Old Testament reading: 1 Kings 5-6

The house of the Lord can only be built in peace. As Solomon begins preparations for building the temple, we see his statement concerning David’s intent to “build a house for the name of the Lord his God.” Because David was a man of war and of great bloodshed, he was refused authority to build a house for God. Solomon noted that the peace surrounding the kingdom now paved the way for the Lord’s house to be built. Of note, the word “temple” means “house.” Thus, this was a place wherein the Lord would dwell in a figurative sense, not unlike the temple of God today, which temple is not the human body, but the church (1 Cor 3:16-17; 2 Cor 6:14-16). The church cannot be built when it is beset with strife or war among her members. But when peace reigns, the groundwork is laid and table is set for increase in the body. Also of interest is the fact that every piece of wood or stone that went in to the construction of the house of God was measured and cut before being brought to the site, so that the sound of hammer of chisel was never heard in the place where God’s house was built (6:7).

New Testament reading: John 8-9

John 8 contains a text known by many but understood by few. When given the first line of John 8:32, “And you shall know the truth,” even the most biblically illiterate can finish it – “and the truth shall set you free.” However, John 8:32 is the latter part of a three-fold conditional promise. The first promise is to be a genuine disciple of Jesus (v 31); the second is to know the truth, and the third is to be set free. The condition, which is always the most important part, is this: “IF you continue in my word.” Thus, only those who continue in the word of Jesus can truly be His disciple and know the truth that sets one free. Those who do not know or believe the word of God will never be free in any sense. Such will always be in bondage to sin and to Satan. When we learn and obey the truth, we are then set free from sin and become the servants of righteousness (Rom 6:17-18).

Old Testament reading: 1 Kings 3-4

“Your wish is my command.” God didn’t use these exact words in His appearance to Solomon in a dream, but that was the gist of it (3:5). This is when Solomon asked for wisdom. Consider Solomon’s great humility in recognizing his own inadequacies in ruling over Israel, whom Solomon identified as “Your people.” Two statements in this text stand out to me. First is the stated purpose Solomon’s request for an understanding heart. In his own words, he asked for wisdom to discern between good and evil. A man may have intelligence to decipher riddles and solve conundrums, but if he does not learn to discern between good and evil, he is not truly wise. Second is God’s promise to give Solomon “what you have not asked.” When we truly seek God and desire His will be done in our lives, God blesses us in ways that we do not ask or think, for which we should all be thankful!

New Testament reading: John 6-7

Jesus did not come to earth to reign on earth as a physical king. Sadly, many professed believers do not understand this. Though Jesus readily admitted himself to be the Christ (anointed one), He rejected the notion that His kingdom would ever be of an earthly sort. This is one reason why He refused to taken by the crowds in John 6:15 and made into an earthly king. His kingdom is a holy, spiritual kingdom. It is not, nor will it ever be a physical kingdom. When Jesus returns, it will not be to establish an earthly kingdom, but rather to deliver the already established kingdom (the church) back to God the Father (cf 1 Cor 15:23-24).

Old Testament reading: 1 Kings 2

A man’s last words are the most important, for they are nearest to his heart. David’s final instructions to Solomon before his death are quite revealing. David’s opening line, “I go the way of all the earth,” affirms the end of all men, for “it is appointed unto men once to die” (Heb 9:27). Solomon affirmed by this same in Ecclesiastes 9:5. Then David charges Solomon saying, “Be strong and prove yourself a man.” But how was this to be done? David continues, “And keep the charge of the Lord you God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses.” And what would be the benefit of such? “That you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.” What marvelous words from a father to his son. With his dying words, David gave Solomon the most important words he could ever receive. Unfortunately, Solomon did not heed his father’s admonition, turning away from the God of heaven to the gods of his wives. At the end of his life, Solomon realized the truth received in his father’s dying breath (Ecc 12:13).

New Testament reading: John 4-5

Wendell Winkler was a preacher’s preacher. He was a friend and mentor to hundreds of gospel preachers, this one included. One of his “signature sermons” was based upon a single verse found in today’s reading. In John 4:24, we have a single sentence that speaks volumes about worship: “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” From our text we learn that God is the Author of worship. Man has never been at liberty to worship God as he pleases. We learn that man is the Actor (one who participates) in worship – “those who worship.” God is the Aim of worship – “those who worship Him.” We also see an Absolute in worship – “must.” Of necessity we infer that God does not accept all worship or all worshipers. Finally, we learn two vital truths concerning worship. First, there is a proper Attitude of worship. True worship must engage man’s “spirit,” that is, his heart. Second, the proper attitude must be accompanied by the proper Action of worship = “in truth.” God’s word is truth (John 17:17), and our worship must be in adherence to truth.

Old Testament reading: 1 Kings 1

God will “by no means clear the guilty, but will visit the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation” (Num 14:37; cf Ex 20:5; 34:7; Deut 5:9). David’s parental deficiencies would follow his family even beyond the grave. As David nears death, his son Adonijah presumes to take the throne. Securing the support of Joab and Abiathar, he makes a feast, blows the trumpet and has himself declared king. All of this was done without his father’s consent or knowledge. Why would he be so presumptuous? Verse 5 provides the answer: “And his father (David) had not rebuked him at any time saying, ‘Why had you done this?’” A child without rebuke and correction becomes a god to himself. “The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother” (Proverbs 29:15 NASB). Moreover, verse 5 describes him as being a good looking man. Sadly, it is the nature of man to follow those of impressive stature and exceptional looks, regardless of their character or deeds (Saul of Cish serves as another example). Those who followed after Jesus were not drawn to him by such a shallow measuring stick, for “he had no form nor comeliness, and when we see him there is no beauty that we should desire him” (Isa 53:2).

New Testament reading: John 1-3

“Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice? I do not know the Lord…” (Ex 5:2). For those seeking to know the Lord, John 1 provides us with many wonderful images: He is the eternal, living Word – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (v 1); He is the Life and Light of men (v 4); He is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (v 29); He is the fulfillment of the Law of Moses (v 45); He is the Son of God (v 49) and the Son of Man (v 51). I find it interesting that those whose hearts were set on the word of God had no difficulty recognizing Jesus as the one foretold both by Moses in the law and also in the prophets. There was no excuse for any Jew to reject Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham and Moses.

Old Testament reading: 2 Samuel 23-24

Today begins “the second third” (as in 1/3) of our 360 day, full circle journey. Many are the great statements and lessons to be found in this marvelous Old Testament text. We might mention David’s reference as “the sweet psalmist of Israel” (23:1) or David’s “affirmation of inspiration” in verse 2. Much could be said of “David’s mighty men.” We could speak of their incredible feats of war and their loyalty to David. We might even draw attention to the final man in that list of 37 (23:39). Though many more things might be cited, (including Joab’s wisdom… again), I want to think about David’s statement to Araunah the Jebusite when the latter man offered to give his threshing floor, his oxen, and the yokes for a fire of sacrifice to God. David’s response was inspiring, “No, but I will buy it from you… for I will not offer to the Lord my God that which cost me nothing.” No doubt, the fifty shekels of silver David paid were “front pocket money.”  David never missed it, but heart would not permit him to make a “costless sacrifice.” Too many today give to the Lord “that which costs them nothing.” They give him the leftovers of their service, the leftovers of their time, the leftovers of their attention, the leftovers of their prayers, the leftovers of their love, the leftovers of their money. Their Christianity costs them nothing. I believe they will be rewarded according to their investment.

New Testament reading: Luke 23-24

The Beloved Physician presents the faith of those faithful women as exceeding that of the apostles. Upon finding the tomb empty, two men in shining garments told them again what Jesus had said many times concerning his death and resurrection. Luke 24:8 says, “And they remembered his words.” Upon rehearsing “all these things to the eleven and the rest,” the same cannot be said of these men chosen by God. They did not remember the words of Jesus, instead receiving their testimony “as idle tales” or nonsense. O that we might always remember and believe the words spoken to us by the Lord Jesus Christ!

Old Testament reading: 2 Samuel 21-22

With absolutely no disrespect intended toward David, today’s reading reminds me of the old children’s song, “The Old Gray Mare.” Perhaps a better analogy might be, “Father time is undefeated.” David shows his age as he is no longer the great warrior he once was. In a mano a mano battle against Ishbi-Benob, a descendant of Goliath, David begins to tire and must be saved by Abishai. The text indicates the giant was on the very cusp of killing David. Abishai’s statement following is quite moving, “You shall go out with us no more to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”  Abishai recognized that David’s value to the people was not measured by his skill as a warrior, but as a light and leader to the people of Israel. Abishai’s appreciation for David provides a lesson for us today. Our greatest leaders in the church are not those who are able to lead the battle and wield the sword, but those who by reason of age, experience and wisdom are able to affect the direction and direct the affairs of the local body. Finally, as poorly as things went with David’s family, they went far worse for Goliath. Not only did he die at the hand of David, four of his sons were also killed by David through his servants.

New Testament reading: Luke 22

“And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered…” (Luke 22:61). How soon we forget! It was only a handful of hours after affirming his faith and denying the Lord’s prophecy that he would deny the Lord that Peter did exactly that. The account of Luke 22:61-62 surely followed Peter the rest of his life. Perhaps it was a source of motivation for him as he served the Lord despite many trials and persecutions. If at any time he began to waiver, he only needed to remember the look in Jesus’ eyes as Peter denied him three times. We should all allow such times in our own lives to serve as motivation to greater heights of faithful service, for who among us cannot picture Jesus looking at us with those same eyes?

Old Testament reading: 2 Samuel 19-20

“For if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?” (1 Tim 3:5). As the king of Israel, David was a father figure over God’s people. His weakness and failure to properly deal with his family was a continual source of difficulty for the nation. Absalom’s defeat and death should have been a day of rejoicing for the nation, but David openly mourned for Absalom, causing those heroic servants to shamefully slink back into the city as if they had been cowards or defeated. Joab sternly rebuked and shamed him, saying, “You have disgraced all your servants who saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines, in that you love your enemies and hate your friends.  For you have declared today that you regard neither the princes nor servants; for today I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died today, then it would have pleased you well.” I cannot help but appreciate the courage and wisdom of Joab in this matter and can only imagine the great good he could’ve done had he had some semblance of humility and respect for authority.

New Testament reading: Luke 20-21

Are you willing to suffer for your beliefs? Apparently, the chief priests, scribes and elders of the Jews weren’t. In this latest confrontation with Jesus, the Lord’s deeds and His source of authority are brought into question. Jesus responds by exposing their inflated sense of self-importance with one simple, pointed question. While the emphasis on their response is generally on their non-response, I think it is also important to consider the reason for their ambivalent reply. They were afraid to publicly affirm what they believed about John the Baptizer! Moreover, they would have lied, saying John’s baptism was of divine origin, were they not fully aware of the implications of such an affirmation. From the outset of His preaching, Jesus exhorted His disciples to be prepared for persecution and even death. Those Jewish unbelievers were not so convicted. Once again we see the superiority of genuine faith over hypocrisy.

Old Testament reading: 2 Samuel 17-18

“A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor” (Prov 29:23). Ahithophel was Absalom’s counselor. 1 Samuel 16:23 says his advice “was as if one had inquired at the oracle of God.” Always accustomed to having his advice accepted, he was no match for the prayer of righteous David, who prayed, “O Lord, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!” (1 Sam 15:31). When Absalom accepted the counsel of Hushai over that of Ahithophel, the latter went out and hanged himself. This decision by Absalom brought his rebellion to a violent and ignominious conclusion. We also see Joab blatantly disregarding David’s direct order to capture Absalom alive. Throughout this account, we see God’s providence at work. Some misunderstand the nature of providence. In brief, divine providence is God working through natural, non-miraculous means to accomplish his will. God still works today in this same manner.

New Testament reading: Luke 17-19

“For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph 2:8-10). Luke 17:7-10 illustrates why salvation is by grace, but not without works. The false dilemma of “grace or works” was unknown in the days of the New Testament and those immediately following. Clement of Alexandria lived in the second century, in the shadow of the apostles. Of salvation he wrote, “For by grace we are saved – but not, indeed, without good works.” Clement of Rome was contemporary of the apostle Paul. Concerning the faith that saves, he wrote, “For what reason was our father Abraham blessed? Was it not because he worked righteousness and truth through faith?” Thus, the idea that Abraham was declared righteous without any works was considered heresy by one who lived and worked alongside the apostle Paul. Of course, we could just read what James the brother of Jesus wrote in James 2:21-23, namely, that the Scripture declaring Abraham’s righteousness was not fulfilled until he obeyed God. We are not saved by our works, but we cannot be saved without them.

Old Testament reading: 2 Samuel 15-16

“So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel” (1 Sam 15:6). 1 Samuel 15 brings to view the full measure of Absalom’s treason. Absalom’s plan to take the throne from his father required David’s death. It also shows how fickle and shallow the general public can be. Absalom was the consummate politician, stealing the hearts of the people by tickling everyone’s ears. Absalom promised “justice” to every disgruntled person, no matter what their case might be. We see the same thing today, not only in the “free stuff for everyone” speeches of our politicians, but also in the preaching of modern ear scratchers like Joel Osteen. “It’s all about you and your happiness!” they cry out week after week. The unsuspecting and undiscerning eat it up while these wolves in sheep’s clothing make prey and merchandise of them. No one is immune to being deceived by these smooth talkers, as seen in Paul’s warnings against those who “by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple” (Rom 16:18).

New Testament reading: Luke 14-16

Baseball fans are familiar with the phrases “getting called up” and “getting sent down.” The first phrase describes a time of great joy as a minor league player is brought up to play “in the bigs.” Obviously, the other is not so great, as it describes a major league player being demoted to the minors. Jesus’ parable of the seats at the wedding feast teaches us the value and potential glory found in humility (14:7-14). In this case, humility is not exemplified by necessarily thinking less of self (for whatever reason). Rather, it is seen in a willingness to begin in a lower place, even if one thinks he deserves better. A lack of humility says “I deserved this” or “So-and-so has this, and they’re no better than I am.” Humility goes a long way in preventing or solving a lot of our problems. In today’s text, we see how the exercise of humility paves the way to exaltation. There is no greater exaltation than that provided by the God of heaven, but the path to true exaltation winds through the valley of humility (cf James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6).

Old Testament reading: 2 Samuel 13-14

“For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape…?” (Heb 2:2). 2 Samuel 13 begins God’s retribution upon David for his sin in the matter of Uriah and Bathsheba. David’s son Amnon rapes his half-sister Tamar, and David is angered but does nothing about it (13:21). David’s son Absalom waits a full two years, and exacts revenge on Amnon by killing him. Fearing his father, Absalom flees to Geshur for three years. David, longing to see Absalom, still makes no effort to send for him or let him know he is welcome to come home. David’s house has become a proverbial train wreck, yet this is only the beginning of David’s errors in dealing with this problem.

New Testament reading: Luke 12-13

“Take no thought for your life” (Luke 12:22). Is there any undertaking more worthless than worry? Worse still than its worthlessness, worry is dangerous and detrimental to our health and faith. Jesus illustrates the dangers in Luke 12:22-34. Some are quite pointed, in my mind particularly verses 25-26. Our word “worry” is from the Old English wyrgan, meaning to “seize by the throat” or “strangle.” Pictured is wolf that kills a sheep by locking his jaws on the throat of his prey. This is precisely what worry does to us. It seizes us with fear and leaves us without hope or recourse. Some years ago, a University of Wisconsin study revealed the following about worry: 40% of worries concern things that never happen; 30% of worries concern the inevitable (e.g., death and taxes); 22% of worries are over trivial things or matters of no real consequence; and only 8% of our worries concern things over which we have control. When Jesus said, “Take no thought for your life,” He understood our propensity to be overly concerned with things that are beyond our control. Wasting our time in hand wringing and furrowed brows reveals a lack of faith in both the goodness and providence of God.