasa, to head his army in place of Joab. Amasa seemed to be too slow, however, delaying assembling an army from Judah in three days (vv. 4-5). The fourth leader was Abishai, Joab’s brother, to whom David turned instead of the stronger leader, Joab (v. 6). Joab soon took over the pursuit of Sheba, however, even murdering his own first cousin, Amasa (vv. 7-8, 10). Sheba had fled far north in Israel, even north of the Sea of Galilee, where he was eventually killed by the influence of the fifth leader, the wise woman of Abel. It is interesting that the chapter closes with the simple statement that “Joab was in command of all the army of Israel” (v. 23). This strong, natural leader was back on top, at least throughout David’s lifetime.
January 9, Friday
Reading B9 — 2 Samuel 21 — Famine Relief Audio: 2 Samuel 21 (ESV)
An audio recording of the following comments is available below:
Atonement for Bloodguilt — After three years of drought, “David sought the face of the LORD” (v. 1a). God’s surprising response was that the famine was because Saul had broken the solemn oath that Joshua had made with the deceiving Gibeonites (Josh. 9:15). Yahweh said, “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house…” (2 Sam. 21:1b). The guilt extended to his family. It is not clear how God was involved in the process of what atonement was to be made, but He accepted the deaths of the seven descendants of Saul and the honorable burial of Saul and those seven offspring, as seen by ending the famine: “And after that God responded to the plea for the land” (v. 14). We run into many questions as we read the Bible, wondering why God did certain things and how He did them, reminding us that God’s ways are not our ways. I like the quote from Bill Gothard in this regard: “The will of God is exactly what we would do if we knew all the facts.” Those seven men lost their lives, and their two mothers suffered great grief in order to bring healing rain to a nation.
January 10, Saturday
Reading B10 — Psalm 5 — I Pray in the Morning Audio: Psalm 5 (ESV)
An audio recording of the following comments is available below:
Approaching God — There are some helpful insights in this psalm of David regarding coming to God in prayer and worship. First, David said, “…to you do I pray. O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice” (vv. 2-3). David began his day in prayer, and so should we. It sets our minds and hearts on what is of most importance in our lives: God. Second, it is helpful to remember God’s attitude toward sin: “…evil may not dwell with you” (v. 4). We should resolve in the morning to avoid every sin because we know that it greatly displeases God. David prayed, “Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness” (v. 8), which is the way we should go. Third, we should humbly ask for God’s guidance and strength. It was only “through the abundance of your steadfast love”, i.e., God’s grace, that David would come to God for worship, and he came “in the fear of you” (v. 7). Approaching God in the morning gives us a better chance of remembering Him throughout the day.
accbibleread.com 