2 Samuel 2:12-3:39, John 13:1-30, Psalm 119:1-16, Proverbs 15:29-30
Today is the 23rd day of May, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is wonderful to be here with you today as we move forward, another step. And as we gather around the Global Campfire together, to take that step. And so, yesterday, we began a new week of course, but we also began a new book, the book of second Samuel, and we talked about that a little bit just sort of reminding ourselves that these were all one text at one point. And so, this kind of line of delineation between first Samuel and second Samuel, essentially brings us to the end of Saul’s life, in first Samuel and then we pick up the story, now we are following along with David. In yesterday’s reading, we saw David return to Hebron, at the Lord’s instruction and then the tribe of Judah, which includes the territory where the city of Hebron is, the tribe of Judah, where David comes from, anoints him as their king. So, David is now the king of one tribe of Israel. The other 11 tribes had no king because Saul died, but there was a son of Saul named Ish-bosheth, who was still living. So, Abner the general of the armies of Israel, essentially anoints Ish-bosheth, in his father’s place, saying that he is king of Israel. So, David is king of Judah one tribe and Ish-bosheth is claiming to be king over all the tribes, including the tribe that David is king over. So, we could see why there would be some tension in the transition. So, with that, we pick up the story second Samuel chapter 2 verse 12 through 3 verse 39, today.
Commentary:
Okay so, we are moving through the gospel of John as we know, and as we probably can tell from where we are in the story, we are entering into the time of Jesus passion, His arrest, His trial, His death, His resurrection. So, just, a couple of things. First, I want to point out, this is the last time this year that we’ll be moving through this story and so, may we take it to heart, as we move through it. Second, as we move through the story of the Last Supper today, something very profound is taking place, something that is irreplaceable in our faith, as we walk the footsteps or walk the path, or the way of Jesus. So, Jesus is at this meal, His Last Supper and in the other Gospels, this is a meal where the institution or installment of the practice of the Eucharist or communion happens. It’s a little different in John, in the gospel of John, Jesus does something unforgettable and I quote, “He got up from the meal, removed his outer clothes, took a towel and tied it around Himself. He poured water into the wash basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel He had wrapped around himself.” This is God, we are talking about. He got up from the meal, removed His outer clothes. It’s like God in the flesh, stripping down to His underwear and tying a towel around Himself and pouring water in a washbasin and getting down on His knees, before His friends, to wash their feet. That is so compelling, that is something to deeply understand, the symbolism and the posture that we are talking about, God, getting down on His knees, after having removed His outer garments and tying towel around His waist to wash the grime and filth and long miles from the feet of His friends. And let’s not forget that Jesus is about to be arrested, Jesus is about to endure torture and abuse and endure death and He knows it. And so, in this moment of pivotal change, where very, very soon Jesus is going to be taken away from His friends and it’s gonna scatter everybody. He uses this kind of last moment, where everything is as they understand it because after Jesus is arrested things are going to get tipped upside down and nobody’s gonna understand exactly what’s going on and the next thing, they’re gonna know is Jesus is dead. And then He’s back, He’s alive again. So, like, this is the last moment where the disciples and Jesus have, this common understanding of how things work. For them, everything is about to turn upside down and He uses this moment to get down and wash the filth from the feet of His friends. And then He says some things that are deeply compelling into the story but very, very important for our own lives. Jesus said to them, after He washed their feet, do you understand what I have done for you? You call Me teacher and you call me Lord and that’s correct, that is what I Am. So, if your Lord and Teacher has washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, you do, just as I have done for you. I tell you this solemn truth, the slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who was sent as a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand these things, you will be blessed, if you do them. So, for starters, we could say there’s the recipe for blessing but quickly behind that we could say there’s the recipe and the posture that we’ve been learning all along. Humble yourself, be the servant or to put it right back in Jesus words if I then, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you too, ought to wash one another’s feet because that is the example, you should do as you’ve seen me do. So, we can take that from a literal perspective and go well, I need to start washing feet and toes. Or we can understand, there is a posture here of servanthood that God modeled for us. That this is the way and we will examine our own lives and we examine the cultures that we live, we realize there’s another way that things are completely backward. And so, like without these postures and examples to teach us, then we keep trying to go forward, while we’re going backward, which means were pulling against ourselves and pulling ourselves apart, only to get nowhere. The reality is, Jesus has shown us what it means to be a human being and what it looks like to be as we were created to be and we can look at ourselves and realize that in many areas we are anything but that. But we do have examples and instructions and postures and so we have the contrast between what we’re seeing Jesus do. Literally, He’s going to leave this meal and go pray in the garden of Gethsemane where He is going to be arrested and…and then it’s torture and physical and verbal abuse from this point forward, until He is sent to the cross. This is what He chooses to do with that last moment, because this is how we’re supposed to be leaving our lives in His name. So, maybe it’s worth giving some time and thought to that today and maybe it’s time to just kind of pause on the snarky social media comments or the mean accusations that we shoot at people our spouses, our families, our coworkers or wherever we may be. Maybe, it’s time to start thinking about what washing feet might look like, because we, together are capable of washing the filth and grime of the miles that we have walked, from one another’s feet. That may not be literally getting down on our knees and washing toes, like I said. That might be understanding people who have walked many miles and gone through many, many things, many ups, many downs and if you’re walking and walking and walking and eventually your feet are going to become caked with grime. It will be the residue of the miles that you have walked and the experiences that you have had. The beauty of the gospel is that it can be washed clean, whiter than snow. And as we look at Jesus example, we realize, we all have a role to play in this, we can’t forgive sin, not sin against God, but God has forgiven and so we together, wash the filth of who we were, from one another’s feet. And we do this by humbling ourselves after the example of Jesus and serving one another.
Prayer:
And, Holy Spirit, we invite You into that, we do that sometimes. Sometimes it’s a good day, sometimes we get this right, but so often, we have so many wounds and well-worn paths in our lives, that we just continue to walk the same trail and we leave all kind of carnage around us, instead of humility and service. Forgive us Lord. Holy Spirit, come and show us, help us to see our own posture. We see the posture of Jesus, here in the Scriptures, help us to see our own posture and to be able to look at the contrast and to be able to see clearly enough to humbly repent and turn around. Come Holy Spirit, we pray, in the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.
Announcements:
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And that’s it for today, I’m Brian, I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here, tomorrow.
Prayer and Encouragements:
Hello, DAB Family, this is Steadfast Stacy in Arizona, calling on May 18th in the evening to pray for our sister, Kelly in South Carolina. Dear Lord, thank You for Kelly and thank You for her transparent and vulnerable call that talked about her finishing her teaching responsibilities and her strain with her three daughters and the financial situation of her family. Lord, I just hear in her voice that this is a time that she’s crying out to You and ask that You would make Yourself real to her in ways that she can understand, that You would bring her messages as she studies Your word, that You would speak to her by praise songs that she hears and that You would just comfort her everywhere that she turns. Thank You that she’s trying to seek You and what’s right for the 23-year-old daughter, that’s moved home and that the other two have had challenging times this year and I just pray that You would reassure her that You are with her and that You know what You’re doing with her and that she’s the perfect mother for those children. I just thank You that we can rest in the fact that You don’t make mistakes when You give our children and the adult children, we’ve done the best we can with. I pray these things for her and also for me and my insecurities about adult children. In Jesus name. Amen.
Hey everybody, Tony the Narrator here. I’m absolutely exhausted today but never mind. I was just talking to a sister in Christ and I just felt really called to pray for Terry the Trucker and for all of our DAB trucking society. I love you all, you guys are amazing. Yeah, America is struggling massively on the whole truck driving front. I’ve heard that there are trucks waiting in shops just waiting to have light replacement parts put in. The truck drivers are basically going out of business cause the parts are not there to replace anything. I’ve heard that, I’ve heard of like, one truck driver who was like, spending like something like $5000 dollars on diesel just to load up and I thought of you, Terry. And I thought of all of you truckers out there. I think there was one called Tony the Trucker, as well, actually. But, but yeah, Father God Lord, I just pray Your hand of providence and blessing over, over the businesses of these men. Father God Lord, I pray that You will grant them, and women, but that You will grant them the ability to survive, to pull together, to work through all of the difficult, difficulties that the current situation has…has brought about. Lord, I pray that You will utterly bless their businesses with Your love, with Your providence and Your warmth and Your care and Your compassion. In Jesus name, Holy and glorious I pray. Amen. Love you.
Hello DAB family, this is John from Ohio and I just want to say hello and tell you how much I love and appreciate all of you and your prayers requests and just praying for one another and this community, thank you Brian and family, Hardin Family. I really need your help to pray for me and my wife, our marriage. We’re really struggling right now, the enemies attacking us bad. And I just really need your help and prayers Lord and community. Thank you so much.
Hello Daily Audio Bible family, this is Ethen Gregwar, longtime listener, formerly from Central Massachusetts, now a local resident of the Greater Phoenix Area of Phoenix, Arizona. I’d like prayer for something that I’ve had a struggle with for, I’d say, over 14 years. I would prefer not to go into too much detail, I would just like to keep it at it’s been something I’ve struggled with for a long time and something I really desire to be gone from my life. It’s created issues, difficulties, tension, contention with family and friends and it’s just, something that shouldn’t be there and something that I want to be gone in my life. And I’m seeking help for it, I’ve joined a special group for it and but, I’ve never, I’ve never gone so far as to actually leave a message on the Daily Audio Bible prayer line and ask for prayer for it. I…I felt too nervous, to ashamed of it to mention it. But I feel like if I don’t take leaps of faith, if I don’t take chances, how will I get better. So, that’s what I would like prayer for. Thank you very much and I love you all.
Hello DAB family this is Joyful Noise from Southern California and I am so grateful for this ministry. I know many of you are as well. And you’ve come to a place where you just can’t imagine a day or a week without the Daily Audio Bible. I do listen every day or I try to. And the days that I can’t, I do catch up and I hear your prayers and hear the word of God every single day. And often I find myself thinking, wait, after 11 years of listening to this ministry and having read the Bible myself a few times, in the past, has that always been in the Bible? Do you ever come to that realization, like wait, was that always in there, cause it’s sticks to you, this is the, you know, the revealing by the Holy Spirit, the word of God and that’s the power of the word of God and also of this ministry. So, I just wanted to bring that to your attention and it’s just been such a blessing for 11 years for me and my family. And, it’s, we’ve been through stuff, man and this ministry has kept me steady. And I do believe that God is blessing is so many, so many through this ministry. I am calling to ask for prayer today. I had quite a disturbing diagnosis last Friday and I’m dealing, I’m processing it and we’re dealing with it. But I just want, I covet your prayers. I would love, God’s people to come around me and my family about this and we’ve been through quite a year, it’s been, it’s just felt like a big thing every month since November. And that’s six months in and I’m like, okay, well, and I’m being Job and trying to be Job, shall I take only good from the Lord and not bad. Not that I’ve experienced anything like Job but it just feels like it’s not stopping. And we can’t really catch our breath. So, I covet your prayers and I’m scared and I’m scared for my kids and just thank you for your prayers. Alright everyone, God Bless.