I Kings 2
King David gives final instruction to Solomonverses 1-4
Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die
and he charged Solomon his son
saying
I go the way of all the earth
be strong therefore and show yourself a man
and keep the charge of the LORD thy God
to walk in HIS ways
to keep HIS statutes – commandments
judgments – testimonies
as it is written in the law of Moses
That you may prosper in all that you do
and whithersoever you turn yourself
That the LORD may continue HIS word which
HE spoke concerning me
saying
IF your children take heed to their way to walk before ME in truth
with all their heart and with all their soul
There shall not fail you (said HE) a man on the throne of Israel
David gives advice regarding: Joabverses 5-6
Moreover you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah – did to me
and what he did to the two captains of the host of Israel
to Abner the son of Ner – to Amasa the son of Jether
Whom he slew – and shed the blood of war in peace
and put the blood of war on his girdle that was
about his loins – and in his shoes that were on his feet
Do therefore according to your wisdom
and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace
David gives advice regarding: sons of Barzillaiverse 7
BUT show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite
and let them be of those that eat at your table
for so they came to me when I fled because of
Absalom your brother
David gives advice regarding: Shimeiverses 8-9
And Behold – you have with you Shimei the son of Gera
a Benjaminite of Bahurim
which cursed in the day when I went to Mahanaim
but he came down to meet me at Jordan
and I swore to him by the LORD
saying
I will not put you to death with the sword
Now therefore hold him not guiltless – for you are a wise man
and know what you ought to do to him
but his hoar head bring you down
to the grave with blood
David diedverses 10-11
So David slept with his fathers – and was buried in the city of David
and the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years
seven years reigned he in Hebron
thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem
Solomon establishedverse 12
Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father
and his kingdom was established greatly
Adonijah wants Abishag for a wifeverses 13-18
And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba
the mother of Solomon
And she said
Come you pearceably?
And he said
Peaceably
He said moreover
I have somewhat to say to you
And she said
Say on
And he said
You know that the kingdom was mine
and that all Israel set their face on me
that I should reign
howbeit the kingdom is turned about
and is become my brother’s
FOR it was his from the LORD
And now I ask one petition of you – deny me not
And she said unto him
Say on
And he said
Speak – I pray you – unto Solomon the king
(for he will not say you nay)
that he give me
Abishag the Shunammite to wife
And Bath-sheba said
Well – I will speak for you to the king
Bath-sheba asks Solomonverses 19-22
Bath-sheba therefore went unto king Solomon
to speak to him for Adonijah
And the king rose up to meet her – and bowed himself to her
and sat down on his throne
and caused a seat to be set for the king’s mother
and she sat on his right hand
Then she said
I desire one small petition of you
pray you say me not nay
And the king said to her
Ask on my mother – for I will not say you nay
And she said
Let Abishag the Shunammite be given
to Adonijah your brother to wife
And king Solomon answered and said to his mother
And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah?
ask for him the kingdom also – for he is mine elder brother
even for him – and for Abiathar the priest
and for Joab the son of Zeruiah
Solomon orders Adonijah’s deathverses 23-25
Then king Solomon swore by the LORD
saying
God do so to me – and more also
if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life
Now therefore as the LORD lives – which has established me
and set me on the throne of David my father
and WHO has made me a house – as HE promised
Adonijah shall be put to death this day
And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada
and fell on him that he died
Solomon dismisses Abiathar the priestverses 26-27
And to Abiathar the priest
said the king
Get you to Anathoth – to your own fields – for you are worthy of death
but I will not at this time put you to death
because you bare the ark of the Lord GOD before
David my father
because you have been afflicted in all wherein my
father was afflicted
So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest to the LORD
that he might FULFILL the word of the LORD
which HE spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh
Benaiah sent to kill Joabverses 28-29
Then tidings came to Joab – for Joab had turned after Adonijah
though he turned not after Absalom
And Joab fled to the tabernacle of the LORD
and caught hold on the horns of the altar
and it was told king Solomon that Joab
was fled to the tabernacle of the LORD
and behold – he is by the altar
Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada
saying
Go – fall upon him
Joab hiding in the Tabernacleverse 30
And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD
and said to him
Thus says the king
Come forth
And he said
Nay but I will die here
And Benaiah brought the king word again
Saying
Thus said Joab – and thus he answered me
Solomon tells Benaiah to kill him in the Tabernacleverses 31-33
And the king
said to him
Do as he has said – and fall on him – and bury him
that you may take away the innocent blood
which Joab shed from me
from the house of my father
And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head
who fell on two men more righteous and better than he
and slew them with the sword
my father David not knowing thereof – to wit
Abner the son of Ner – captain of the host of Israel
Amasa the son of Jether – captain of the host of Judah
Their blood shall therefore return on the head of Joab
on the head of his seed for ever – but on David
on his seed – house – throne
shall there be peace for ever from the LORD
Benaiah kills Joabverse 34
So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up – and fell upon him
and slew him and he was buried in his own house
in the wilderness
Solomon sets new officers in placeverse 35
And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host
and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar
Solomon gives restrictions to Shimeiverses 36-37
And the king sent and called for Shimei
and said to him
Build you a house in Jerusalem – and dwell there
and go not forth thence any whither
For it shall be – that on the day you go out and passes
over the brook Kidron – you shall know for certain
that you shall surely die
your blood shall be upon your own head
Shimei agrees to restrictionsverse 38
And Shimei
said to the king
The saying is good – as my lord the king has said
so will thy servant do
And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days
Shimei disregards restrictionsverses 39-40
And it came to pass at the end of three years
that two of the servants of Shimei
ran away to Achish son of Maachah
king of Gath
And they told Shimei
saying
BEHOLD – your servants be in Gath
And Shimei arose – and saddled his ass
and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants
and Shimei went
and brought his servants from Gath
Solomon orders Shimei killedverses 41-46
And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone
from Jerusalem to Gath and was come again
And the king sent and called for Shimei
and said to him
Did I not make you to swear by the LORD
and protested to you
saying
Know for a certain – on the day you go out
and walk abroad any whither that
you shall surely die?
and you said to me
The word that I have heard is good
Why then have you not kept the oath of the LORD
and the commandment that I have charge you with?
The king said moreover to Shimei
You know all the wickedness which your heart is privy to
that you did to David my father
Therefore the LORD shall return your wickedness
on your own head
and king Solomon shall be blessed
and the throne of David
shall be established
before the LORD for ever
So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada
which went out and fell upon him – that he died
And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 I go the way of all the earth: be you strong therefore, and show yourself a man: (1961 “show” [hayah] means to become, come into being, be, exist, be committed or be established)
DEVOTION: Fathers have the responsibility to train their sons to follow the LORD. In our present society there seems to a problem with men being in leadership. The world has questioned the leadership of men.
Does the leadership of men mean that women are not important? The Bible never says that. Women are important. Women have their responsibilities and men have their responsibilities. Too often men do not fulfill their responsibilities and women feel they must pick up the slack. That is not the Biblical answer. The LORD wants men to be men. Our world doesn’t want men to be men. The battle is real.
David had a problem with his leadership in the home. He didn’t discipline his children. This truth is stated during his lifetime and it caused problems in Israel. Rebellion was one of the problems. We see this truth happening in our world today, as children rebel against any authority because the family is failing to teach authority.
David before he died gave Solomon counsel regarding how to be a good king. He told him to obey the LORD and HIS law. Solomon in the future will write a book called Proverbs to train his son. If the father is not the leader of the home, the children will not receive proper instructions regarding the LORD. This causes confusion.
David wanted his son, Solomon, to become a man. The means that David expressed to help Solomon become a man was to walk in and keep the commandments of the LORD. In obedience to the commands of the LORD there was wisdom. The Bible is plain in its teaching regarding the different responsibilities of men and women in the home.
David also left instructions regarding the men that rebelled or gave him problems. Part of establishing the throne was for him to deal with these men who had let David down.
Sometimes we need to deal with past problems to get the present to go right. Solomon dealt with these past problems to the kingdom and because of that his kingdom was established.
The only way to become a man today is to do the same. There are many men who have not be given proper instruction when they were growing up in the home. This has caused confusion in the home and in the church and in society in general. God is not the author of confusion. Our enemy is real. He wants our homes, churches and society to be confused by confusing the responsibilities of men and women.
CHALLENGE: There are people who think they are “real men” but they are not following the Word of the LORD. Let’s be MEN in God’s eyes. Let’s establish our ministry in the eyes of the LORD.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 6 Do therefore according to your wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace. (7872 “hoar head” [seybah] means old age, gray hairs, or an old person)
DEVOTION: Two facts are found in this verse. One is that David considered his son to be wise. He knew that he would act on the final instructions of his father. He knew that if he didn’t act the kingdom could be in jeopardy of rebellion again against Solomon’s rule.
There were too many sons to David and many of them were older than Solomon but not wiser. He had to act on his wisdom to prevent further problems in the building of the nation.
One problem was the man Joab who was involved in two rebellions against David and had killed two men who trusted him to be a friend. He was a man who had no conscience. He did what he wanted and thought David would never punish him.
He didn’t punish him because he knew what he was capable of and keep him in check. Now his son had to not allow him to have any influence in the new kingdom because he had backed Solomon’s brother in the last rebellion while David was dying.
When we allow ourselves in a leadership position whether elected to the position or called to the position we have to know those who are under our leadership. There is always at least one who thinks they can do a better job than you can and uses his influence anytime you make a mistake to tell others about it.
David knew who Solomon had to deal with at the beginning of his kingship, we should know who we have to deal with at the beginning of our leadership role. Find good advisors and they will keep you up to date on who is doing what in the organization.
CHALLENGE: Deal with troublemakers immediately or they will be a thorn in your flesh for your whole time in leadership.
: 9 Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for you are a wise man, and know what you ought to do to him; but his hoar head bring you down to the grave with blood. (2450 “wise” [chakam] means skillful, clever, experienced, marked by the exercise of good judgment or common sense in practical matters, intelligent, shrewd or good in administration)
DEVOTION: David is complimenting his son. He is doing what all good fathers should do when they get to the age when they know that they are going to be with the LORD soon.
They should encourage their children to honor the LORD and do things that are right in HIS sight. David knew that Solomon was going to have problems with some people in his kingdom. He was warning him that he would have to take some serious steps to make sure that his kingdom was safe in his hands.
One of the things that he warned him about was a man that had given him a hard time and he had given a warning not to do something that would cause his death if he disobeyed. The man did disobey and Solomon had to deal with him.
Too often we feel that as believers that we are not supposed to treat anyone badly from a world’s perspective but that is not true. If someone dishonors the LORD by their actions and is not willing to repent of their actions than action needs to be taken.
Here was a man that wanted to have David killed. Here is a man that cursed David. He had no respect for authority and needed to be dealt with by Solomon.
We find that there are these types of people even in the church today. They have no respect for authority and they think they can get away with anything. Part of their problem usually is that they want to be in leadership when they are not qualified for leadership. Every church has want-a-be’s in them.
They are the one who thinks all the time that they can do things better than the current leadership. These are the ones that the LORD warns us about and we need to take their actions seriously. God wants us to be watchful over HIS people.
If someone is causing division in the church they need to be dealt with quickly or the problem will get more serious. A lot of prayer has to be done in each of these occasions to make sure that we have the right attitude.
CHALLENGE: Division in churches is not something the LORD wants to happen because it gives a poor testimony to the community if believers are fighting with one another.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 27 So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest to the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. (1644 “thrust out” [garash] means to drive out, cast out, to expel, to put away, remove, to put to flight, or banish)
DEVOTION: The LORD told Samuel what was going to happen to the family of Eli because of his lack of discipline in the lives of his sons. Eli seemed to be a good priest but not a good father that caused him sons to obey the commandments of the LORD. This caused problems for Samuel as he didn’t discipline his sons and they sinned against the LORD.
Now we come to the end of the family of Eli with Abiathar who had been with David during the hard times but forgot to stay loyal to him in the good times. He was part of the rebellion against David.
However, David didn’t want him killed but wanted him put in exile for the rest of his life. He would no longer be the High Priest. He would no longer serve in Jerusalem. He was to go home and die an exile.
God wants us to be loyal to the leadership HE puts in place. We are not to be in the state of rebellion against those HE has placed there. We can pray for them to change or the LORD to remove them from a leadership position. If we think someone is claiming to be a believer and their actions say otherwise, we need to pray for their salvation.
There are many in leadership positions who claim to be followers of God but their actions show that they are not living according to HIS standard and are making decisions that don’t bring glory to God.
Prayer is our best weapon against such leadership. The LORD will remove them in HIS timing. HE has them in power during a time period when we need to learn some lessons from HIM regarding our obedience to HIM.
CHALLENGE: It is not easy to pray for a leader we think is not doing anything to glorify the LORD he claims to be following.
: 37 For it shall be, that on the day you go out, and pass over the brook Kidron, you shall know for certain that you shall surely die: your blood shall be upon your own head. (5674 “pass over” [‘abar] means to go on one’s way, mover through, to violate, pass from one side to the other, cross over or to pass beyond)
DEVOTION: One of the men who was against David and cursed him when he was running from the first rebellious son was Shimei. He was from the tribe of Benjamin which is the same tribe that Saul was from who was the first king. He thought that his family should have been king over David. He didn’t like David.
David allowed him to live because he told his soldiers that maybe the LORD had sent him to curse him to help him understand why the rebellion was happening. After he returned to power Shimei apologized and David took his apology. Now that he was dying, he told Solomon not to trust him. Solomon gave him limitations. He told him if he didn’t build his house in Jerusalem and stay on this side of the Brook Kidron he would die.
Well two of his slaves ran away and he was told where they were and went and got them from a place beyond the Brook Kidron. Solomon was there to tell him of his judgment. He died for disobeying Solomon.
David knew who his son should be concerned about and told him that he needed to deal with them. He dealt with all those his father warned him about. This is a father instructing his son who was wiser than him on what was needed to be done to help his time of leadership.
Fathers are needed to give good instructions to their children regarding what they should watch for in life. This world is not easy to live in and fathers need to inform their children of the pitfalls they know about from their experiences in life.
The problem is that a relationship needs to be built between father and son before they will listen to the instructions. This seemed to be true between David and Solomon. Is it true between you and your children?
CHALLENGE: Children are you listening to the warnings of your fathers? Solomon listened and he was the wisest man alive.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Ark of the Lord GODverse 26
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
HIS statutesverse 3
HIS commandments verse 3
HIS judgmentsverse 3
HIS testimoniesverse 3
Law of Mosesverse 3
Word of the LORDverse 27
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 3, 4, 8, 15, 23, 24, 27-30, 42-45
God – Elohim (Creator)verses 3, 23
LORD thy Godverse 3
Ark of the Lord GODverse 26
Lord – Adonai (Master, Sovereign)verse 26
GOD – Jehovahverse 26
Lord GODverse 26
Tabernacle of the LORDverses 28-30
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Kill innocent menverse 5
Curseverse 8
Rebellionverse 28
Kill innocent bloodverse 31
Kept not oathverse 43
Wickednessverse 44
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Chargeverses 1, 3
Strongverse 2
Show yourself a manverse 2
Walk in the ways of the LORDverse 3
Obey the Word of Godverse 3
Prosperverse 3
Promiseverses 4, 24
Walk before LORD in truthverse 4
Wisdomverses 6, 9
Kindnessverse 7
Guiltlessverse 9
Afflictedverse 26
Righteousverse 32
Peaceverse 33
Swear by the LORDverse 42
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
David diedverses 10, 11
Reigned 7 years in Hebron
Reigned 33 years in Jerusalem
Kingdom established by Solomonverse 12
Solomon dealt with Adonijahverses 13-25
Solomon dealt with Abiatharverses 26, 27
House of Eli
Solomon dealt with Joabverses 28-34
Solomon dealt with Shimeiverses 36-46
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Throne of David established foreververse 45
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QUOTES regarding passage
45–46 The last opponent of the Davidic dynasty was now gone, and David’s throne had been securely established. David had his detractors; but God caused him to prevail, not only in his own rule, but in seeing his son Solomon sitting on his throne as God had promised. The Davidic covenant was now on its way toward fulfillment. Solomon—granted by God’s grace a kingdom of peace and prosperity—is, in this and in his extraordinary insight, a type of the coming Son of David, the Messiah. (Patterson, R. D., & Austel, H. J. (1988). 1, 2 Kings. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job (Vol. 4, p. 42). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House)
Solomon was to be a “man of peace” (1 Chron. 22:6–10), and yet he began his reign by ordering three executions. But true peace must be based on righteousness, not on sentiment. “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable …” (James 3:17, nkjv). The land was polluted by the innocent blood that Joab had shed, and the land could be cleansed only by the execution of the murderer. David didn’t execute Joab, even after Joab killed Absalom, because David knew that he himself had blood on his hands (Ps. 51:14). David was guilty of asking Joab to shed Uriah’s innocent blood, but Solomon’s hands were clean. Solomon was indeed a “man of peace,” and he achieved that peace by bringing about righteousness in the land.
From the human viewpoint, it was sunset for David and sunrise for his son Solomon, but not from the divine viewpoint. “But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day” (Prov. 4:18, nkjv). As a leader, David was “as the light of the morning … even a morning without clouds” (2 Sam. 23:4, kjv), and for the sake of David, the Lord kept the lamp burning in Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:36; 2 Kings 8:19). Even today, when we read and sing his psalms and study his life, that light shines on us and helps to direct our way. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2002). Be responsible (pp. 20–21). Colorado Springs, CO: Victor)
2:36–46 At first Solomon placed Shimei under an extended house arrest rather than executing him outright for his shameful treatment of David (2:8, 9). However, Shimei felt he must pursue two slaves that had run away. This disobedience led to his death. all the wickedness: Shimei had openly opposed and cursed David (2 Sam. 16:5–13; 19:16–23). He openly violated the terms of the agreement with Solomon (vv. 36, 37). By executing Joab and Shimei and removing Abiathar, Solomon fulfilled David’s instructions to him (vv. 5, 8) and also solved the problem of a hostile high priest. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 431). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 45. And King Solomon shall be blessed, &c.] With a long and peaceable reign, and large dominions, notwithstanding all the attempts to make him unhappy: and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord for ever; the kingdom of David over Judah for a long time, in his natural line; and the kingdom of Israel, spiritual Israel, forever in his son the Messiah; and that in the presence of the Lord, he observing, ordering, and succeeding all things to that purpose.
Ver. 46. So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, which went out, &c.] From the presence of the king, and took Shimei with him to the proper place of execution, it not being fitting to execute him before the king: and fell upon him, that he died; put him to death by the sword: and the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon; Adonijah the usurper, and Joab the general of the army, who took on his side, being both put to death; and Abiathar the high-priest deposed, who was in the same conspiracy; and Shimei, a dangerous and troublesome man, dispatched, there remained none to give any disturbance; so thas he now sat easy and quiet on his throne, and things with respect to the civil government were on a firm and settled foundation. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 684). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
PREACHING ABOUT THE CROSS OF CHRIST
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 6:14
The preaching of the cross of Christ was the very center and heart of the message of the apostles, and there is nothing I know of that is more important than that every one of us should realize that this is still the heart and the center of the Christian message. In order to emphasize that, let me put it negatively first. What is the message of the Christian gospel and of the Christian church? Now at the risk of being misunderstood I will put it like this: It is not primarily the teaching of our Lord. I say that, of course, because there are so many today who think that this is Christianity. They say, “What we need is Jesus’ teaching. He is the greatest religious genius of all times. He is above all philosophers. Let us have a look at His teaching, at the Sermon on the Mount and so on. That is what we want. What the world needs today,” they say, “is a dose of the Sermon on the Mount—a dose of His ethical teaching. We must preach this to people and teach them how to live.”
But according to the apostle Paul, this is not their first need. And I will go further. If you only preach the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, not only do you not solve the problem of mankind, but in a sense you aggravate it. You are preaching nothing but utter condemnation, because nobody can ever carry it out. So they did not preach His teaching. Paul does not say, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the Sermon on the Mount” or “God forbid that I should glory save in the ethical teaching of Jesus.” He does not say that. It was not the teaching of Christ, nor the example of Christ either. What they preached was His death on the cross and the meaning of that event.
A Thought to Ponder The preaching of the cross of Christ was the very center and heart of the message of the apostles. (From The Cross, pp. 18-21, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
When Messiah Came
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” (Daniel 9:25)
This remarkable prophecy, given through the angel Gabriel to Daniel the prophet, actually predicted the date of the coming of Christ nearly 500 years in advance. From the announcement to the coming of “Messiah the Prince,” there would be 69 “weeks” (literally “sevens,” meaning in this context “seven-year periods”). That is, Messiah would come as the Prince 483 years after the commandment was given to rebuild Jerusalem. There is some uncertainty about the exact date of the decree, as well as the exact length of these prophetic years, but in each calculation the termination date is at least near or, in some cases, exactly the time when Christ entered Jerusalem to be acknowledged as its promised King.
However, Gabriel’s prophecy went on to say: “And after [the] threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off” (Daniel 9:26). That is, although He would come as promised, instead of being gladly crowned as King, He would be slain. Since the 483-year period terminated long ago, it is clear that Messiah must already have come and then been put to death at that time.
The terms of this remarkable prophecy have been precisely fulfilled in Jesus Christ alone, and no one coming later could have done so. It is no wonder that He wept over Jerusalem, pronouncing her coming judgment, “because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation” (Luke 19:44).
We, like He, should weep and pray for Israel. Yet, in God’s omniscient planning, “through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles” (Romans 11:11), and in this we can rejoice. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
The Cost
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
John 19:30
Michelangelo’s works explored many facets of the life of Jesus, yet one of the most poignant was also one of the most simple. In the 1540s he sketched a pieta (a picture of Jesus’ mother holding the body of the dead Christ) for his friend Vittoria Colonna. Done in chalk, the drawing depicts Mary looking to the heavens as she cradles her Son’s still form. Rising behind Mary, the upright beam of the cross carries these words from Dante’s Paradise, “There they don’t think of how much blood it costs.” Michelangelo’s point was profound: when we contemplate the death of Jesus, we must consider the price He paid.
The price paid by Christ is captured in His dying declaration, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The term for “it is finished” (tetelestai) was used in several ways—to show a bill had been paid, a task finished, a sacrifice offered, a masterpiece completed. Each of them applies to what Jesus did on our behalf on the cross! Perhaps that’s why the apostle Paul wrote, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14).
Jesus’ willingness to take our place is the eternal evidence of how much God loves us. As we contemplate the price He paid, may we also celebrate His love—and give thanks for the cross. (By Bill Crowder (Our Daily Bread))
The story of Jesus before Pilate is a large part of the Fourfold Gospel tradition of Good Friday. In the Gospel of John, power figures largely into the story. The Jewish leaders were not empowered by Rome to carry out capital punishment, so they had to bring Jesus before Pilate the Roman governor. When he interrogates Jesus, Pilate is cynically contemptuous of Jesus’ kingdom and Jesus’ claim that he bears witness to the truth (John 18:37-38).
Pilate eventually threatens Jesus with crucifixion (John 19:10). That’s when Jesus speaks truth to power. When Jesus speaks truth to power, Pilate speaks power to truth. Guess who wins.
In this new post we explore archaeological remains and ancient texts that speak of Pontius Pilate. We also consider Pilate’s reliance on political power as a cautionary tale for the political polarization that characterizes current cultures. Could it be that our preoccupation with political power and our intolerance of people who don’t view politics like we do shows that we are more like Pilate than we would like to admit?
Today there are many ancient remains in the Mediterranean world that testify to the past political power of the Roman empire. There are also untold numbers of churches all over the planet that testify to the past, present and future power of Jesus’ Kingdom. That’s the truth. Jesus wins. Gospel truth trumps political power.
I hope this new post helps you contemplate the powerful truth of the story of Jesus’ passion. (Dr. David Turner)
“Acting on conscience and principle is the manner in which we express our moral selves and as such, loyalty to conscience and principle should supersede loyalty to any man or party. We can all be forgiven for failing in that measure from time to time. I certainly put myself at the top of the list of those who fall short in this regard. I am holier than none.”
“But too often we rush not to salvage principle, but to forgive and excuse our failures so that we might accommodate them and go right on failing until the accommodation itself becomes our principle. In that way and over time, we can justify almost any behavior and sacrifice any principle. I am afraid that this is where we now find ourselves.”
HATED BY THE WORLD
Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 1 John 3:13
Let me put this as a historical fact. This is one of the great principles that we find in the Bible from the beginning. There are many people who have difficulty with this verse. If this is true of you, you have somehow failed to understand the first great essential divisions of the Bible. The difference between Cain and Abel was in Cain, not in Abel. Cain (the world) hates Abel (the Christian). Look at Joseph and his brethren. Look at David and Saul; read the story of how King Saul treated David and tried to get rid of him “the jealousy, envy, and malice.” Look at the treatment that was meted out to the prophets, those men of God who were trying to save the nation. It is there everywhere.
Look at the supreme example of our Lord Himself. Here is the Son of God incarnate; here is the eternal life in the flesh. Look at the world sneering at Him, how they picked up stones to cast at Him, how they shouted, “Crucify Him, away with Him!” The world crucified the very Son of God who had come to save it! “Marvel not, my friends, if the world hate you.” The world does not hate you because you are hateful people; the case of Cain and Abel proves that. Cain did not hate his brother because there was something hateful about him. There was nothing hateful in Abel, but Cain hated him in spite of that.
Neither does the world hate us because we are good. Let us be quite clear about that. The world does not hate good people; the world only hates Christian people. That is the subtle, vital distinction. If you are just a good person, the world, far from hating you, will admire you; it will cheer you. And what is true of the individual is true of the whole Church. The world, we are told, hates Christians, not because they are hateful, not because they are good, not because they do good, but specifically because they are Christians, because they are of God, because they have Christ within them.
A Thought to Ponder: The world does not hate good people; the world only hates Christian people. (From Children of God, pp. 101-102 by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.)
Don’t Walk On By (Dennis and Barbara Rainey)
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. 2 TIMOTHY 3:16
General Norman Schwarzkopf, the commander of operations for Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the early 1990s, exercised this simple premise of authority: A leader never walks by a mistake.
I think he’s got a point, not only in how to lead a military unit, but also in how we raise our children. Barbara and I have often talked about how much easier it would be to ignore our children’s shortcomings. We naturally wish to avoid the discomfort of confronting and correcting their selfish, sinful ways.
Some parents default to a soft, indulgent love, thinking their kids will grow up fine on an exclusive, pain-free diet of praise and permission. But the concept of “reproof ” that Paul used in the above certainly suggests pain.
“Reproof ” means pointing out a wrong, bringing someone to a place where he or she can admit what he or she has done. And there’s nearly always an element of pain involved in doing that.
Yet as writer James Litter has said, “One thought driven home is better than three left on base.” That’s really your assignment as parents: Drive home the key issues that need to be laid bare and exposed if your children are going to finish growing up. You must help them embrace these lessons while they’re young so that they won’t have to learn them in a much more painful way later on as adults.
Our culture today is rushed and weary. You may have so much going on that it’s difficult to slow down and address a defect in your child’s character. But if you’ve taken on the mantle of parenthood, you’ve also taken on the responsibility of bringing occasional pain into the life of each of your children—even as painful as it can be on you as a parent.
You are what you eat.” Your body reflects what you feed it. Eat well and your body rewards you with health. The same is true spiritually and mentally. We become like what we put into our minds and like what we allow our minds to dwell on. Paul encourages us to think about whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, or of good report (v. 8). If you are unsatisfied with your spiritual, mental, or emotional development, ask yourself: “What do I put into my mind – what do I think about?” You may need a radical change in your spiritual diet. (Quiet Walk)
Twenty times the Bible describes the ancient land of Israel as a land flowing with “milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8, etc.). Many modern historians and archaeologists have claimed that this honey was the product of dates or figs rather than managed bee hives, but in September archaeologists led by Hebrew University professor Amihai Mazar uncovered a 2,900-year-old honey bee industry in the Jordan Valley in northern Israel. The well-preserved clay hives, thought to be the oldest in existence, are each 2.5 feet long and one foot in diameter. They were stacked three high in orderly rows. One hundred and eighty have been found, and just 30 of the hives could have produced up to one half ton of honey per year (“Oldest Bee Hives Discovered in Israel,” Patterns of Evidence, Oct. 12, 2017). Mazar says, “You can tell that this was an organized industry, part of an organized economy, in an ultra-organized city” (“Archaeologists Find 3,000-year-old Beehives,” Haaretz, Sep. 4, 2017). The hives are so well preserved that old beeswax and the remains of bees could be analyzed, including workers, drones, pupae, and larvae. The industry was sophisticated. Each hive had a removable plug at one end for honeycomb extraction and a small hole in the other for the bees to enter and exit. Carbon dating of grain found near the hives posits them to the time of Israel’s divided kingdom, and they were found in Tel Rehov (Rehob in the KJV, about three miles south of Beit Shean and two miles west of the Jordan), where the prophet Elisha is thought to have lived (“World’s Oldest Beehives,” BreakingIsraelNews.com, Sep. 26, 2017). An altar to fertility goddesses was found alongside the hives, opening a window into the idolatry of Israel’s northern kingdom as described in Scripture. This discovery gives an archaeological background for Ezekiel 27:17, which says that Israel sold honey to the Phoenicians. The Bible’s historical accuracy has been externally verified countless times. There is no ancient book that can compete with its accuracy, even from an honest secular perspective. (For more see Bible Times & Ancient Kingdoms: Treasures from Archaeology, a 572-page book accompanied by 50 PowerPoint presentations packed with about 4,200 high quality color photos, drawings, historic recreations, and video clips, available from Way of Life Literature.)
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