2 Samuel 22:1-23:23, Acts 2:1-47, Psalm 122:1-9, Proverbs 16:19-20
Today is the 4th day of June welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is great to be here with you today. It is a joy and a privilege every day. Which is why I feel like I say it most every day. Great to be around the Global Campfire with you as we take this next step forward through the scriptures. We are reading in the Old Testament from the book of 2 Samuel and we’re actually rounding the corner on 2 Samuel, we will complete the books of Samuel, 1st and 2nd Samuel, in tomorrow’s reading and move forward from there. And then when we get to the New Testament today we are just moving into the Book of Acts, we’ve just completed the gospels and so we are beginning to read the story of the formation of the church and the stories of the early church. So, let’s dive in, we’re reading from the Christian Standard Bible this week. 2 Samuel chapter 22 verse 1 through chapter 23 verse 23.
Commentary:
Okay, so Acts chapter 2 is a very famous passage of scripture because well it’s a flash point on many levels, like we’ve just read it all and Peter gave…gives a sermon…so okay Peter preaches a sermon and people are all together but monumental things happen. So, the people are all together right, and one accord praying and waiting and the Holy Spirit falls upon them. And as its portrayed in the Book of Acts, tongues of fire are present and they begin to speak in other languages, other languages that people can understand. So, generally speaking in another language, like speaking in tongues this is known as glossolalia, so what’s happening in the Book of Acts is known as xenolalia that’s the ability, like, the ability to speak in a language that you don’t know but actually is a human tongue, an actual language that people understand which is what we see in the Book of Acts. It’s a spectacular scene, amazing, and so people begin to speak the good news in languages that they don’t know but people outside are hearing this and it’s in their mother tongue wherever they’ve traveled from to Jerusalem. And so, a crowd begins to gather because what do, I mean…it draws a crowd and it did draw a crowd and so there are people that are listening and then there are also people that are observing, they’re listening but they’re observing trying to reason what is going on how are these people speaking in all of these different languages telling this good news and they seem to be Galileans so they probably can’t write much less speak it and all these different languages. And so, a crowd is there that’s when Peter steps forward and presents his first sermon and this gospel story in which three thousand people want to follow Jesus and are baptized. And that, I mean that is also a miraculous thing, on a couple of levels. First of all, that really is this flashpoint that we could look to in the scriptures and say “there, that’s the birth of the church, after Jesus’ ascension” but three thousand people converting at one time and wanting to be baptized, that’s a lot of people in a busy city like that, like Jerusalem. And so, where do you baptize three thousand people, that’s something that people, scholars have kind of mused about over the years, where could this happen? One primary candidate would be right at the temple, like on the temple, like at the temple steps. Because this is where they began meeting every day and there are ritual mikvah, ritual baths, baths of purification there, you have to go into the temple clean right. Remember when we read all about the Mosiac Law about clean and unclean and how you achieve clean. So, they would bath before going into the temple complex into God’s presence in any way. And so, many baptisms could certainly happen there and so that’s one of the leading thoughts that the birth of the church happens around the Southern Temple steps in the Mikvah and this is where they met and they would eat in each other’s homes and this is the birth of the church so this is pretty monumental. I mean we might have read it a hundred times and be like, yeah okay, I’ve read this story but the reverberations of what we read today are what we experience in our world today and in our Christian faith. This is sort of that flash point moment that’s starts this era, the church era that we’re in and so definitely should give that honor. And we can look at the reading today and be like man, ya know, harmonious, it’s beautiful, it’s wonderful let’s go back to that time and as we’ve talked about before we’ve got more to read, they had their share of struggles to deal with and sort through and argue about and come to consensus on because they were human beings just like we are. And so, through the course of the rest of this year we’ll have plenty of opportunity to talk about some of these things as we come to them because they give us insight into our own motives and our own heart which is what the bible does for us so often. Bringing to the surface what’s true, what’s really going on. And the bible just looks us straight in the eye and we get to look right back and decide is this the path I want to be on or do I need to repent, do I need to go in a different direction. And so, this is an exciting time in the Bible as we continue our journey.
Prayer:
And so Holy Spirit we read that You were poured out upon on early brothers and sisters and that hasn’t stopped You are still with us and among us and within us. Still leading us into all truth, still guiding our steps, still leading the way if we will pay attention, if we will watch for Your lead and instead of inviting You along as an add on to the events of our lives that we get to humble ourselves and participate in anything that You are doing and make that what are lives are about, what You are doing. So, as we read the stories of our spiritual ancestors we invite You to fall upon us, to lead us into all truth, to guide our steps, to challenge our motivations, and to lead us deeper into Jesus. And we pray this in His name. 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.
Prayers and Encouragement:
Hi DAB family, this is Dawn Rising in Michigan and this call is for George Powell. I understand that you’re calling from jail and this is your second time around there. But luckily, we serve an amazing God who is in the business of second chances, third chances, a hundred million chances, because He forgives us new every day. So, you’re asking for prayer George and I am praying for you. I’m praying that you can forgive yourself so you can move forward from whatever binds you, whatever has gotten you back into jail I rebuke it, I denounce anything evil that is attacking you. I pray for restoration in your relationships and with your family and I believe this for you that things will change. Just forgive yourself first start there. Alright, well I love you and we’ll be praying for you, take care, bye.
George Powell this is Lakita Ward from Vanet, Oklahoma. I’ve never been in prison but I know what it’s like to be lonely. I know what it’s like to read the word of God and feel like it’s not even penetrating your heart. And I just want to lift you up. Father, I just lift up George and I pray Father, Lord, God that You would just minister to him Father, Lord, that You would just meet him in his loneliness, meet him in the situation that he’s in. Lord, as he repents to You of his failures Lord, God, I just pray that You would restore him. I just pray that You would encourage him Father, Lord, and bring those around him that know You and call You by name Father, Lord, that they might help lift him up Lord, God, as they lifted up Moses’ arms. I pray Father, Lord, God, for Your love and Your tenderness to be upon him Father, Lord, God. You know our hearts, You see our failures, You know our sins and I just pray that You’d surround Him with Your love and Your mercy Lord even now that You would lift him up Father, Lord, God, even now that You would restore him. Even now Father, Lord, that you’d fill his heart with gladness. I just pray Father, Lord, God that You would continue Lord, to lead him down that path of righteousness that only You can give him Father, Lord, Jesus. Let him remember that You are his closest, just the mention of his name Father, Lord, God, that at the mention of Jesus Christ that You’re right there Father, Lord, God, being with him and blessing him and ministering to him. I thank you in Jesus name.
Hello DAB my name is Matthew, from Long Beach, California. And I just had a…had a feeling to call in today. I’m a first-time caller, long time listener. And I’ve just been…it’s been heavy on my heart to…to be in community with other believers since COVID and everything I haven’t really found a church home. This is kind a…I’m new to this city too in Long Beach so and I haven’t had a church family although I’ve listened to the DAB almost regularly, daily I…I’ve never really plugged in to the community and it…and I…I need you guys and I love you guys and I want…I want to be involved and I want to pray and I really work on my prayer life for others. Sometimes I feel like my…my prayer life becomes centered on myself and I know that, that’s definitely not, ya know, the heart of…the heart of a servant so just pray for blessing on everybody to have a great day and to know that God has a purpose and a plan for your life. I also want to pray for George Powell. Hey brother, I just pray for encouragement and God will empower you and strengthen you and show you that sometimes the path is difficult but God always has a victory for us through all the ups and downs, through difficulty, God has a plan and sometimes when he’s trimming off weight from your life it feels heavy, we don’t understand it but it’s often because God is getting ready to bloom us and to introduce new people and new friends and new relationships into our life. Yeah, so, everybody be blessed.
Mark A. Brandon here from just East of beautiful Cincinnati. Let’s roll Holy Spirit with a DAB prayer. Father, let us not harden our hearts as you turn our junk into treasure. Make us blind to the temptations of this world as we are transformed into kingdom seekers. We would rather be slaves to you Jesus than serve our selfish motives any longer. Big hearted, radiant Father, send encouragers into our path, we know of one but believe there are many. Protect us Father as a big brother protects his little sister and may God’s smile always be upon us. In Jesus name. Amen.
Hello my DAB family, it’s Pam His Ransom Soul in New Jersey. Byron from Florida I heard your call on the May 28th podcast, you asked about your wife’s health concerns and her upcoming surgery which will no doubt be over with by the time this airs. So please know I’m praying for her, for you, for the doctors and surgical team and for the surgery to be successful. And Byron your wife meeting that gentlemen at the cemetery was such a God orchestrated and ordained encounter which I believe was to encourage and reassure the both of you that God loves you, He’s with you, He’s faithful and that He’s in control. For the man who called in after Byron asking for prayer for his wife Tanya who’s been battling Leukemia for ten years, is now in the hospital and not doing well. Brother, I’m praying for your stamina and strength as you care for your children. I’m praying for Tanya’s complete healing. I’m praying for God to find you all a new home and I’m asking Him to make a way for you to spend time with Tanya in the hospital. Finally, to the woman who called in after both of these men but didn’t leave her name, your words of profound encouragement were perfectly timed encompassing their two phone calls in this truth: throughout our challenges and our ups-and-downs in life, always keep trusting in God.