Thoughts on the Bible Readings (1 Samuel 19; Isaiah 63; Matthew 8) for July 7th

1Samuel 19 speaks of king Saul's plotting to kill David. When Jonathan hears of this he refuses to believe that his father, Saul, would do this to faithful David. Jonathan is able to temporarily dissuade his father from carrying through Saul's intent to destroy David. Jonathan brings about a period of respite between Saul and his son-in-law. Verses 8-10 speak of another battle between Israel and the Philistines. Saul again moved with envy cast his javelin to slay David. David escapes and flees from Saul's presence. Verses 11-17 describe David as a fugitive in his own house, where Saul believes David has been trapped. David and Michal plan David's escaping from the city and her placing pillows of goats' hair in David's bed and covering them to pretend that David is sick in his bed. Saul commands his soldiers to bring David to him in his bed that Saul might slay David. Michal lies to her father saying that David threatened to kill her. David flees to Samuel in Ramah. Both Samuel and David anticipate Saul's wrath and take refuge in Naioth. Saul hears of this and comes with his army to destroy David. Saul had sent two armed contingents before coming himself. But each of these groups including the king himself were prevented from apprehending David by God's spirit coming on them and causing them to prophesy. It became a perplexing proverb: "Is Saul also among the prophets?" 

Isaiah 63 is about the day of Yahweh's vengeance and the remembrance of His mercy. Verses 1-6 speak of a period of time after the Lord Jesus Christ's return to earth. This period is described in Revelation 10 as the March of the rainbowed angel. The time is after the invasion of Israel by the northern confederacy. Jesus and his saints will go into the ancient region of Edom to subdue and convert the Arab peoples into accepting Israeli Jews fleeing from the foe that has conquered their land and is systematically imprisoning Jews. Our Lord Jesus has his clothing of a red colour being stained with the blood of his enemies. He makes war in righteousness with his foes. The figure of warfare here and in Joel 3:13 is likened to the crushing of grapes in a winepress. Verse 4 tells us that the vengeance of our God is for a day, but His mercy and redemption is for a year. His wrath is limited but His grace and mercy is abundant: Exodus 34 verses :5-7; Psalm 103 verses 1-19; James 3 verses 12-13. Verse 5 tells us that our Lord Jesus only the Saviour empowered by His Father. And so our Lord is righteous in the exercise of his judgment. Verses 7-14 tell of Yahweh's remembrance of His mercy to His people Israel. Verses 7-9 recount the evidence of the Almighty's exercising His redeeming mercy when He delivered His people from Egypt. Verses 10-14 say that despite His love they constantly rebelled throughout their wilderness wanderings. Despite the grief that this caused their Father. Yet despite this He brought them through the Red Sea and into the Land promised to their faithful patriarchal fathers and through this gained renown and a famous Name: Yahweh. Verses 15-19 is a prayer of the prophet for Israel's Sovereign to again show mercy to His people. His stedfast love and compassion will compel the LORD to deliver His children. Israel had been disciplined for their waywardness but will be won over by the love of their Father and will be brought home from exile to be Yahweh's people.

 

In Matthew 8 verses 1-4 Jesus cures a leper. This chapter shows Jesus' authority in both word and deed. The leper knew Jesus had the power to heal. The only question was: "Would Jesus heal him?" Our Lord cured the leper and sent him to the priests to testify that Jesus could do what the Law couldn't do: Romans 8 verses1-6. Verses 5-13 speak of the faith of a Roman centurion. He asked the Lord Jesus Christ to heal his servant. The Roman asked  Jesus to simply speak the word and the servant was to be healed. Verse 5 says that the centurion, being a man commanded by Rome, saw Jesus as the empowered servant of God - Jesus' Father through whom salvation comes - and with divine power and authority to heal. Our Lord Jesus said that this type of faith exceeds that of the nation who claimed to be God's children. Jesus declares in verses 10-13 that such faith showed that man to be a true son of Abraham. The Lord's words are reminiscent of the promise that God made to Abraham in Genesis 13 verses 14-16. By contrast the lack of faith of the chosen people would see them excluded from gaining the benefits of the Abrahamic promise. Verses 14-17 describe many miracles fulfilling the words of Isaiah 53 verses 3-4. Verses 18-22 tell disciples that the cost of following the Lord Jesus Christ is to forsake all other pursuits now and start that following of Jesus immediately. Verses 23-27 tell of Jesus' authority over the elements of nature in calming a storm. The cures he performs show him to be the Son of God who can save life. Verses 28-34 describe the curing of two demented men. We need to have our minds healed from the madness that is endemic in human nature and only our Lord and his Father can do that. We will be partially cured now as we heed the words of life and completely cured when by God's grace we are given an immortal body incapable of sinning.
Thoughts on the Bible Readings