I Kings 2:10-27 - Adonijah's Treachery

I Kings 2:10-27

And King Solomon answered and said to his mother, "And why are you asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him also the kingdom -- for he is my elder brother -- even for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah!" (verse 22)

Message: Adonijah's Treachery

Time: The author of 1&2 Kings (originally 1 book) is not known. First Kings follows the history of this divided kingdom from the death of David around 971 BC through the year 853 BC. First Kings reveals Solomon’s relationship with Yahweh and introduces the prophet Elijah who pronounces judgment on the evil northern king Ahab. Like other books, it helps us to understand the history of Israel and Judah. 

What the Lord is Saying: I have seen in this past lessons David giving a charge to Solomon to lead the nation Israel and he has been anointed king. David has provided Solomon all he needs to build the temple and gave a great prayer to God - praising God's name and speaking that all we have is actually from God. 

In verse 13 Adonijah, the fourth son of David, who's mother is Haggith. Adonijah was mentioned in I Kings 1:5 when he believed he should be the king. But Bathsheba disagreed and rallied with Nathan to come against this. Now Adonijah shows up again and Bathsheba wonders if he comes peacefully. He remarks that he was supposed to be king but instead Solomon became king because "it was his from the Lord." So he remarks that while the people he said wanted him to be king, Solomon was chosen because he is from the Lord and the decision is God's. Now Adonijah asks Bathsheba to request from Solomon that his wife be Abishag. Abishag was said to be a beautiful young woman and was the caretaker of David in the last moments of his life. 

Bathsheba then goes to speak to Solomon about this and Solomon wonders why and says, "Ask for him also the kingdom." This seems to be somewhat or a sarcastic response like he is saying, you might as well be asking him to have the kingdom in his charge as well. Solomon is seeing more from this than a simple request of Adonijah and instead sees it as he is doing something to usurp his throne. From this Solomon sentences Adonijah to death and he dies. 

In this outcry Solomon also mentions Abiathar the priest for he also supported Adonijah to be king. But because he carried the ark of the Lord Solomon will spare his life. But he did dismiss him from being priest. 

The request to take Abishag was a serious one. She was basically another concubine of David's though it was said he did not fulfill any sexual action toward her. But still, for a son to take his father's concubine was a serious offense. Absalom had done this previously when he wanted to be king to show everyone in the kingdom that him doing this would be making a claim on the throne. Also removing Abiathar, a descendant of Eli, was also fulfilling a prophecy to remove the descendants of Eli from the priesthood (I Samuel 2:27-36). 

Solomon recognized the significance of anyone challenging his throne. We need to be a people that respect the leaders of thrones and not do things to remove them from their post or assert an idea that they do not belong there. We are to respect the post and the position. There may be things we disagree about and that is all well and good but we need to respect the position and that he is only to removed by means of the government. 

Summary: Adonijah once again comes before Solomon to usurp his authority in hopes of laying claim to the throne. Solomon has him killed but spares the life of Abiathar the priest. 

Promise: Those who sin against God will not escape. 

Prayer: O God, my father. You are king. Your throne is forever and ever. You love righteousness and hate wickedness. Lord, the kingdoms of this earth have been set up by You and we are to respect those kingdom leaders. Help me to do that. Help me to not question leaders but to pray for Your wisdom to be done. Thank you for our country, the United States and setting us up as a kingdom under God. Redirect our leaders to surrender to You always, in everything as they lead us. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

Mark 6:45-51 - The Right Kind of Fear

Mark 6:45-51

51 Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, 52 for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

Message: The Right Kind of Fear

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying: What scares me the most? I think prior to it happening, the biggest fear I have is pain and experiencing intense pain in my body. Dying a very painful death, like getting shot or some part of my body mutilated or cut off. People will say public speaking is a big fear. It isn't a fear and yet when I am placed in that situation, like at the front of city council my words get jumbled. I am not scared but maybe scared of saying something wrong. I think I might also have a fear of not being well received or valued or appreciated because in those moments is when temptation creeps in. I fear those close to me ending up in hell. I fear that hell is real and a horrible place and I have a fear that a family member might end up there. I think there is a fear of dying as I think that is normal. And a fear of being deceased and what that will mean. Even as I read, pray, study and trust in these Words, there is still fear that they are not true, though I think that fear is a small percentage I think it is still real. But there isn't a fear that I have wasted my life in believing in something not real because all of what I am doing with this faith and all of its experiences is the right way to live. 

I've studied this passage before. Preceding this event of the disciples being sent by Jesus on a boat ride is the feeding of 5,000 in which Jesus provides food, provides people what they want and need. Jesus is in this business, providing. God is in this business - providing. God bestows His gifts on us continually and we receive what we need and sometimes get what we want. 

After this miracle and the disciples being with him He was ready to return to praying. In verse 45 it says "He made His disciples get into the boat." He wanted to be alone and he wanted them to get to the other side of this lake or sea. He obviously knew a storm was coming but he wants his disciples to experience the storm and hopefully navigate it. After praying He takes a walk because He is about His father's business and following praying He is walking. 

In the boat it does not say the disciples were afraid of the weather. It does say they were "straining at the oars, for the wind was against them" but what these disciples feared was Jesus walking, on the sea, and appearing like a ghost. Maybe it is understood they are fearful of the wind or maybe that difficulty and then Jesus looking like a ghost produced fear. 

1st lesson from the writer of this article is "do not fear what Jesus is doing." In life there will be obstacles and things that occur to us that we don't like. Trust God through them. Like my friend Bobby did when he experienced all of that cancer in his 40s and had numerous surgeries. He trusted God through them despite the hard situations. Not sure he knows why yet he went through them. But whatever life it, God can be trusted. 

2nd lesson is fearing the Lord is the right fear to have. In some ways this is the same lesson as the first lesson. And for me the fear is uncomfortable situations and how averse we are of being uncomfortable. 

I must admit this reading, this article, doesn't give me the meaning of what it means to fear God. I found another article. First, fear is needed. Pharaoh brought disaster on his nation because he did not fear God (Exodus 9:29-31). Fear is something that God wants from us. We need to fear. Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, "Fear only God." So in order to be a true follower of God, in Christ, fear is needed. 

From this articles is the recognition that if we fear anything it must be God. Fearing the world or thinking that disasters, wars are what we fear is not the right fear. The fear I need to have is fear of God who created all, ordains all, so if we fear, we are to fear Him. And perhaps fear also teaches us to trust and serve others. 

The key here I think is this article starts with idea of being scared or having terror. This is one definition of fear. But the other definition is extreme respect and awe. It is the extreme recognition that God is over all. Proverbs 9:10 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." To be wise, to want this, to walk in this begins with the right view towards God. We need to have this awe and respect for God. This is what I want often from employees, respect for me and others. 

Maybe that is where I will end this, with the idea of respect. I respect God because he is authority in my life and I need to have a reverential respect for His authority to the point that life is defined by what pleases Him. It is to know my place, that I am a man and He is God, the creator. And out of this respect, I can serve Him. I can be respectful in my speech toward Him. 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping me prioritize time with you each day, to be trained by your words, Lord. Thank you for the life lesson of having the fear of the lord. continue to help to find this in my wife. Help me to show respect to those that are over me. I pray that this respect would motivate me to serve others, and not simply be self focused. Maybe Lord today that is my big lesson from this that respect and doesn’t mean a question, but rather respect those over me, and then return serve those alongside me and over me. That the reason I better myself and improve myself continually, it’s not simply to benefit myself, but to benefit others. Perhaps that’s my reminder today in my daily reminder.

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

I Samuel 5 - Yahweh Versus Dagon

I Samuel 5

But when they got up early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. And the head of Dagon and both palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only the torso of Dagon was left. - verse 4

Message: Yahweh Versus Dagon

Time: This book is a biography of Samuel's life and career up to his death. It took place over a period of about 110 years, stretching from the closing days of the judges, when Samuel was born (ca. 1120 BC) through the death of Saul (1011 BC).

What the Lord is Saying: After Eli dies and Phinehas wife and new husband give birth to new son Ichabod, the text now moves back to the ark being with the Philistines. They have taken the ark to the city of Ashdod, bringing it into the house of Dagon (a god of the city). Dagon was found falling on his face before the ark of the Lord. Then the next morning Dagon was found on his face again before the ark, but this time his head and hands were cut off and only the torso remained. No one steps on the threshold to this day in Dagon's house. 

According to Tabletak devotional, "extrabiblical sources as well as biblical accounts such as 1 Samuel 17:54, ancient Near Eastern peoples frequently cut off the heads and hands of defeated foes. For Dagon to lose his head and hands in the presence of the ark of Yahweh meant that Yahweh had conquered Dagon." 

The Ashdodites were struck by the Lord with tumors. The people recognize it is not good for them to have the ark. Bad things are happening and not good that it is in the house of their god - Dagon. All the poeple were gathered together to make a decision about the ark and it was sent to the city of Gath. But the same thing occurred in Gath and tumors arrived on the people. So the Ark was sent to Ekron. But those people knew it was bad to have the ark, but still many died or got tumors and they sent the ark away. 

Don't mess with God and don't mess with the ark of God. 

Summary: The Philistines took the ark to Dagon, their god as a sort of victory but Yahweh conquers Dagon and other cities for possessing the ark of God. 

Promise: Let us take care not to mix our faith with falsehood.

Prayer: O God, you are over all. I lean on you. You are to be revered in our world. We need to be a people that take you seriously and trust you and respect you. I think of how important respect is to me and I need to be one that respects you. You want our respect and our devotion. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.