E-pistle for September 9, 2016
Posted by: info <info@...>
E-pistle
FreeWay Foundation September 9, 2016
Peculiar details, mysterious ways!
(II Samuel 4:1-12)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. When Saul's son, Ishbosheth, heard that Abner had been killed, he lost
heart, and the nation of Israel also became discouraged, v. 1.
2. Earlier, when the news of Saul and Jonathan's death reached the capital,
a nurse fled with Jonathan's young son, Mephibosheth; in their haste,
the boy fell and became permanently lame, v. 4 (See Chapter 9)
3. Baanah and Rechab, brothers amd military captains from the tribe of
Benjamin, killed Saul's son in his home while he was taking a noonday
nap; they brought his severed head to David, vv. 2-3, 5-8.
4. David was not pleased that his enemy had been assassinated; he ordered
the brothers to be executed for killing a righteous person, vv. 9-12.
II. Meditation: on Samuel's prophecies about Saul's kingdom
1. "But now your kingdom shall not continue," I Samuel 13:14.
2. "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and given
it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you," I Samuel 15:28.
3. "The Lord has done for Himself as He spoke for me. For the Lord has
torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David,"
I Samuel 28:17.
4. "So Saul, his three sons, his armorbearer, and all his men died together
that same day," I Samuel 31:6. (Finally in II Samuel 4, Saul's only surviving
son and heir to the throne was killed.)
III. Revelation: on some observations about the peculiar details seen in this chapter
1. Rather than rejoicing, Ishbosheth became depressed and discouraged when
he heard of the death of his traitorous general, Abner, v. 1.
Perhaps mental instability ran in Saul's family.
2. The brothers who killed Saul's son mistakenly assumed that David would
appreciate their wicked deed.
Surely they were not unaware of David's violent reaction to the murder of
King Saul, v. 10.
3. David's men buried the head of Ishbosheth in the tomb where Abner, the
man who had deserted him, was buried, v. 12.
This action revealed David's distaste toward any man who would be disloyal
to his master.
4. The nurse, attempting to save the life of Jonathan's son, actually caused
him to sustain a permanent crippling injury, v. 4.
Often one's good intentions produce unexpected, adverse results . . . but, as
in this case, the Lord can bring good out of bad . . . Romans 8:28; II Samuel 9.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to understand . . .
God works in mysterious ways, through peculiar details, to fulfill His valid
prophecies and to accomplish His divine purpose.
Jonah protests God's call
(Jonah 1:1-17)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the events of this chapter
1. God called Jonah to preach repentance in Nineveh, but Jonah "protested"
that call by rebelliously boarding a ship to Tarshish, vv. 1-3.
2. The Lord sent a storm, and the sailors asked Jonah to pray for their
deliverance, vv. 4-9.
3. Realizing that the storm had been sent because of his rebellion against
God, Jonah told the sailors to throw him into the sea, vv. 10-16.
4. The Lord prepared a great fish who swallowed Jonah, and Jonah lived
in the belly of the fish for three days, v. 17.
II. Meditation: on the spiritual truths revealed here
1. The Lord is a God of mercy, not willing that any should perish . . . not
even the wicked nation of Assyria, which had taken Israel into captivity
in 722 B.C.; God gave Nineveh (Assyria's capital) a chance to repent,
v. 2; II Peter 3:9.
2. The Lord is "God of heaven" . . . all creation, including heaven and earth;
He is not limited by national boundaries; neither Jonah; nor any other
person, can flee from the presence of God, v. 9; Psalm 139:7-12.
3. In times of trouble, unbelievers often turn to the people of God, asking
them to pray and to tell them what they can do to escape destruction,
vv. 6, 11; Acts 2:37, 16:30.
4. The Lord God "works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform"
. . . God did not send an available whale, He "prepared" (created) a
great fish, v. 17; this was certified by Jesus, Matthew 12:40; Luke 11:30.
III. Revelation: on the spiritual implications of these truths
1. Since God loves everyone, so should I; God's mercy and grace should
be proclaimed to all persons everywhere.
2. God is the Creator of the universe, yet He also literally is present among
us . . . He is 'omnipresent;" therefore, we should behave accordingly
because He sees and knows our thoughts, words, and deeds.
3. God's people should be ready always and immediately to pray for and
witness to the lost, I Peter 3:15.
4. Before we even realize that we have a need, God already had made
provision to supply that need, Philippians 4:19.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Be a faithful witness for Jesus Christ to the lost.
2. Live in the continuing awareness of God's spiritual presence.
3. Pray for those who are in trouble and who need the Lord.
4. Thank the Lord for His providential care for me.
"Be kind whenever possible. IT IS always POSSIBLE!
--Dalai Lama
--
To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: epistle2equip-unsubscribe@welovegod.org