Saturday, July 1, 2017

July 9, 2017 – Psalm 23 – From the lives of David and Jesus – He Maketh Me to Lie down in Green Pastures

-            The

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures” KJV Psalm 23:2a

2 Samuel 23:1-7 – New International Version (NIV)
1 These are the last words of David:
“The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse,
    the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High,
the man anointed by the God of Jacob,
    the hero of Israel’s songs:
“The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me;
    his word was on my tongue.
The God of Israel spoke,
    the Rock of Israel said to me:
‘When one rules over people in righteousness,
    when he rules in the fear of God,
he is like the light of morning at sunrise
    on a cloudless morning,
like the brightness after rain
    that brings grass from the earth.’
“If my house were not right with God,
    surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant,
    arranged and secured in every part;
surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation
    and grant me my every desire.
But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns,
    which are not gathered with the hand.
Whoever touches thorns
    uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear;
    they are burned up where they lie.”

What kind of utterance were the last words of “David son of Jesse” (verse 1)?

Who spoke through David (verse 2)?

In your opinion, what is the connection between ruling “over the people in righteousness” and ruling “in the fear of God” (verse 3)?

What does the “brightness after rain” bring from the earth (verse 4)?

Who made an everlasting covenant with David (verse 5)?

What will happen to all evil men (verse 6)?

In your opinion, why are thorns “burned up where they lie” (verse 7)?

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

John 14:1-6 - New International Version (NIV)
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

In your opinion, what does Jesus mean when He says “do not let your hearts be troubled” (verse 1)?

What does Jesus command the disciples (us) to do to help prevent their hearts from being troubled (verse 1)?

Where are there “many rooms” (verse 2)?

Who will go and prepare a place for us and come back and take us to be with Him (verse 3)?

What do the disciples know (verse 4)?

Why does Thomas think that they don’t know the way (verse 5)?

Who does Jesus say He is (verse 6)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In your opinion, how are David who in 2 Samuel 23:1-7 ruled over people with righteousness and fear of God and Jesus who said in John 14:1-6 that He was the “way and the truth and the life” different?

Philippians 4:4-9 - New International Version (NIV)
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

What does Paul tell the Philippians that they should always do (verse 4)?
Who should the Philippians gentleness be evident to (verse 5)?
How does Paul indicate that the Philippians (and we) should respond in every situation (verse 6)?
In your opinion, how can the “peace of God, which transcends all understanding” guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (verse 7)?
What does Paul tell the Philippians to think about (verse 8)?
When will the God of peace be with the Philippians (verse 9)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In your opinion, how is Jesus’ command in John 14:1-6 “you believe in God; believe also in me” related to Paul’s command in Philippians 4:4-9“in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”?

In your opinion, how is David an example in his 2 Samuel 23:1-7 statements he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth” of how to follow Paul’s command in Philippians 4:4-9 to “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-in anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things”?

James 4:1-10 – New International Version (NIV)
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

What causes fights and quarrels (verse 1)?
Why do we not have (verse 2)?
In your opinion, why is the motive of wanting to “spend what you get on your pleasures” a wrong motive (verse 3)?
What does someone who chooses to become a “friend of the world” become (verse 4)?
Where does God “jealously” long for His Spirit to dwell (verse 5)?
In your opinion, why does God “show favor to the humble” (verse 6)?
When does God come near to us (verse 7)?
When will God lift us up (verse 8)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how is in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” from Philippians 4:4-9 similar to “humble yourselves before the Lord” from James 4:1-10 and how is the promise from James “and he will lift your up” similar to the promise from Philippians and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus?

In your opinion, how does Jesus in John 14:1-6 with His statement “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” show how he will accomplish the promise of James in James 4:1-10 “humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up”?

In your opinion, how does the “fear of God” that David talks about in 2 Samuel 23:1-7 compare to James saying “humble yourselves before the Lord” in James 4:1-10?
In your opinion, what do these passages from 2 Samuel, John, Philippians and James teach us about today’s passage from Psalm 23, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures”?
In your opinion, how does fear of God, coming to the Father through the Way and the Truth and the Life, presenting everything to God in prayer with thanksgiving, and submitting ourselves to God lead to the peace of lying down in green pastures?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

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