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Bible Readings for September 28th 2 Samuel 24 | Galatians 4 | Ezekiel 31 | Psalm 79 David sins at the end of his life by ordering a census of Israel. This sin is less well known than his adultery with Bathsheba, but that does not mean that it was less serious. In fact, in many ways, the people of Israel faced harsher consequences here in 2 Samuel 2…

Bible Readings for September 27th 2 Samuel 23 | Galatians 3 | Ezekiel 30 | Psalm 78:38–72 David’s last words in 2 Samuel 23:1–7 are brief, but they are worthy of careful study. In this short speech, David gives us a summary of his reflections on his kingship—or, more precisely, Yahweh’s reflections on leadership that David prophetically speaks. In …

1 Cor 11:14-16 14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a dishonor to him? 15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. 16 But if any man seemeth to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.…

Bible Readings for September 26th 2 Samuel 22 | Galatians 2 | Ezekiel 29 | Psalm 78:1–37 The song David composes in 2 Samuel 22 reflects on the story we read yesterday at the end of 2 Samuel 21. There, David had gone out to battle with the Philistines, but as the battle stretched on, “David grew weary” (2 Sam. 21:15), and Ishbi-benob, a descendent …

Bible Readings for September 25th 2 Samuel 21 | Galatians 1 | Ezekiel 28 | Psalm 77 Back in Joshua 9, the people of Israel entered into a covenant with the Gibeonites. The Gibeonites had lied to Israel, claiming to have arrived from far off. In fact, they were among the peoples whom Yahweh had instructed Israel to drive out of the land of Canaan, b…

Bible Readings for September 24th 2 Samuel 20 | 2 Corinthians 13 | Ezekiel 27 | Psalms 75–76 As we read yesterday in 2 Samuel 19, David replaced Joab as his commander with Amasa because Joab had ignored David’s command not to harm his son Absalom. This demotion does not sit well with Joab, who finds an opportunity to murder Amasa in the middle of p…

Discover the true source of salvation and the pitfalls of modern faith healers, emphasizing that only the gospel, not miraculous healings, has the power to save our souls.Mike Mazzalongo által

Bible Readings for September 23rd 2 Samuel 19 | 2 Corinthians 12 | Ezekiel 26 | Psalm 74 During the uprising of Absalom, Israel’s previously unwavering loyalty to David fell apart. Now that Absalom is dead, David must sort through what to do with the people who supported him, the people who betrayed him, and the people who did both. Today, we will …

Bible Readings for September 22nd 2 Samuel 18 | 2 Corinthians 11 | Ezekiel 25 | Psalm 73 There is a tragic irony to the way Absalom dies in 2 Samuel 18. Certainly, one of the core components to Absalom’s winsomeness as he stole the hearts of Israel (2 Sam. 15:6) was his physical appearance—including the five pounds (two hundred shekels) of hair tha…

Bible Readings for September 21st 2 Samuel 17 | 2 Corinthians 10 | Ezekiel 24 | Psalm 72 Back in 2 Samuel 15, David’s friend Hushai wanted to flee Jerusalem with David. Instead, David instructed Hushai to stay and pretend to join Absalom. In this way, Hushai could help David from inside Absalom’s inner circle to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel (2 …

Bible Readings for September 20th 2 Samuel 16 | 2 Corinthians 9 | Ezekiel 23 | Psalms 70–71 If we began to see the suffering of David at the hand of Absalom in 2 Samuel 15, each of the three scenes in 2 Samuel 16 ratchets up David’s suffering even further, one misery at a time. These scenes are important not only to underscore the treachery of Absa…

Bible Readings for September 19th 2 Samuel 15 | 2 Corinthians 8 | Ezekiel 22 | Psalm 69 The unresolved problems arising from David’s reluctance to discipline those around him—whether in his capacity as a king or as a father—combine to create a dangerous situation in 2 Samuel 15, where we find Absalom conspiring to steal the throne of Israel from hi…

Bible Readings for September 18th 2 Samuel 14 | 2 Corinthians 7 | Ezekiel 21 | Psalm 68 By allowing Absalom to return to Jerusalem, David, as we will see, is making a catastrophic mistake—a mistake so serious that it will eventually bring David’s entire kingdom and even his life into jeopardy. The problem isn’t so much that Absalom comes back but t…

Bible Readings for September 17th 2 Samuel 13 | 2 Corinthians 6 | Ezekiel 20 | Psalms 66–67 Nathan confronted David about his sin with Bathsheba by declaring this prophetic word from Yahweh, “Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife” (2 Sam.…

Gain valuable insights on how to handle the challenging situation of dealing with disfellowshipped members, guided by biblical principles and a compassionate approach.Mike Mazzalongo által

Bible Readings for September 16th 2 Samuel 12 | 2 Corinthians 5 | Ezekiel 19 | Psalms 64–65 In 2 Samuel 12, we see the beginning of the aftermath of David’s sin with Bathsheba. In some ways, this sin will negatively affect the course of the rest of David’s reign. There are, however, some great principles to learn from this passage, both in the way …

Bible Readings for September 15th 2 Samuel 11 | 2 Corinthians 4 | Ezekiel 18 | Psalms 62–63 The events of 2 Samuel 11 are difficult to read. David, the king after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14), commits a series of wicked acts that could not be further from what God desires. This is the summary we read in the last verse of the chapter: “But the thi…

Bible Readings for September 14th 2 Samuel 10 | 2 Corinthians 3 | Ezekiel 17 | Psalms 60–61 Reading through the Old Testament can be difficult for a variety of reasons, but perhaps the greatest difficulty arises as we try to make sense of the frequent violence we encounter there. Why did the conquest of the land of Canaan require so much bloodshed?…

Bible Readings for September 13th 2 Samuel 8–9 | 2 Corinthians 2 | Ezekiel 16 | Psalms 58–59 One of the most touching storylines from the life of David is the kindness he extends to Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan. David and Jonathan swore covenants together (1 Sam. 18:3, 20:16, 23:18), with Jonathan promising to protect David from Saul and with …

Bible Readings for September 12th 2 Samuel 7 | 2 Corinthians 1 | Ezekiel 15 | Psalms 56–57 In 2 Samuel 7, David asks Nathan about whether he should build a permanent temple for Yahweh. David points to his own house built with solid cedar and contrasts it with the impermanent dwelling place of Yahweh in the tent of the tabernacle (2 Sam. 7:1–2). Yah…

Bible Readings for September 11th 2 Samuel 6 | 1 Corinthians 16 | Ezekiel 14 | Psalm 55 In 2 Samuel 6, we read one of the first stories explicitly describing the worship of Yahweh since Deuteronomy. David, the anointed king after God’s own heart who reigns over Israel, here brings the ark of God into Jerusalem. When Israel left Egypt, Yahweh led hi…

Humanity invests years searching for things but may not search for what matters most. Learn what Jesus said about “searching” with this study.Free audio sermons: Get free audio sermons and free audio Bible studies! által

Bible Readings for September 10th 2 Samuel 4–5 | 1 Corinthians 15 | Ezekiel 13 | Psalms 52, 53 & 54 Harry Emerson Fosdick once famously said, “Nobody except the preacher comes to church desperately anxious to discover what happened to the Jebusites.” Now, if Fosdick was describing situations where pastors primarily obsess about Bible trivia with th…

Discover how embracing life's challenges with faith and perseverance can lead to profound personal growth and a deeper connection with God.Mike Mazzalongo által

This is part 1 of 2 in a study of 70 “lessons from the book of Galatians.”Free audio sermons: Get free audio sermons and free audio Bible studies! által

Bible Readings for September 9th 2 Samuel 3 | 1 Corinthians 14 | Ezekiel 12 | Psalm 51 Sadly, we have only just begun to read here in 2 Samuel 3 about the murders Joab commits. In fact, Joab will be a thorn in David’s side throughout his reign, so that David will instruct his son Solomon to execute Joab as one of his first official acts when Solomo…

Bible Readings for September 8th 2 Samuel 2 | 1 Corinthians 13 | Ezekiel 11 | Psalm 50 When Samuel anointed David as the next king of Israel in 1 Samuel 16, the anointing happened in secret. It is perhaps not surprising, then, to read that Abner, the commander of Saul’s army, makes Saul’s son Ish-bosheth king over Israel in 2 Samuel 2:8–11. Tomorro…

Bible Readings for September 7th 2 Samuel 1 | 1 Corinthians 12 | Ezekiel 10 | Psalm 49 In the opening of 2 Samuel, David learns about the deaths of Saul and Jonathan—a scene that teaches us important principles about the nature of Yahweh’s anointing of his kings. In 1 Samuel 31, we read that Saul had fallen on his own sword to end his life after be…

Bible Readings for September 6th 1 Samuel 31 | 1 Corinthians 11 | Ezekiel 9 | Psalm 48 In 1 Samuel 31, we read about the death of Saul, Israel’s first king. While Saul was troubled from almost the very beginning of his reign, this passage is not written to demonize Saul but to underscore the tragedy of his life. Saul had so much promise initially, …

1 Cor 11:8-10 8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man: 9 for neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man: 10 for this cause ought the woman to have (a sign of) authority on her head, because of the angels. ASVFree audio sermons: Get free audio sermons and free audio Bible studies! által

Bible Readings for September 5th 1 Samuel 29–30 | 1 Corinthians 10 | Ezekiel 8 | Psalms 46–47 The narrative of 1 Samuel 30 describes to us the final trial David must undergo as the leader of an underground movement before he becomes the king of Israel. Although Saul has wanted to kill David for quite some time, David has never before faced threats …

This is part 2 of 2 in a study on what the Bible says about failure.Free audio sermons: Get free audio sermons and free audio Bible studies! által

Bible Readings for September 4th 1 Samuel 28 | 1 Corinthians 9 | Ezekiel 7 | Psalm 45 In 1 Samuel 28, we find one of the most vivid scenes from all the Bible. Saul, at the end of his rope, visits a medium to get advice on how to salvage his kingdom. Specifically, he asks the medium to call up Samuel from the dead in hopes that the prophet can give …

this is part 1 of 2.Free audio sermons: Get free audio sermons and free audio Bible studies! által

Bible Readings for September 3rd 1 Samuel 27 | 1 Corinthians 8 | Ezekiel 6 | Psalm 44 David’s stay with the Philistines from 1 Samuel 21 until now is one of the stranger storylines in the narrative of 1 Samuel. It is strange that the Philistines would have even allowed David to stay in their midst at all—and remember that David had pretended to be …

Gal 6:14-18 14 But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world. 15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 16 And as many as shall walk by this rule, peace (be) upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.…

In this devotional, the focus is on procrastinators, urging them to overcome the habit by highlighting its negative consequences, such as missed opportunities, entrenched laziness, and the erroneous assumption of ample time, all while drawing on biblical wisdom from Solomon and James to emphasize the importance of timely action and the unpredictabi…

Bible Readings for September 2nd 1 Samuel 26 | 1 Corinthians 7 | Ezekiel 5 | Psalms 42–43 In 1 Samuel 24, David had his first opportunity to strike down Saul when Saul relieved himself in the cave where David had been hiding. There, David refused to reach out his hand against Saul, since Saul was Yahweh’s anointed king (1 Sam. 24:6). Here again in …

Bible Readings for September 1st 1 Samuel 25 | 1 Corinthians 6 | Ezekiel 4 | Psalms 40–41 At the beginning of 1 Samuel 25, the great prophet Samuel dies, an event the biblical author records with characteristic understatement, using just one verse (1 Sam. 25:1). Once again, God buries a workman and carries on his work. The death of Samuel also, how…

Bible Readings for August 31st 1 Samuel 24 | 1 Corinthians 5 | Ezekiel 3 | Psalm 39 David has two opportunities to strike down Saul stealthily, and in 1 Samuel 24, we read about the first of those two opportunities. Here, Saul enters a cave to relieve himself, but he chooses the very cave where David and his men are hiding from him (1 Sam. 24:3). A…

Bible Readings for August 30th 1 Samuel 23 | 1 Corinthians 4 | Ezekiel 2 | Psalm 38 In the interactions of David, Saul, and Jonathan, 1 Samuel 23 teaches us much about the nature of true kingship. We learn here what God’s true king should look like—and what it would look like for us to identify with that king covenantally. David, for his part, has …

Bible Readings for August 29 1 Samuel 21–22 | 1 Corinthians 3 | Ezekiel 1 | Psalm 37 In 1 Samuel 21–22, David is at the center of three major ethical dilemmas. First, David lies to the priests at Nob (1 Sam. 21:2), and second, David lies to Achish the king of Gath by pretending to be insane (1 Sam. 21:13). Third, David eats the bread of the Presenc…

Bible Readings for August 28th 1 Samuel 20 | 1 Corinthians 2 | Lamentations 5 | Psalm 36 Although the story of Saul is tragic, narrating the slow descent of a man who seemed to start off his reign so well, Saul’s legacy nevertheless includes one very bright point: his son Jonathan. Jonathan’s life, however, also involves tragedy, since the sins of …

Bible Readings for August 27th 1 Samuel 19 | 1 Corinthians 1 | Lamentations 4 | Psalm 35 Saul’s desperation to kill David grows in 1 Samuel 19, fueled in no small part by the fact that both Saul’s son Jonathan and his daughter Michal help David to escape Saul. The storyline of 1 Samuel traces carefully the slow, agonizing descent of Saul deeper and…

Bristo, a female Boxer belonging to our eldest daughter, died recently from a combination of age (13 years) and various ailments that are common in dogs of that type.Mike Mazzalongo által

Bible Readings for August 26th 1 Samuel 18 | Romans 16 | Lamentations 3 | Psalm 34 It was not Yahweh’s intention for David to wait passively for the throne of Israel, hidden from the public eye, until the day Saul died. Rather, Yahweh sovereignly orchestrated that the lives of the two anointed kings should begin intersecting immediately upon the an…

Bible Readings for August 25th 1 Samuel 17 | Romans 15 | Lamentations 2 | Psalm 33 The story of David and Goliath is one of the more well known stories of the Bible, and with good reason. While the entire nation of Israel was quivering before the booming taunts of the giant Philistine named Goliath, the youngest son of Jesse arrives at the battlefi…

Bible Readings for August 24th 1 Samuel 16 | Romans 14 | Lamentations 1 | Psalm 32 The introduction of David in 1 Samuel 16 is a giant leap forward in the unfolding story of the Bible, even if the story starts with a small step as Samuel travels to Bethlehem to anoint the youngest son of Jesse. Before we get to the long-term implications of David’s…