Old Testament reading: 2 Samuel 3-4
Today’s reading gives us a glimpse into the life of the man Joab. This man had great ability and wisdom, as we will see in subsequent readings, yet many times he completely disregarded the authority and direct orders of the king. After David met with his former foe Abner, he sent him away in peace as Abner agreed to abandon Ishbosheth and help David unite the kingdom according to the word of God. However, Joab claimed that Abner was practicing deceit and intended to betray David. Leaving David’s presence, Joab murdered Abner by deceit and in cold blood. 2 Samuel 3:27 reveals the impetus behind his action – he was avenging the blood of his brother Asahel, whom Abner had killed. But it should be remembered that Abner killed Asahel in battle and even pleaded with Asahel to refrain from pursuing him lest he be killed (2 Sam 2:19-23). Abner killed Asahel in self defense. Joab’s dastardly deed broke David’s heart, and he declared a day or mourning for his former foe. It appears from 2 Samuel 3:39 that David lived in fear of Abner and his kin, saying, “these sons of Zeruiah are too harsh for me.” David realized Joab’s treachery (and that of his family) knew no bounds and was afraid to recompense him for his deeds. David trusted in the Lord to repay Joab for this treachery, but he lived to regret his failure to deal with the problem as we will see in the account of Absalom.
New Testament reading: Luke 4-5
Luke 4:16 contains an interesting phrase, specifically, that Jesus went into the synagogue on the Sabbath “as His custom was.” Give attention to the fact that the text does not say He did so “according to the Law” or “according to the commandment of the Lord.” All my life I had been taught that the Jews worshiped on Saturday and the church on Sunday. This is not so. The Jews worshiped on specific days of the month (e.g. Passover – Ex 12:1-6), and on other specific dates in accordance with those particular days (e.g. Pentecost – Lev 23:15-16). The Sabbath in and of itself was never given as a day of worship; it was given as a day of rest and remembrance (Deuteronomy 5). Sabbath gatherings were a result of the synagogue system born out of the Babylonian captivity. This system was continued upon the return of the exiles, but was never a part of the Mosaic Law.
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