July 2, 2017 – Psalm 23 – From the lives of David and Jesus – I Shall Not Want

-            The

“I shall not want” KJV Psalm 23b

1 Samuel 26:13-25 – New International Version (NIV)

¹³ Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away; there was a wide space between them. ¹⁴ He called out to the army and to Abner son of Ner, “Aren’t you going to answer me, Abner?”

Abner replied, “Who are you who calls to the king?”

¹⁵ David said, “You’re a man, aren’t you? And who is like you in Israel? Why didn’t you guard your lord the king? Someone came to destroy your lord the king. ¹⁶ What you have done is not good. As surely as the Lord lives, you and your men must die, because you did not guard your master, the Lord’s anointed. Look around you. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were near his head?”

¹⁷ Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is that your voice, David my son?”

David replied, “Yes it is, my lord the king.” ¹⁸ And he added, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done, and what wrong am I guilty of? ¹⁹ Now let my lord the king listen to his servant’s words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. If, however, people have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! They have driven me today from my share in the Lord’s inheritance and have said, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ ²⁰ Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea—as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

²¹ Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have been terribly wrong.”

²² “Here is the king’s spear,” David answered. “Let one of your young men come over and get it. ²³ The Lord rewards everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. ²⁴ As surely as I valued your life today, so may the Lord value my life and deliver me from all trouble.”

²⁵ Then Saul said to David, “May you be blessed, David my son; you will do great things and surely triumph.”

So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.

Where did David go (verse 13)?

Who did David call (verse 14)?

In your opinion, why did David say “someone came to destroy your lord the king” (verse 15)?

What did David ask Abner about the king’s spear and water jug (verse 16)?

How did Saul recognize that it was David (verse 17)?

In your opinion, why did David ask “why is my lord pursuing his servant” (verse 18)?

What did David offer if “the Lord incited you against me” (verse 19)?

What did David say the king of Israel had come out to look for (verse 20)?

Who said they had sinned (verse 21)?

In your opinion, why did David offer the king his spear back (verse 22)?

What would David not do (verse 23)?

How did David want the Lord to value his life (verse 24)?

How does Saul respond to David (verse 25)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

Luke 6:20-26 - New International Version (NIV)

²⁰ Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
    for yours is the kingdom of God.
²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now,
    for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
    for you will laugh.
²² Blessed are you when people hate you,
    when they exclude you and insult you
    and reject your name as evil,
        because of the Son of Man.

²³ “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

²⁴ “But woe to you who are rich,
    for you have already received your comfort.
²⁵ Woe to you who are well fed now,
    for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
    for you will mourn and weep.
²⁶ Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
    for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

How are the poor blessed (verse 20)?

Who will be satisfied (verse 21)?

In your opinion, why are people who are hated and rejected “because of the Son of Man” blessed (verse 22)?

Why should the people who are hated and rejected “because of the Son of Man” rejoice and leap for joy (verse 23)?

What have the rich received (verse 24)?

Who will go hungry (verse 25)?

Why is there “woe to you when everyone speaks well of you” (verse 26)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how is Saul blessing David in 1 Samuel 26:13-25 similar to Jesus blessing the poor, hungry, weeping and rejected in Luke 6:20-26?

2 Corinthians 12:5-10 - New International Version (NIV)

⁵ I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. ⁶ Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, ⁷ or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

What part of himself will Paul boast about (verse 5)?

Why does Paul refrain from boasting about himself (verse 6)?

What was Paul given to keep him from being conceited (verse 7)?

How many times did Paul plead with the Lord for it to be taken away (verse 8)?

In your opinion, why is God’s power made perfect in our weakness (verse 9)?

Why will Paul “boast all the more gladly” about his weakness (verse 9)?

What does Paul delight in (verse 10)?

When is Paul strong (verse 10)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how does Paul’s professing in 2 Corinthians 12:5-10 that God’s power is made perfect in his weakness help us understand more about the blessings that Jesus listed in Luke 6:20-26?

In your opinion, what does David proclaiming that he had not utilized the opportunity he had to take Saul’s life in 1 Samuel 26:13-25 and Paul saying that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness teach us about relying on our strength and abilities?

1 John 5:1-12 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. ² This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. ³ In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, ⁴ for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. ⁵ Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

⁶ This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. ⁷ For there are three that testify: ⁸ the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. ⁹ We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. ¹⁰ Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. ¹¹ And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Who is “born of God” (verse 1)?

How do we “know that we love the children of God” (verse 2)?

What is “love for God” (verse 3)?

In your opinion, why is our faith the “victory that has overcome the world” (verse 4)?

Who overcomes the world (verse 5)?

Who came by “water and blood” (verse 6)?

What are the “three that testify” (verses 7 and 8)?

Whose testimony is greater (verse 9)?

Who has made God “out to be a liar” (verse 10)?

What is the testimony (verse 11)?

Who has life (verse 12)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does John in 1 John 5:1-12 help us understand about what Paul learned from God’s answer to his prayers in 2 Corinthians 12:5-10?

In your opinion, how does what John says in 1 John 5:1-12 related to the blessings and woes that Jesus gave in Luke 6:20-26?

In your opinion, how is David valuing the life of God’s anointed, Saul - even though Saul was hunting him, in 1 Samuel 26:13-25 an example of what John means in 1 John 5:1-12 when he talks about overcoming the world?

In your opinion, how do these passages from 1 Samuel, Luke, 2 Corinthians and 1 John change the way you understand about today’s passage from Psalm 23, “I shall not want”?

In your opinion, what do these passages help us understand about abundance when Jesus is our savior?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

June 25, 2017 – Psalm 23 – From the lives of David and Jesus – The Lord is my shepherd

-            The

“The Lord is my shepherd” KJV Psalm 23a

2 Samuel 5:1-5 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood. ² In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’”

³ When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.

⁴ David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. ⁵ In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

Who came to David at Hebron (verse 1)?

In your opinion, why did they say “We are your own flesh and blood” (verse 1)?

What had the Lord said to David (verse 2)?

What did the King make with the elders of Israel at Hebron (verse 3)?

How old was David when he became king (verse 4)?

What area did David rule for seven years and six months with Hebron as the capital (verse 5)?

How long was David king over all Israel and Judah from Jerusalem (verse 5)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

John 10:11-18 - New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷ The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

What does Jesus claim the “good shepherd” will do (verse 11)?

How does the hired hand react when “he sees the wolf coming” (verse 12)?

How much does the hired hand care about the sheep (verse 13)?

In your opinion, why does Jesus know His sheep and His sheep know Him (verse 14)?

What does Jesus do for the Sheep (verse 15)?

In your opinion, who are the “other sheep that are not of this sheep pen” (verse 16)?

What will the “other sheep” do (verse 16)?

How many flocks and shepherds will there be (verse 16)?

Why does the Father love Jesus (verse 17)?

Who takes Jesus life from Him (verse 18)?

What authority does Jesus have (verse 18)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how are the views about the duties of a shepherd held by “all the tribes of Israel” in 2 Samuel 5:1-5 different from the view of Jesus in John 10:11-18?

Hebrews 13:20-21 - New International Version (NIV)

²⁰ Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, ²¹ equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

How did the “God of peace” bring “our Lord Jesus” from the dead (verse 20)?

How is Jesus described (verse 20)?

In your opinion, what does “equip you with everything good for doing his will” mean (verse 21)?

What is Paul asking that God do “in us” (verse 21)?

Who is to receive the “glory for ever and ever” (verse 21)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, why does Paul in Hebrews 13:20-21 in calling Jesus “the great Shepherd of the sheep” amplify what Jesus said in John 10:11-18 when He said “the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep”?

In your opinion, what are some of the differences between King David, who 2 Samuel 5:1-5 reveals shepherded the people of Israel, and Jesus Christ, who Paul in Hebrews 13:20-21 calls the “great Shepherd of the sheep”?

Revelation 7:13-17 – New International Version (NIV)

¹³ Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

¹⁴ I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ Therefore,

“they are before the throne of God
    and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne
    will shelter them with his presence.
¹⁶ ‘Never again will they hunger;
    never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’
    nor any scorching heat.
¹⁷ For the Lamb at the center of the throne
    will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’
    ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Who ask John about the people in the white robes (verse 13)?

What was revealed about the people in the white robes (verse 14)?

Who will shelter the people in the white robes (verse 15)?

In your opinion, why is it significant that they won’t hunger or thirst or suffer from the sun or scorching heat (verse 16)?

What will the relationship of “Lamb at the center of the throne” and those in the white robes be (verse 17)?

Where will the Lamb lead them (verse 17)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, why is there a transition from Paul in his benediction of Hebrews 13:20-21 asking for the Shepherd to “equip you with everything good for doing his will” to the elder explaining to John in Revelation 7:13-17 that the Shepherd will “lead them to springs of living water” and what does that transition mean to us?

In your opinion, how are the ones that Jesus says in John 10:11-18 “will listen to my voice” and the ones that the elder in Revelation 7:13-17 “washed their robes and made the white in the blood of the Lamb” related?

In your opinion, why do both the people who approached David to ask him to be king in 2 Samuel 5:1-5 and the elder who describes the relationship of the people in the white robes to Jesus in Revelation 7:13-17 both use blood in their statements?

In your opinion, what do these passages from 2 Samuel, John, Hebrews and Revelation teach us about the passage that opens Psalm 23, “the Lord is my shepherd”?

In your opinion, how do these passages guide us in responding to the voice of the good Shepherd calling us today?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

June 18, 2017 – Genesis and John (Gospel and Revelation) – Blessings and Grace

Blessings and Grace

Genesis 47:1-10 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.” ² He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.

³ Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”

“Your servants are shepherds,” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” ⁴ They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants’ flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.”

⁵ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, ⁶ and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.”

⁷ Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed Pharaoh, ⁸ Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”

⁹ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.” ¹⁰ Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence.

Who did Joseph tell the Pharaoh was in Goshen (verse 1)?

In your opinion, why did Joseph only bring five brothers to Pharaoh (verse 2)?

How did his brothers answer the Pharaoh’s question, “what is your occupation” (verse 3)?

Why did Joseph’s brothers ask the Pharaoh to “please let your servants settle in Goshen” (verse 4)?

Who said to Joseph “your father and your brothers have come to you” (verse 5)?

What part of the land was Joseph to settle his father and brothers in (verse 6)?

In your opinion, why did Jacob bless the Pharaoh (verse 7)?

How old was Jacob (verse 9)?

What did Jacob do again before he “went out from his presence” (verse 10)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

John 12:12-19 - New International Version (NIV)

¹² The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. ¹³ They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

¹⁴ Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

¹⁵ “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
    see, your king is coming,
    seated on a donkey’s colt.”

¹⁶ At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

¹⁷ Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. ¹⁸ Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. ¹⁹ So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

Who heard that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem (verse 12)?

Where did they take the palm branches (verse 13)?

What was shouted (verse 13)?

In your opinion, why did Jesus sit on a donkey (verse 14)?

Why was Daughter Zion not to be afraid (verse 15)?

When did the disciples understand all this (verse 16)?

What word was spread about Jesus (verse 17)?

Why did people go out to meet Him (verse 18)?

How did the Pharisees react (verse 19)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how is Jacob blessing the Pharaoh in Genesis 47:1-10 similar to the great crowd shouting blessings to Jesus in John 12:12-19?

Romans 3:10-24 - New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;
¹¹     there is no one who understands;
    there is no one who seeks God.
¹² All have turned away,
    they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
    not even one.”
¹³ “Their throats are open graves;
    their tongues practice deceit.”
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
¹⁴     “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
¹⁵ “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
¹⁶     ruin and misery mark their ways,
¹⁷ and the way of peace they do not know.”
¹⁸     “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. ²⁰ Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

²¹ But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²² This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

How many are righteous (verse 10)?

Who understands (verse 11)?

Who has “together become worthless” (verse 12)?

What does everyone’s tongues do (verse 13)?

Where is “cursing and bitterness” (verse 14)?

What are their feet swift to do (verse 15)?

What marks their ways (verse 16)?

In your opinion, what does Paul mean when he says “the way of peace they do not know” (verse 17)?

Do they fear God (verse 18)?

Why does the law say things to “those who are under the law” (verse 19)?

How does the law benefit us (verse 20)?

What has been made known that is “apart from the law” (verse 21)?

How is righteousness given (verse 22)?

What has everyone done (verse 23)?

Who justifies freely by grace (verse 24)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does Romans 3:10-24 help us to understand about those who blessed with words in John 12:12-19?

In your opinion, how is the Pharaoh’s generosity in allowing Joseph’s father and brothers to settle in Goshen in Genesis 47:1-10 different from the generosity of Jesus that Paul reveals in Romans 3:10-24 when he reveals the righteousness that “is given by faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe”?

Revelation 22:6-11 – New International Version (NIV)

⁶ The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

⁷ “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”

⁸ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. ⁹ But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”

¹⁰ Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. ¹¹ Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”

In your opinion, what words “are trustworthy and true” (verse 6)?

What did the “Lord, the God who inspires the prophets” send His angel to do (verse 6)?

Who is blessed (verse 7)?

What did John do when he had “heard and seen” these things (verse 8)?

Who does the angel say to worship (verse 9)?

Why is the scroll not to be sealed up (verse 10)?

What is the person who does wrong to do (verse 11)?

What is the person who does right to do (verse 11)?

What is the holy person to do (verse 11)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does Paul in Romans 3:10-24 tell us about the people who John is instructing in Revelation 22:6-11 should “continue to do wrong” and also how a person can become one of those “who does right”?

In your opinion, how has the One who the great crowd in John 12:12-19 shouted blessings to changed things so that in Revelation 22:6-11 He can say “blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll”?

In your opinion, how are the two blessings that Jacob gives to the Pharaoh in Genesis 47:1-10 different from the blessing given by Jesus in Revelation 22:6-11?

In your opinion, what do these passages from Genesis, John, Romans and Revelation teach us about blessings given by those who expect to receive something and the blessing given by the One who has given all?

In your opinion, how do these passages encourage us to view God’s grace?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)