Month: April 2026

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April 5

Isaiah 50-54

We are in the Prophetic Stream today. We will be covering the famous chapter Isaiah 53 as we read from the World English Bible this week.

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, you serve and send The Savior.  It is truly you and your work for us that saves.  Keep us filled with faith and gratitude.  Bless you Lord,  Amen.

The theme of this section of scripture is that the LORD will serve His people; they will be redeemed and restored and The Servant of the LORD will aid and protect them in Zion. This idea has been seen scattered throughout Isaiah but the resumption of this thinking comes into full view here as this concept has been accumulating through Isaiah’s book.

 
50 – it begins with the nation in dismay, but God assures immediately they he can redeem from any situation. God has full control over nature, the LORD speaks, he gives us “ear to hear”, He helps, The Lord calls all to come to Him and trust Him – to stop trusting in their own plans; contrare~ plans that they think are going to be of any protection.
 
51 – These next two chapters are devoted to telling of Zion’s redemption and restoration. Judah would go into captivity in the future, but God’s plan for His own has never wavered. His commitment to Abraham and Sarah has not been down graded or altered in the least. God’s plan is endless – so listen to God, come to God, look to God, He will strengthen – but they needed to adorn themselves in Him. Remember ALL He has done!  He comforts and calms and liberates. The delirium that comes from disobedience is akin to drunkenness and need never be a problem to them again.
 
52 – This chapter is also pure wonderment.  It is the day of Zion’s triumph.  It’s so beautiful it is actually a song.  There’s no way to list all the great things God is up to and not simply recite the whole chapter –> again.  This is truly a song of happy days.  People who’ve sung “Our God Reigns” since for-ev-er may wonder where it comes from.  It’s from here! v. seven has the whole song within it.  The rest of the chapter is just as marvelous.
 
53 – The fascination of this chapter merely grows with time.  Isaiah told so many details about a Savior and he is describing Him 700 years before His arrival.  The details cannot be ignored or altered if one religions’ description of a Savior doesn’t match God’s. Some have tried to explain this chapter away as being some other person from some other era or to be someone who is coming yet in the future.  This chapter is Jesus and what He has done to heal, to forgive, and to save.
 
54 – The fascination here is that Zion is going to expand; expand in every way, the people, the land, the blessing, the dwellings, and the beauty; the adornment, the jewels, oh my!  It will all be the wonderful work of God.  The people of Zion have suffered, but God’s mercy and comfort and lovingkindness will prevail and ‘win the day’.  Zion will prevail in righteousness.
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April 4

Psalm 18-21

We are in the Wisdom Stream today reading from the book of Psalms. We are using the World English Bible this week.

 

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

God, we want to walk with you as David did; so completely caught up into your goodness and faithfulness and comprehensive care that the world all around us is a mere reminder of how good you are to us.  Thank you for your goodness, Lord.  Amen.

Into the Wisdom stream today we reach Psalm 18 – a highlight of the Bible!  If any student of the Psalms made a list of their favorite Psalms to count on one hand, Psalm 18 is one of them.  It’s David’s triumphant praise after “the battle is over”.  His enemies are neutralized. King Saul, who hated him, is gone now. David’s kingdom is realized and he is Ruler of Israel. Note the traits of the Psalm: God is all the things David needed all along, needs now, and what David is grateful for.  David calls and claims that God is his rock, his shield, his high tower.  The false religions of the world idolatrously claim “this rock is my god, this shield is my god, this tower is my god.” The pagan religions have things perfectly backward.  This is why David is a hallmark of our faith and devotion. This Psalm is so pivotal and landmark in David’s life that it is repeated in II Samuel 22.  We will reach that section in the “nation stream” next week.

 
19 – The wonder of nature as David is in awe of what God has done morphs straight into David’s wonderment over what God has said; His Word.  It is perfect, right, pure, …Gold. ‘Makes y’want to read the rest of the Bible doesn’t it?!  Praise God
 
20 – twenty has a nice variation – 18 was David rejoicing in all God had done for him.  This Psalm of prayer is asking God to grant all that is desired and sought for – for you!   It rings as a rally cry for battle.  It is a request for victory.  As in all of David’s life, he is not distracted by objects and trusting in them.  He trusts in God alone, for himself and for others – even as he is headed into the thick of battle.
 
21 – David is yet enraptured with his marvelous God.  In 20 he is asking for victory as he seems destined to head into battle.  In 21, David is thanking God for victory in this same conflict that seems imminent.  Notice that all that God is going to do is in the future tense.  God will find them (David’s enemies), He will burn them, He will destroy them. David is as certain of this as he was on his first battlefield in I Sam. 17.  He is basically teaching us a very clear prayer lesson.  Thank God in advance.
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April 3

 

I Samuel 17-20

We are in the Nation Stream today as we experience that classic story of David & Goliath. We are reading from the World English Bible.

 

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, thank you for David’s example here.  We can shine with you and walk with you no matter who is against us, or how fierce the attitude is against us or how bleak the odds seem against us.  You will always give us the human and spiritual comfort that we need.  Amen.

David and Goliath – the battle seems to be a preview or a “trailer” of world history.  We’ve heard of this reference in so many contests.  Well the original story comes from here;

I Samuel 17.  It is intriguing that historians of all stripes and creeds will confess that monotheism hung upon the outcome of this battle. Theologically, God is bigger than our perspectives, but for that assessment [the fate of montheism] to be attached to this David/Goliath showdown is impressive.  David’s courage and confidence and skill; to be assured that he could drop this behemoth pagan goon in a single pop testifies to the fact that David was in touch with more than his dismissive brothers were aware of.  Saul tried to dress David in Saul’s armor so that any victory would be associated with Saul.  David doesn’t need it.  If David can take on a several hundred pound lion and a several hundred pound bear, then he can take on a several hundred pound man who lacks claws and teeth. Pastor Chuck Swindoll once called Goliath a “cross-eyed discus thrower” – he didn’t have much talent or break many records, but he sure kept the spectators awake!   We know the story of the five smooth stones. Goliath did have four other brothers so if the Philistines wanted to break contract and charge them in, David was ready to drop them too. Analyze this fascinating story from any angle and the discussion of it remains endless

 
18 – Saul’s character and paranoia are only further revealed in this string of stories. He treats David as an enemy AND has to hide that fact that he loathes him, is jealous, and scared of David.  David becomes all the more entwined in the Kingdom as Jonathan [Saul’s son] and David become “friends for life”. The chanting about David’s prowess is making Saul crazy.  Still, Saul wants him close (like Mafia thinking that is determined to keep enemies close-by). He throws spears at him after using music to make David vulnerable  He mocks David in offering his daughter then revoking the deal. He sends David on a fool’s mission to kill Philistines … time and again Saul shows his vapid character and David shows his faithfulness.
 
19 – things only get worse for Saul as it turns out his own home is committed to David over Saul.  Jonathan is caught in a duplicitous position in his sonship to the king and his friendship to the future king who is hated by the present king; his father.  Jonathan becomes vital informant to David and is strangely yet secretly protected by Jonathan. Michal, Saul’s daughter is Davids’ wife and she is eventually protecting David against the king; her father.  Saul might do well to read into the obvious but the LORD had left him and he is too crazed to see reality anymore.  In his effort to apprehend David, the LORD God of Israel intercepts again and “slays” all Saul’s messengers through using them to prophecy.  It’s certainly an odd scene.  It seems to only prove the mangled hilarity of trying to fight God or anyone who is indeed on God’s side.
 
20 – Then there’s the dinner, and David’s failure to appear for saying he was going to meet his family in Bethlehem, [remember I Sam. 18:2; Saul had forbidden this]. Jonathan’s attempting to cover for David threw Saul into a manic rage and now he is throwing spears at Jonathan; his own son!  The scene with Jonathan and David meeting, the part of the little boy present as a decoy and informant during the “arrows routine” – of which the young boy is oblivious – all this is nothing short of clever.  It shows more of the same mind of David that would win him numerous other battles and verify why Jonathan and he are such dear friends.  This would seem to be the benediction put upon their friendship as Jonathan is now starkly aware of his father’s hatred of David. Jonathan was a true hearted fellow and in his right mind, but he wasn’t going to trigger an open rebellion against his own father; the King.  So Jonathan and David part company and it is a sad day for the both of them.  Their final encounter is in ch. 23, but this one here in ch. 20 feels like they are both bracing themselves emotionally to part company. The friendship between them had become so costly.  And this made it all the more dear.
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