6/18/12

June 18 1 Samuel 29, 30


June 18
1 Samuel 29, 30

1Sa 29:1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites encamped by the spring which is in Jezreel.
1Sa 29:2 The lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rearward with Achish.
1Sa 29:3 Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here? Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, Isn't this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell away to me to this day?
1Sa 29:4 But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; and the princes of the Philistines said to him, Make the man return, that he may go back to his place where you have appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us: for with what should this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? should it not be with the heads of these men?
1Sa 29:5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands?
1Sa 29:6 Then Achish called David, and said to him, As Yahweh lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day: nevertheless the lords don't favor you.
1Sa 29:7 Therefore now return, and go in peace, that you not displease the lords of the Philistines.
1Sa 29:8 David said to Achish, But what have I done? and what have you found in your servant so long as I have been before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?
1Sa 29:9 Achish answered David, I know that you are good in my sight, as an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.
1Sa 29:10 Therefore now rise up early in the morning with the servants of your lord who have come with you; and as soon as you are up early in the morning, and have light, depart.
1Sa 29:11 So David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. The Philistines went up to Jezreel.
1Sa 30:1 It happened, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid on the South, and on Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag, and burned it with fire,
1Sa 30:2 and had taken captive the women and all who were therein, both small and great: they didn't kill any, but carried them off, and went their way.
1Sa 30:3 When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captive.
1Sa 30:4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
1Sa 30:5 David's two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
1Sa 30:6 David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David strengthened himself in Yahweh his God.
1Sa 30:7 David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, Please bring me here the ephod. Abiathar brought there the ephod to David.
1Sa 30:8 David inquired of Yahweh, saying, If I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake them? He answered him, Pursue; for you shall surely overtake them, and shall without fail recover all.
1Sa 30:9 So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.
1Sa 30:10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they couldn't go over the brook Besor.
1Sa 30:11 They found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he ate; and they gave him water to drink.
1Sa 30:12 They gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.
1Sa 30:13 David said to him, To whom do you belong? and where are you from? He said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days ago I fell sick.
1Sa 30:14 We made a raid on the South of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the South of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.
1Sa 30:15 David said to him, Will you bring me down to this troop? He said, Swear to me by God, that you will neither kill me, nor deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this troop.
1Sa 30:16 When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the ground, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
1Sa 30:17 David struck them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day: and there not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who rode on camels and fled.
1Sa 30:18 David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken; and David rescued his two wives.
1Sa 30:19 There was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor anything that they had taken to them: David brought back all.
1Sa 30:20 David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before those other livestock, and said, This is David's spoil.
1Sa 30:21 David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to abide at the brook Besor; and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him: and when David came near to the people, he greeted them.
1Sa 30:22 Then answered all the wicked men and base fellows, of those who went with David, and said, Because they didn't go with us, we will not give them anything of the spoil that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that he may lead them away, and depart.
1Sa 30:23 Then said David, You shall not do so, my brothers, with that which Yahweh has given to us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand.
1Sa 30:24 Who will listen to you in this matter? for as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who tarries by the baggage: they shall share alike.
1Sa 30:25 It was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.
1Sa 30:26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil to the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold, a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of Yahweh:
1Sa 30:27 To those who were in Bethel, and to those who were in Ramoth of the South, and to those who were in Jattir,
1Sa 30:28 and to those who were in Aroer, and to those who were in Siphmoth, and to those who were in Eshtemoa,
1Sa 30:29 and to those who were in Racal, and to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to those who were in the cities of the Kenites,
1Sa 30:30 and to those who were in Hormah, and to those who were in Borashan, and to those who were in Athach,
1Sa 30:31 and to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men used to stay.

"THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS" Chapter Three by Mark Copeland




                      "THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS"

                             Chapter Three

OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER

1) To understand the particulars of God's righteousness:  grace,
   redemption, propitiation, faith in Jesus, and justification

2) To see the difference between a law of works and the law of faith

SUMMARY

As Paul continues to demonstrate the Jews' need of salvation, he 
proceeds to answer questions that he envisions protesting Jews might 
ask.  He explains the advantage of being a Jew, the faithfulness of God 
in spite of the Jews' unbelief, and the right of God to condemn the
unrighteousness of man even though it magnifies His Own righteousness
(1-8).  Though the Jews had the advantage of possessing the oracles of
God, Paul still concludes that the Jews as well as the Gentiles are in
sin and proves his conclusion by listing a series of Old Testament
scriptures that speaks to those under the Law (the Jews) as sinners
(9-19).  His conclusion:  a law (like the Law of Moses) could not save,
but only reveal the knowledge of sin; a point he will elaborate upon in 
chapter seven (20).

Paul now carefully begins to explain the "good news" of God's plan of 
salvation.  Apart from law, yet witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 
God's way of making man right through faith in Jesus Christ is now made 
clear, and made available to all who believe, whether Jew or Greek, for
all have sinned (21-23).

This justification of man is explained in terms of redemption, made 
possible through the blood of Christ, and offered to those who have 
faith in Christ.  It also demonstrates how God can be both "just" (who
takes seriously the sins of mankind) and "a justifier" (who is able to 
forgive sinners).  God is able to do this by offering Christ's blood as 
a propitiation to those who have faith (24-26).

This "justification" is a gift of God's grace to those who have faith, 
which prevents anyone from boasting as though they through the works of 
a law deserved it (27-30).  This does not void the need for law, but
rather meets the requirement of law (31).

OUTLINE (adapted from Jim McGuiggan)

I. THE JEWS' NEED OF SALVATION (1-20)

   A. THE JEWISH ADVANTAGE (1-2)
      1. In many respects (1)
      2. Especially in having the "Oracles of God" (2)

   B. ANSWERS TO POSSIBLE OBJECTIONS (3-8)
      1. Unbelieving Jews will not make the faithfulness of God without
         effect (3-4)
      2. God is right to be angry, even if "unrighteousness"
         demonstrates His Own righteousness (5-6)
      3. Though sin might increase God's truth and give Him glory,
         people will still be judged for their sins (7-8)

   C. THE JEWS INDICTED AS SINNERS BY THEIR OWN SCRIPTURES (9-20)
      1. Despite advantages, Jews like Greeks are under sin (9)
      2. Biblical proof (10-18)
      3. Application and conclusion (19-20)
         a. The Law condemns all, especially to whom it was given (19)
         b. Law cannot justify, but only reveal the knowledge of sin
            (20)
     
II. THE PROVISION:  JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH (21-31)

   A. GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS REVEALED (21-23)
      1. Apart from law, but witnessed by the Law (21)
      2. A righteousness through faith in Jesus (22a)
      3. For all who believe, for all have sinned (22b-23)
      
   B. GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS EXPLAINED (24-26)
      1. Justification by grace through redemption in Christ (24)
      2. Jesus' blood offered by God as a propitiation through faith
         (25a)
      3. This demonstrates God's righteousness toward the one who has
         faith in Jesus (25b-26)

   C. IMPLICATIONS OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS (27-31)
      1. Boasting on man's part is excluded (27a)
      2. For justification is based on faith, not deeds of law (27b-28)
      3. God is God of Jews and Gentiles, for He justifies both by
         faith (29-30)
      4. This does not void the need for law, but rather meets the 
         requirements of law (31)

WORDS TO PONDER

redemption - "a releasing, a payment for a ransom; refers to being
              released from the guilt of sin by the blood of Christ"

justified - "a legal term, indicating a verdict of 'not guilty'; in
             regards to sin, he who is justified is not held
             accountable for his sins"

propitiation - "used to refer to an offering designed to appease; God
               offers the blood of Christ to appease for man's sins"

sin - "a missing of the mark" (Ro 3:23) -- "a breaking of the law"
      (1Jn 3:4)

REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER

1) List the main points of this chapter
   - The Jews' Need Of Salvation (1-20)
   - The Provision:  Justification By Faith (21-31)

2) What advantage was there in being a Jew? (2)
   - They possessed the revealed oracles of God

3) What comes through law? (20)
   - The knowledge of sin

4) What came apart from law? (21)
   - The righteousness of God (God's way of justifying sinful man)

5) Who has sinned? (23)
   - All have sinned

6) What is the gift of God's grace? (24)
   - Being justified through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

7) How is God appeased for our sins? (25)
   - Through the blood of Jesus Christ

8) How does man receive justification from God? (28)
   - By faith

9) How does "justification by faith" relate to the principle of law?
   (31)
   - It does not void the need for law, but rather supports the demand
     of law