Author: 7streams

Posted on

May 17

 

Jeremiah 8-10

We are in the Prophetic Stream today spendings some time with Jeremiah, the Weeping Prophet. We are using the Common English Bible this week.

 

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

God of Heaven, hear us when we pray. We see the mess that comes from disobedience. Let us be tender toward you, and listen.  May we be clay that can be molded in your hands. We do not want to be like those we have read about today. Make us like you.     Amen.

ch. 8 – begins midstream [continuing the thought that began in ch. 7]  One version called it “…The Valley of Slaughter”. This is the description of how bad things were in Jerusalem as it was approaching 600 B.C. Human sacrifice had been going on, the priests were agents of darkness and not taking people to God. They had been doing astrology full on; consulting moon and stars like pagans gone amok. So God would see to it that the bones of these false priests would be laid out before the heavens – it was much more like Hindu “theology” for this to happen v.s. Judaic theology wherein the followers are buried at their death v.s. eaten by birds or burned on pyres. Judeans had been playing with false religion so they were going to end up as such.  It’s a horror show, folks.  God has been trying to talk to His people, but one may as well try to have a calm conversation with a scared cat!  They run away, listen to lies, they’re impenitent, oblivious to the Lord, they lie to themselves, lie about God and reject God outright.  Judah will be stripped bare for what they are doing. The harvest will not come in… but the enemy will come.  They’ve poisoned what God gave them and now they are poisoned. Healing? not happening. Jeremiah is very pained by all this.

 
9 – The first verses here is why Jeremiah is nicknamed the Weeping Prophet. What ‘once was’ compared to ‘what is now’ has decayed to such a sorry state of rottenness both spiritually and culturally. Deception is everywhere. The desolation they are seeing will soon completely overtake them.  This once beautiful city will soon be worse off than a dog pen. Jeremiah saw distinctly what was coming for these people. He walked among them (for well over a generation of time) and pleaded, practically begged- trying to persuade them – imploring them to turn from wickedness.  Btw, no one “converted” in his 60 years of ministering and prophesying. Jeremiah certainly had a discouraging assignment. The rebellious and callous ungodliness of these people -who had “firstborn” status with God- virtually broke Jeremiah’s heart.  There will be so many dead bodies when the Babylonians stomp through Judah! My God, My God, won’t these people hear the warnings?!
 
10 – is a glaring rendition of the pure worthlessness and empty stupidity of idols: either making them, using them, or worshiping them in any manner.  God is true, and living, and powerful, and renders justice, and applies his wrath properly.  He controls all nature – these idol makers are fools; buffoons.  Will you come home to Almighty God?        Since you won’t, you may as well get to packing up your things for you are going to be run out of here.  Your injuries, your destroyed belongings, your decimated families … what did you think would happen for ignoring the Lord’s instruction?!

Then Jeremiah ends the reading today with a humble prayer that is ‘one for the ages.’   “Correct me Lord, but with justice, and not in your anger, or else you will reduce me to nothing.”  Jeremiah knew the times he was living in for certain.

 
Posted on

May 16

 

Psalms 49-54

We are in the Wisdom Stream today. Dr. Drake is covering for Serena who is out with laryngitis. We are reading from the Common English Bible this week.

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

God we thank you for the strength, courage and we can draw from these Psalms. These are common men you engaged to have them later speak to us. Thank you.  You lived in them. You live in us. Therefore let us be strengthened in the joy of the Lord. Amen

Psalm 49 – opens with a herald of “hear ye, hear ye …”  It’s a memo of all hearts, young/old, rich/poor, wise/fool.  These Sons of Korah (the writers) reverence God and fear nothing in this world. The one thing that always wins on this earth; and has the last say is the grave. All are headed there. So of all the things we are to hope in ultimately is that God will redeem and take us to himself. This hope supersedes all hopes. Riches, wisdom, time – the things that most people spend their lives trying to gain are all destined to pass with us.  So look to God for redemption.
 
50 – Here is another Psalm that was sung in the Temple. It certainly is regal. God does what He does in all His natural glory and magnificent splendor. God speaks and gathers His own. Amid all He does, God is mindful of us. It’s like in this Psalm, He is stopping in to assure and encourage us to keep living for Him, remaining thankful, and honoring Him – for He delivers us from trouble. As for the wicked: The total opposite awaits them. The are unteachable, they steal, visit whores, lie, cheat, even bash their own families! They better reckon and walk right or God will tear them to pieces —> with no one to rescue.
 
51 – David’s soul has hit bottom (though he was at the top of his world). There wasn’t an army he couldn’t beat, a territory he couldn’t attain, he was honored over the known world. Then during some “down time”, he stole a man’s wife. When he gets rebuked for it, he confesses and repents. We read this story in the history stream last week; II Sam.11&12 . Of all the great things David did, one wise old preacher said, that this prayer, this confession from Ps. 51 was David’s greatest move. He wants mercy and a renewed relationship with God. David knows about God’s unfailing love and He calls upon that love with all earnestness. David’s broken spirit IS his sacrifice to God. This Psalm that David was transparent enough to utter, has been and still is, an inspiration to billions of Believers throughout all time.
 
52 – David had learned that an Edomite; Doeg had run and told Saul about David’s whereabouts and thus Saul resumed his heated chase to find and kill David.  Well David has a word for Doeg-the-tattler and we find it here in Psalm 52.  The setting of this writing was in I Sam. 21:7 and 22:9.  Doeg’s presence was incidental but his obvious commitment to Saul over David is found out and is therefore what birthed this harsh word against him. God would ruin Doeg for this, though David would continue to thrive.
 
53 – Could this Psalm be called “The Tune of The Athiests”?  The Hebrews knew all about this concept that God’s goodness is followed or there is no good found anywhere because man on earth does not manufacture goodness. This phrasing is quoted near verbatim in Psalm 14, Paul says these words 1K/yrs later in Romans 3:10-12.  It’s the other end of the spectrum from modern-day pagans and New Agers who we may find chanting, “visualize smiles and loving worlds…visualize random kindness!” [poof]  The godless turn out to be hollow and fearful and they end up scattered.
 
54 – This Psalm, as in #52, is written in response to people giving away David’s location to Saul. This time it was the people of Ziph (far SE of Jerusalem). You can brief that at your leisure in I Sam. 26. David’s reaction is to call to God (as he always does) to be saved, defended, and heard in his prayers.  The contrast of the lives and spirit of those who are against God and of those who are for God is so stark. David again ends up victorious in triumph.
Posted on

May 15

 

II Samuel 16-20

We are in the Nation Stream today and will discover what happens to the battle between King David and Prince Absalom. We are reading from the Common English Bible this week.

 

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, you preserved David through these difficult years, and we are comforted by your preservation of the King.  We also gain reassurance knowing that you do the same for us.  Amen.

We are in the heart of David’s troublesome years. I think the Absalom factor cut David the deepest. Absalom was not in line for the throne, though there may have been generational priority over Solomon. I mean, really, Solomon was the son of Bathsheba – a wife obtained through illicit processes but… Be that as it may, David’s affections for his womEn [plural] had created a sequence of events that birthed chaos and pained David the rest of his days.  So here we are in the thick of the skirmish caused by his “pretty-boy” son who felt he deserved even more than was due him.  A strong motif today is seen in how David treats each and every-one.

 
16 – The revelation of loyalties v.s. disaffections, the treachery and the intrigue of today’s reading unfolds as a very high stakes, life and death chess game. We never can tell what each person’s next move is going to be.  David is still enroute fleeing Jerusalem -namely Absalom; his rebel son, when he encounters Mephibosheth’s aid; Ziba. M- was Saul’s grandson whom David was endeared to and took him in. David still honors them despite the national tension. Then Shimei appears. He was a relative of Saul’s.  Shimei is a agitated soul and curses David. This was extremely foolish since David is guarded by warriors who could kill Shimei at any moment. Oddly enough David halts any possible retaliation and lets Shimei yap away. This seems to reveal that DAvid is still feeling guilty –> Seriously, the king being treated this way (and musing about it being God’s doing) just isn’t right. But all things considered, David is being overly gracious these days. Remember, David’s attitude toward Absalom is basically, “oh well, let him be King now…” (huh!?)
Next Ahithophel reveals how far gone he is by advising Absalom to violate his father’s concubines on rooftop in view of all the people.  Absalom obliges. It’s like Jerusalem has gone crazy.
 
17 – Ahithophel then advises that 12K soldiers go hunt down David to scatter the soldiers and isolate David for the kill. Absalom [who’s gone amok] loves the plan. Hushai intercepts (at God’s prompting) and advises to pull in all Israel “against” David so that David and Co. can annihiliate Absalom’s support. Hushai then goes completely stealth to spirit away and warn David of what’s coming. Ahithophel learns his advice wasn’t followed, so he goes home and hangs himself.  Gee, where did anyone think this turncoat rebel would end up?
Meanwhile refreshment and comfort is provided to David’s men so they are ready for battle.
 
18 – David snaps back into warrior-mode. He organized matters brilliantly under his command (On their departure he gives comment about Absalom – that puzzles his men more than anything) –> and off they ride into the battle! David’s victory is swift and decisive as 20,000 of Absalom’s loyalists (Israelites) are killed. Absalom, fleeing on a mule (not exactly a valiant picture!) gets himself killed/hung by his neck in a tree.  Joab learns of Absalom hanging in a tree unable to get free and he thrusts him through with three javelins (today’s translation of “sticks” is a trifle weak). This rebellion ends. The victory is grand though grievous for David as his son was killed. He leaves his men in a bit of a lurch as he mourns Absalom’s death in a rather protracted (and pathetic) manner. The victory, for him was an internal conflict that he couldn’t resolve.
 
19 – General Joab’s heated monologue of exhortation snaps David out of his mourning.  It seems Joab is perhaps more into David and the Kingdom than David is. A rally cry arises and David is called to return and resume as King of Israel. During the return Shimei comes forward for his sappy apology while falling prostrate before David.  David’s graciousness was more than Shimei deserved for cursing the King [back in ch. 16.]  During the journey back to Jerusalem we see David handling many interactions that show his regal character in forgiving Shimei, Interacting tenderly and wisely with Mephibosheth and Ziba, being grateful to Barzillai and Chimham (“KIM-ham”). We see a tussle/argument break out between Israel -the conglomerate of the 10 tribes of the north and Judah -the chief tribe of the south.  It’s a virtual harbinger of what is going to happen two generations later when, upon Solomon’s death, the north splits away.
 
20 – Well, we’re all heading back to Jerusalem and the rebellion is over, riiiight?  No, Sheba, a Benjamite rallied Israel against David and they followed Sheba against David! David acted quickly, put Amasa on task to assemble Judah to stop this rebellion.  Amasa took too long in the process and who [sensing divided loyalty!], who steps forward to ante-up and kill Amasa and roust the army? Joab!  He was quite-the-Patton we could say [during WWII] or Sherman [during the Civil War]. He was doggedly Patriotic and loyal to David; almost more “Davidic” that King David was! He pursued Sheba, like a cheetah after a gazelle, to where he was ditching out in Abel [“Ah-BELL”]. And Joab did not stop until Sheba’s head was thrown over the wall and landed amid Joab’s army.  The intervention of a wise woman in Abel was what ended sparing bloodshed on both sides and the city of Abel Beth Maacah [“m’-AH-cuh”] being razed-to-rubble.  Wow, what a read!