2 Samuel 12:1-31, John 16:1-33, Psalm 119:65-80, Proverbs 16:4-5
Today is the 27th day of May welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it is a joy and an honor to be here with you today as we…as we continue the journey through the week. I really kinda make this final press towards the end of this month and continue forward into the next month day-by-day, step-by-step. So, we find ourselves in the book of 2 Samuel in the Old Testament and we’re dealing with David’s life and it’s like, the whole story took a weird turn yesterday. The army is in battle, David has stayed back in Jerusalem, he sees a beautiful woman named Bathsheba taking a bath, he summons her and ah, the result is a pregnancy, ah, very, very likely Bathsheba didn’t have a whole lot of say in any of this but she is a married woman who’s pregnant with somebody else’s child so she lets the king know that, who then hatches his own plan to try to do a cover-up that doesn’t work. And so, the king has one of his loyal warriors Uriah the Hittite, the husband of Bathsheba, he has him put in a very, very dangerous place where he is likely to be killed in battle and he is. We’re not quite done with this story but we left our reading yesterday very clear that what David did was evil in the sight of God. And so, that’s essentially where we pick up the story. 2 Samuel chapter 12.
Commentary:
Okay, so in 2 Samuel, um David had done something evil before the Lord, evil in general. And the prophet Nathan comes to tell David a story and it’s a story about a rich man and a poor man, rich man has plenty, poor man has almost nothing but he does have this little lamb um that he bought that he loves it’s a part of the family. And the rich man has a guest and he doesn’t want to take from his own flock so he goes and steals the poor man’s family member and slaughters and serves it up. Of course, David’s hearing this story as the king and he has all of the authority of the king and so his blood is boiling like ‘off with his head’ sort of thing, until he realizes this is you, this is you David, this is what you have done and David takes it, uh, full force. And he repents but we’ll notice something because we’ve actually turned a corner in the reign of David. David is a good man after God’s own heart as the bible says and he had to grow up in some really strange circumstances and grow up really, really fast. And he also has done some really, really bad things. We can step back and say that this thing that David did with Bathsheba, yeah that disqualifies him but then we gotta step back and look in the mirror and go like, what have I done that disqualifies me then. Because, yeah, maybe I haven’t killed anybody, yeah I never had that kind of authority but who knows what I would have done had I had that kind of authority at some points in my life. Who knows what we’re capable of because we’re all capable of some really, really horrible things. All we need to do is look at human history to realize the depths of horribleness that we’re capable of but when we remember that we are utterly dependent on God we’re telling a totally different story. Things are never gonna be the same for David. We’ve kind of worked through all of his childhood and his ascension to the throne and his honor and his excellence but after this Bathsheba thing he loses the respect of his family. And, things are never the same for David’s reign as we will see. As we head towards this next chapter, this next season in David’s reign in the days ahead. Things never ever go back. He struggles from this point forward.
In the book of John we’re, we’re…we’re nearing the end. And Jesus is giving conversation to His friends, his disciples, giving them advanced words, giving them understanding. And He’s essentially telling them the time that we’re about to go into together here it’s gonna be kind of like a woman in labor. We’re about to be in some painful struggles together because something new is being born. So, He like, explains it to them like labor, she’s in pain, she’s having contractions, she’s pushing, she’s doing all of the things, it’s a painful process for her but once the baby is born, once the baby is delivered that’s not what she focusing…she’s not focusing on the pain anymore, she’s focusing on the joy of new life. And so, Jesus is essentially saying think of like that, like in your heart and in that direction. And then He spends a…a good amount of time on this concept, like, I’m going somewhere you can’t go and um, in a very, very little while you’re not gonna see me anymore, I’ll be gone, but then you will see me again and it’s kinda cryptic. And the disciples aren’t understanding it and He knows it and He keeps explaining it to them. And so, how can we look at this? He’s gonna go away and they’re not gonna be able to see Him and then they are gonna be able to see Him. I mean there’s a couple of ways that we can look at this that I think we can all…they can… they are all correct. For the disciples, they are going to need to learn a new way of seeing Jesus, a new way of understanding Jesus. Like, after His resurrection things are gonna be different. They’re never…even when they see Him physically, like they’re never gonna be able to see Him again. This is somebody who rose from the dead, this is the glorified Son of the most High God. So, they can’t see Him the same but He also isn’t going to be staying and so they have to see Him different. Which is one of His central messages, ‘do you have eyes to see and ears to hear this kingdom’. So, He’s been teaching them about eyes to see and ears to hear and now it’s gonna have to be put into actual practice. We’ll remember from the gospels that when the disciples see Jesus again after His resurrection it’s kind of confusing, they don’t recognize Him, they’re not…I mean He disappears, like all of these things happen until He finally ascends to the Father, then He’s gone and they have to go back to Jerusalem alone and talk about it and He’s been so clear about love. He’s been so clear about loving one another and having compassion on one another. He’s been so clear about this is how the world will even know that we’re disciples of Jesus it’s the way we love one another. And so, at some point this Spirit of Truth that Jesus talks about, that we talk about, we pray for all of the time. The Comforter is going to be sent and their gonna have to begin to realize that Christ is not an external human figure on the earth anymore. He’s ascended to the Father sent the Comforter back. It’s the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead that now indwells us when we look at each other we’re supposed to be able to see that. So, Jesus is saying, I’m gonna go away and you’re not gonna be able to see me and then you are if you have eyes to see and ears to hear. But this also kind of is an eschatological statement like about the end we would call that the second Advent. So, the season of Advent leading up to Christmas, Advent means arrival, and so we observe this season going into Christmas to commemorate and celebrate the arrival of the Savior. And we have an understanding that we are waiting now for a second Advent, another arrival in which He will rule and reign forever. So, He’s going to go away and you won’t be able to see Him and then you will be able to see Him again. And we find ourselves in the in-between of that, in the waiting of that. And in the waiting we realize He has not abandoned us, He is within us. He’s everywhere if we have eyes to see and ears to hear. And we will have the Spirit of truth to lead and guide us on the path, illuminating the path. And I love that, I’m thankful, I’m thankful for that. We all need the Spirit of Truth and so that’s why we pray. The Spirit would lead us into all truth as He promised. So often because we’re here at the scriptures and that’s what we’re here to understand the truth; to get our eyes open and our ears open so that we can see what’s really going on here so we can participate and collaborate with God and His work in the world instead of this small story where we’re just trying to find our place in the culture. There’s like a way, way, way bigger story going on that we’re invited into but we need guidance into all truth.
Prayer:
And so, as we so often do Holy Spirit would you come into this? We invite You by opening our hearts to You, we believe that You are the Comforter and that will lead us into all truth if we will simply pay attention and seek wisdom and seek Your voice, watch for Your movements within us and the things that You are after inside of us. Because so often we’re facing external ‘what are you doing in this world’ when actually in begins with us, ‘what are you doing inside of me? Transforming me, that I might have eyes to see, that I might have ears to hear, that I might know that I’m being led into all truth’. And so, continue Your work of sanctification in us we pray. In the name of Jesus we ask. Amen.
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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.
Prayers and Encouragement:
Hey DAB fam this is Dave from Pennsylvania calling. I just had one of the greatest Saturday nights I’ve had in a while. So, after going to Gateway our house of prayer we ah, we went up to our normal dining spot and to fellowship afterwards. And, sorry, excuse my painting, I just finished a 5-mile run. Yeah, so we went over to our dining, dining hall and uh, well we fellowshipped there for about 2 hours then most of the guys left and then it was just 3 of us left. And we were talking for…until 4 in the morning. Then another person came in for their breakfast before and well we got into a conversation with them. We listened to his testimony and well in 2005 he was in motorcycle accident which kind of left him literally dead on the side of the road. When he’s found by the first responders they had to bring him back to life and bring him to the hospital and he had a major injury to his brain. Well after uh what seemed to be the 3rd or 4th time as far as his testimony is concerned he…the operation was held, he got the brain clots out of his brain and without turning into a vegetable turned him into a normal human being. So he was able to walk around, he lost nothing, nothing. That’s how much the Lord was with him. He lost literally nothing. He was in an accident that left him dead on the side of the road and through operations which would have left him in a state of vegetation the Lord brought him back to life. And he’s up walking around, I mean, he works at a machine shop now. Like, that’s how good God is. See ya DAB, God Bless.
This is PG from NC I called in to pray for Kingdom Seeker Daniel’s family. Brother just be encouraged. Uh, I remember when you called in before and said that uh, your kids were in all sorts of directions, estranged from you, mostly because of your ex-wife and that their lives were…all had challenges and they were far from God. So, we’re just gonna pray with you again this morning. Lord this morning we pray for Daniel Jr., Lord I pray that uh, in the midst of his incarceration, in the midst of this situation, God I pray that You would begin to reveal Yourself. Lord, I pray You’d send the right people and speak the right things Lord that would um, capture his…not only his attention but capture his heart. Lord, I pray that um, that God You would do a complete and deep work. Lord, it would be easy to pray for a quick and easy rescue from this problem but God so much more we need a deep and complete work in him, Lord, one that draws him to You. And so, God do Your work. Lord, I pray that in the midst of that God that somehow, You’d also do a work and reach uh, his siblings and Daniel Jrs mom. God there is so much redemption and possibility and opportunity here. And I just pray that You’d do that work that only You can do. Lord for Daniel and Lady of Victory, God, this morning, I just pray that You would just encourage them. God, that You would give them glimpses of the work that You’re doing in Daniel Jr situation as well as those around him. And God, we give You glory. Amen.
Good morning DAB God bless you all. Kingdom Seeker Daniel I am praying for your son who was arrested. I am praying in the name of Jesus to have an encounter with God first and foremost. I am praying in the name of Jesus for God to mercy, for God’s grace to be upon him. I am praying for the presence of God to be revealed to him and to pray in the name of Jesus to come to him the way He came to Saul on this road to Damascus. I am praying in the name of Jesus for a total turnaround in the name of Jesus. And to use this experience to be a witness to others of what God is doing in his life in the name of Jesus. And I am praying for the Comforter to be upon all of you as you all go through this process regarding your son in the name of Jesus. Alavia from New Mexico you called in for your co-worker um who lost her daughter who was murdered 2 months ago and other family members who she also lost I am prayer for financial struggles and the spiritual warfare. I cannot imagine what she’s going through, I just can’t. Just knowing that she lost her daughter to murder and…and everything else is just like, it…it, it just overwhelms. I am praying for the Comforter to be upon her in the name of Jesus. I am praying for God’s love to just be wrapped around her that she would be smothered up in His love in the name of Jesus. I am praying in the name of Jesus that the Lord is gonna open doors for her that’s going to bring financial freedom in the name of Jesus. I am binding every spiritual attack upon her in the name of Jesus. This is Esther from Orlando uh Kissimmee Florida haha.
Hey Daily Audio Bible my name is Zachary Star and I barely ever call in but I’ve been a long-time listener and I’ve always appreciated the Daily Audio Bible. And I was just wondering if anyone has it on their heart to pray for me? I feel, for some time now, very certain that God is calling me to be a pastor. And more specifically I pray that as God equips me and calls…you know, and calls me to be the man He wants me to be, that He would be the one to shape me. That His hand would be the one that shapes me to be the pastor that He has called me to be. I…one of the challenges I see going forward and just in life, I want to be who God calls me to be, I want to do the right thing and the way He would want me to do, and I see so many things done today at church that I don’t necessarily think that’s the way it should be. And everybody has a certain frame, uh, a frame that has either been constructed for you know, for things to be more easily understood uh, we have different denominations, we have church governments but when it comes down to it I really want people to know Him and that’s really what it’s all about. But that’s what God is calling me to do if you could just pray and that God would be the one that would shape me. Um, we have His word, we have His Holy Spirit and I really want Him to be the soul shaper of my life, even in my calling. If you could just pray for me, I would really appreciate it, thank you very much. I hope you will all will be blessed and be encouraged in Jesus name. Amen.