The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday May 25, 2023 (NIV)

2 Samuel 7-8

The Lord’s Messianic Covenant With David

It happened that when the king was living in his palace, and when the Lord had given him rest from his enemies all around, the king said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I live in a house of cedar, but the Ark of God sits under tent curtains.”

Nathan said to the king, “Go and do everything that is in your heart, because the Lord is with you.”

But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan. He said, “Go and tell my servant David all these things.”

The Covenant

This is what the Lord says. Are you the one to build a house for me to live in? I have not lived in a house from the day I brought the people of Israel up from Egypt until today. I have been moving around in the Tent and the Dwelling. I have traveled everywhere with all the people of Israel. Did I ever speak a word to any of the judges[a] of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, or ask them, “Why have you not built a house of cedar for me?”

You are also to say the following to my servant David.

This is what the Lord of Armies says. I took you from the pasture, from following sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel. I have been with you wherever you went. I have cut off all your enemies from before you. I will make your reputation great, like that of the great ones on the earth. 10 I will set up a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them there. They will dwell there, and they will not be disturbed again. Violent men will not afflict them again as they did at the beginning 11 and ever since the day I appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies.

The Lord also declares to you that the Lord himself will make a house for you. 12 When your days are complete and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up after you your seed,[b] who will come from your own body. I will establish his kingdom. 13 He will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he sins, I will discipline him with a rod used by men and with blows of the sons of men. 15 My faithful mercy will not depart from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed to make room for you. 16 Your house will stand firm, and your kingdom will endure forever before you.[c] Your throne will be established forever.

17 Nathan told David all the words that had been revealed in this vision.

David’s Response to the Covenant

18 Then King David went and sat before the Lord and said:

Who am I, Lord God? And what is my house that you have brought me to this point? 19 Yet this was a small thing in your eyes, Lord God. You have also spoken about the house of your servant for a long time into the future. Is this the law for the man, Lord God?[d]

20 What more can David say to you? You know your servant, Lord God. 21 Because of your word and according to the plan of your heart, you have carried out this great thing in order to make your servant aware of it. 22 Therefore, you are great, Lord God, because there is none like you. There is no God except you, in keeping with everything we have heard with our ears.

23 Who is like your people Israel, the one people on earth whom God went out to redeem for himself, to make them his people and to make a name for himself? You yourself did great and awe-inspiring things for your land in the presence of your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, in the presence of the nations and their gods.[e] 24 You established your people Israel for yourself to be your people forever. You, Lord, became their God.

25 Now, Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. 26 Your name will be great forever. People will say, “The Lord of Armies is God over Israel.” The house of your servant David will be established before you.

27 You, Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, have whispered into the ear[f] of your servant, saying, “I will build a house for you.” Therefore, your servant has found the heart to pray to you this prayer. 28 Now, Lord God, you are God. Your words are truth. You have promised this good thing to your servant. 29 Now, therefore, please bless the house of your servant, so that it will endure forever in your presence. For you, Lord God, have spoken. With your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.

David’s Wars

After this, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. David took Metheg Ha’ammah[g] from the control of the Philistines.

He defeated Moab and measured the men with a length of rope after making them lie down on the ground. He measured two lengths to be put to death and one full length to live. The Moabites became subject to David and brought tribute.

David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his control[h] at the river Euphrates. David captured seventeen hundred charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers[i] from him. David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but he left enough horses for a hundred chariots. Arameans from Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, but David killed twenty-two thousand men in Aram. Then David put garrisons in Damascus in the land of Aram,[j] and the Arameans became subject to David and brought tribute.

The Lord gave victory to David everywhere he went.

David took the gold shields that belonged to the officials of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. From Betah and Berothai,[k] cities of Hadadezer, King David took large amounts of bronze.

Toi[l] king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer. 10 So Toi sent his son Joram[m] to King David to petition him for peace and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, because Toi had been at war with Hadadezer. In his hand he brought items made of silver and items of gold and items of bronze.

11 King David dedicated these things to the Lord along with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued: 12 from Aram, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, from Amalek, and from the spoils of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

13 David made a name for himself when he returned from striking eighteen thousand Edomites[n] in the Valley of Salt. 14 He put garrisons in Edom, in all of it, and all the Edomites became subject to David.

The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went. 15 David was king over all Israel, and he treated all his people with justice and fairness.

David’s Officials

16 Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the record keeper.[o] 17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelek son of Abiathar were priests. Seraiah was the secretary. 18 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was in charge of the Kerethites and the Pelethites. The sons of David were government ministers.[p]

Footnotes:

  1. 2 Samuel 7:7 The translation follows the parallel reading in 1 Chronicles 17:6. Here the Hebrew reads tribes. In Hebrew script the words for tribes and judges look almost identical.
  2. 2 Samuel 7:12 Or your offspring or your descendent. The literal term seed is retained to point out the continuity of the messianic promises from Eve, through Abraham, David, and the kings of Judah, until they reach their fulfillment in Christ, the Seed of the Woman. To agree with the singular noun seed, the pronouns are singular throughout (he not they).
  3. 2 Samuel 7:16 The reading before you is the reading of the main Hebrew text. A few Hebrew manuscripts and the Greek Old Testament read before me.
  4. 2 Samuel 7:19 Literally this law of the man, Adonai Yahweh. This statement is cryptic, and the meaning is much debated. Most translations take it to mean something like Is this your usual way of dealing with mankind, Lord God? Martin Luther understood it to be a direct reference to Christ: This is the way of the Man (adam), who is the Lord God. Compare 1 Chronicles 17:17.
  5. 2 Samuel 7:23 The word order and agreement of the nouns in this verse is unusual and requires some rearranging in English.
  6. 2 Samuel 7:27 Or revealed into the ear. Literally you have uncovered the ear.
  7. 2 Samuel 8:1 This name, which may mean bridle of the mother city, seems to be a name for Gath. See 1 Chronicles 18:1.
  8. 2 Samuel 8:3 Literally his hand. The Hebrew word for hand can also mean monument.
  9. 2 Samuel 8:4 In 1 Chronicles 18:4 different statistics are reported.
  10. 2 Samuel 8:6 The land of Aram and the Aramean kingdoms occupied the territory of present-day Syria.
  11. 2 Samuel 8:8 The parallel in 1 Chronicles 18:8 has different names for these cities.
  12. 2 Samuel 8:9 Also called Tou in 1 Chronicles 18
  13. 2 Samuel 8:10 Also called Hadoram in 1 Chronicles 18:10
  14. 2 Samuel 8:13 The translation Edomites follows the reading of a few Hebrew manuscripts and some ancient versions. Most Hebrew manuscripts have the reading Arameans. In Hebrew script Edom and Aram look almost alike. The parallel text in 1 Chronicles 18:12 also identifies these enemies as Edomites.
  15. 2 Samuel 8:16 This official also served as a spokesman and chief of protocol. Like the secretary, he was the equivalent of a cabinet-level official.
  16. 2 Samuel 8:18 The Hebrew word cohen usually means priest, that is, a spiritual minister. David’s sons could not legitimately serve as priests since they were not Levites, so the term ministers here must be used in the European sense, to refer to ministers of state. In 1 Chronicles 18:17 these officials are called chief advisors at the side of the king.
Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

John 14:15-31

15 “If you love me, hold on to[a] my commands. 16 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see him or know him. You know him because he stays with you and will be in you.

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will see me no longer, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 The one who has my commands and holds on to them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I too will love him and show myself to him.”

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, what has happened that you are going to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will hold on to my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 The one who does not love me does not hold on to my words. The word that you are hearing is not mine, but it is from the Father who sent me.

25 “I have told you these things while staying with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I told you.

27 “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not let it be afraid. 28 You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.

29 “I have told you now before it happens so that, when it does happen, you may believe. 30 I will not speak with you much longer, because the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me. 31 But I want the world to know that I love the Father and that I am doing exactly what the Father has instructed me.

“Get up. Let’s leave this place.”

Footnotes:

  1. John 14:15 Some witnesses to the text read you will hold on to.
Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

Psalm 119:33-48

He: That You May Be Feared

33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes.
Then I will guard it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I will guard your law.
I will keep it with all my heart.
35 Make me walk on the path of your commandments,
for I take pleasure in it.
36 Direct my heart toward your testimonies
and not toward material gain.
37 Keep my eyes from looking at worthless things.
Give me life according to your ways.[a]
38 Confirm your sayings to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away my disgrace which I dread,
for your judgments are good.
40 How I long for your precepts!
Give me life in your righteousness.

Vav: Speak Before Kings

41 So let your mercies come to me, O Lord,
and let your salvation come according to your sayings.
42 Then I will give an answer to those who insult me,
because I trust in your words.
43 But do not tear away the word of truth from my mouth,
because I wait confidently for your judgments.
44 Then I will continually keep your law forever and ever.
45 Then I will walk around freely,
because I have sought your precepts.
46 Then I will speak of your testimonies before kings,
and I will not be put to shame.
47 For I delight in your commandments, which I love.
48 I lift up my hands to your commandments, which I love,
and I meditate on your statutes.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 119:37 A few Hebrew manuscripts have your word. Without this alteration there is no name of the Word in this verse.
Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 15:33

33 The fear of the Lord gives discipline and wisdom,
and humility comes before honor.

Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.