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May 9

 

Psalms 42-48

We are in the Wisdom Stream and beginning Book 2 of 5 in the Psalms. We are using the Easy-to-Read Version this week.

 

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, we thank you for these prayers that remind us of your goodness and our need for you in our lives every day, every step.  Amen.
 
Today we start in book Two.  Psalms is divided into five “books” and 1-41 is book One. Here we begin with the second.  We read today about the Sons of Korah.  Just so you know, these were a family of Levites, a musical group, a team or guild if you will, that David had assembled to bolster the atmosphere of worship for the Israelites.
 

42, 43 – These two actually form one poem.  It’s the longing cry/prayer of one who wants to get back into God’s presence; into the Temple again for worship. He’s away from Jerusalem, feeling in exile up north and east – east of the Jordan.  The locals are hostile toward him and he is caught up in a full effort to cheer himself again.  Vv. 42:5,6,11 and 43:5 are used in a familiar worship song, (from a different translation) it is sung, “why so downcast oh my soul? Put your hope in God…”  Throughout these two Psalms, The Sons of Korah are longing, quizzing and encouraging themselves so to cheer up, lamenting the cruelty of others, calling for God to come quickly, and reminding themselves of His goodness. It may sound like they are “all over the place”, but this is appropriate and applicable because so are our lives and so are we on a regular basis.

 
44 – The army has paused to call on God during a rough time amid a battle.  They pause to reflect and assert that it is God in Heaven who always gave the victory in Israel’s history. And they know this.  At current they are trying to see the light when it seeeems to be snuffing out. They are feeling at a loss, they are getting pushed back by enemies and they are calling on God to guide the way, to act quickly, to show and help them get moving forward in this battle again. They pray this way because they do not want to go into complete despair.
 
45 – is the wedding song of a king. It seems to be multifaceted in that the King before us while this is written is either David or Solomon. They talk of regality, beauty, handsomeness, victory but it does seem to go ethereal in that it sounds like Revelation 19:7 and the marriage of the Bride to the Lamb which is of God. This is an event that is going to be thousands of years away. The inspiration that transforms into ambiguity adds intrigue and an alluring passion that keeps the reading and the discussion of this Psalm very much alive … for 3000 years so far !
 
46 – When in trouble from enemies or natural disasters, it is God who protects and gives peace.  God indeed can conquer anything and therefore we will run to him for our covering.  It is noted that Martin Luther drew much comfort and reassurance from this Psalm during the Reformation of the 1500’s [A.D.]
 
47,48 –  like 42 and 43, these two Psalms read like a verses 1 and 2 segment of the same Psalm, though they’re also numbered as two separate Psalms.  The worship is breaking into rhapsody, come 47!  The Lord is King, He loves Jacob and descendants, this land of Zion,  (He rules the whole world too.)     The Lord is great; so great. He has drawn people the world over to His city.  God defends this city against any foe. God in Jerusalem is cause for elation.  It is greater than can be described. Just walk through and all around Zion and experience Him. This is the invitation here.
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May 8

 

I Samuel 12-15

We are in The Nation stream and reading from the Easy-to-Read Version this week.

 

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Jesus, forgive us for our having lapses in our discipleship, suffering for it, only to muse, “why is this happening to me if God loves me?”  God, you do not bring or wish or want evil upon us. It just happens in this life. Our disobedience has invited evil into this world.  May our pleasures make us grateful, and our pain make us even more prayerful. Amen.

 
12 – God needed to use a parallel story told by a trusted friend to get to David. As has been said, he had less ethics when he was sober than Uriah did when he was inebriated. The sheep story from Nathan crushed David who came out of his moral coma finally. David did not feel the change coming over him as he took in one wife after another. But subconsciously somewhere along, he thought, “I can because I want, I want because I can, and I can because I am King. If David had paused long enough, he would have been reminded that taking Bathsheba from Uriah, was coveting and stealing and adultery and murder.  Strangely enough, David had lapsed, thinking the 10 Commandments didn’t apply to him.  But his realization started him on the road right back into God’s presence. David was quick to confess and repent (Psalm 51 and 32).  However this sin of David’s started an avalanche that haunted him the rest of his years.  He had Uriah murdered and soon this murder visited his own home. He let lust take him to places he shouldn’t go. Lust therein took over others in his family. He had sex with Bathsheba in secret thinking it would keep it hidden. Soon all his wives were ransacked in public; on the rooftop.  From this day on, “the sword would never leave David’s home”.  This translation says he would never have peace in his home.  And to top off the chapter, the baby David gave Bathsheba dies. Solomon is then born.  The chapter ends with a war victory but it feels less victorious in the wake of David’s violations
 
13 – David’s troubles amplify as one of his sons, Amnon, from one of his wives tricks, seduces, and rapes one of David’s daughters, Tamar, from one of his other wives.  Absalom, another one of David’s sons, plots to kill Amnon for his deed of raping their sister Tamar.  On cue Absalom calls it and Amnon taken out.  All of David’s other sons escape in fright and Absalom becomes a fugitive in hiding in Geshur for three years.  The drama is thickening in David’s family.  He must have dreamed of “days gone by” when dinner hour was a joyous event.  Not anymore.  The consequences for David’s transgressions are visiting him for what he had done; line by line.
 
14 – Absalom was afraid to come back to Jerusalem. David seemed reticent to fetch him or even call for him to come back. It’s sad, but reality is that David’s resolve during his valiant deeds and battles of yesteryear doesn’t seem to be there anymore.  Joab pulls together a scheme that spurs David enough to call for Absalom to return to Jerusalem. Abs’ returns but is quarantined in a sense and doesn’t get to visit the King; his own father, for two more years.  Absalom gets frustrated and lights Joab’s field on fire to get some attention.  This finally triggers an arrangement for Absalom to visit his father in the palace for the first time in five years.  The overdue meeting finally happens. It is cordial, bittersweet, yet distant.
 
15 –  Absalom was not satisfied (murderers rarely are!) and soon began the role of self-appointed arbitrator so to turn affections from King David to himself.  Absalom was a huckster and not enough people saw through him.  He asks his father permission to go to Hebron but is not forthcoming as to what his real plans are.  Absalom goes, takes 200 men with him and even gets Ahithophel, one of David’s confidants, to join him in the rebellion that Absalom is incubating. David hears what is really happening and seems to resign and simply leaves Jerusalem taking his household with him.  It’s a sad affair and many are weeping aloud.  They pause and David insists that the Ark of the Covenant be taken back to Jerusalem and David would come back if he felt God prompting him to do so. (It’s really sad how David had become so aimless in character.)  He is disturbed to learn that Ahithophel is against him now too. He sends messages that he is willing to follow Absalom as the next king [getting looney isn’t it?!] and his messengers arrive back in Jerusalem just as Absalom arrives from Hebron.  What happens next …?
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May 7

 

Exodus 19-22

We are in the Nation Stream today reading from the Easy-to-Read Version this week.

 

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Dear God – Thank you for your guiding Law. So many across the earth fall into trouble and sit in the ashes of a ruined life and moan, “how come no one told me?”  Well, you tell us God. You guide and warn and remind and teach and do this to save us heartache and loss, and we thank you. Amen.

19 – The awe-inspiring pre-show to the Law being given happens in this chapter. These 10 Commandments would prove to be the pillars of civil society. And the Israelites are looking up at all the fireworks and smoke and lightning as we read it in ch.19 and it had to be a heart-stopper!  The events of this “preView” to the Ten Commandments and their arrival and delivery to the people were of grave importance. The future of society would hinge upon these coming laws. God had to get their attention prior to the Law. To read the TenCom’s and to shrug and walk away would have been a travesty.  Thus the fire and earthquake and trumpet blast that must have been Gabriel or Michael cutting loose has them at attention!  God also wanted the Israelites to hear God talking to Moses so that they would take Moses seriously throughout his life.  The impressions were made and – here comes the Law.
One note that is of merit: historically, we know that the Israelites were not capable of keeping the Law as no one is. Interesting that we see Elijah right here in this same place centuries later when he is on the run from Ahab/Jezebel. It wasn’t the thunder and lightning and fire that got Elijah’s heart. It was God’s whisper.  See I Kings 19 to review that at your leisure.
 
20 –  The Contract with God required keeping these Ten Commandments.  They are not 10 SUGGESTIONS that God hopes they hear and adhere to. They are not DEMANDs (is DEMANDMENTS a word? 🙂 as if God would burn them and throw them in hell the instant anyone falters. They were commands. You shall not do this. It could be worded in English today, “you won’t be killing or stealing or swearing/cursing by Me, got it?! …”  This is the way it was going to be.  The first 4 pertained to treatment of God. The last 6 pertained to the treatment of eachother. Very important to reverence eachother too!  ‘Ever been around someone who claims they love God and yet they treat their neighbors like rodents? ‘pretty nauseating isn’t it?
There’s a whole new code and God offered endless support/provision/protection for those who followed His Law.  Those who wouldn’t, well, you made your choice and you’re to get out of my sight.” Don’t anyone get mad because of their disobedience.          All this is delivered in a setting that shook them to the core.  The Israelites had been dwellers in the delta for 400+ years. and they’d never really seen a mountain. And here they were getting a new “life code”, the scenery is colossal and terrifying, trumpets (that they can’t see!) are blasting, the earth is shaking, the mountain is on fire.  WOW.  Get this memo people and obey this Law.
 
21 – 22 – The first aspect of augmented civil law was that of slavery and how to handle the matter. This is a topic of must passion today, so much so, that a sensible discussion regarding slavery is often thwarted by ignorance, anger, and resentment. The truth is that 80% of the slaves that resided in North America from 1619 to 1865 (at the end of the Civil War) were treated rather kindly as America was a biblically founded government and biblical laws commanding the fair treatment of slaves were abided by.  Granted 20% of slave owners (who dominate the discussion) were cruel and a notable amount of these brutal slave holders were of African descent themselves (which is usually ignored and very carefully so). The argument won’t be put to rest here and we don’t intend to but . . .    Be that as it may, the issue of slaves [a worldwide phenomenon] and their treatment had to be dealt with and God needed to step in and lay out rules. These slaves were humans made in God’s image too. They were not animals that could be kept however or slaughtered and discarded whenever.  The people of God who possessed slaves must treat them honorably; better than the rest of the world did.  God commanded it.   The truth is that there are slaves today being held and driven by masters who are not Believers – and they will not read our Bible. One report gives a conservative estimate that there are in excess of 200Million slaves on earth today. The majority of them brutalized Christians being treated so by Muslims, Communists, Atheists, and Pagans (and the worldwide secular media couldn’t care less).  Other aspects explained pertained to violence, deviant behavior, theft, rape, pets-gone-wild, and negligence resulting in harm,  The details involving disputes arising around animals is pertinent for animals were pets, food, income, tools for labor, etc.  The Hebrews must remember that they were to be upstanding people as a testimony to the world. They were to treat orphans and widows and foreigners/travelers well.  They were not engage in pagan behavior of any kind, and be amenable regarding loan$.  These were the beginning laws that would be the mark of a civil and godly society.  A country’s atmosphere, even today, reflects on whether they adhere to, or disobey, or are ignorant of these laws that are spelled out starting here and running through to the end of Deuteronomy.