O. Addison Gethers e-mail address : [email protected] or [email protected] window live messenger: [email protected] aim: durangoadd64 skype: cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS
----- Original Message ----- From: "Donnie Parrett" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, March 27, 2009 1:27 AM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Friday March 27 >1 Samuel 25-27 (The Message) > > 1 Samuel 25 > > To Fight God's Battles > 1 Samuel died. The whole country came to his funeral. Everyone grieved > over his death, and he was > buried in his hometown of Ramah. Meanwhile, David moved > again, this time to the wilderness of Maon. > > 2-3 There was a certain man in Maon who carried on his business in the > region of Carmel. He was > very prosperous-three thousand sheep and a thousand goats, > and it was sheep-shearing time in Carmel. The man's name was Nabal (Fool), > a Calebite, and his > wife's name was Abigail. The woman was intelligent and good-looking, > the man brutish and mean. > > 4-8 David, out in the backcountry, heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep > and sent ten of his > young men off with these instructions: "Go to Carmel and > approach Nabal. Greet him in my name, 'Peace! Life and peace to you. Peace > to your household, peace > to everyone here! I heard that it's sheep-shearing > time. Here's the point: When your shepherds were camped near us we didn't > take advantage of them. > They didn't lose a thing all the time they were with > us in Carmel. Ask your young men-they'll tell you. What I'm asking is that > you be generous with my > men-share the feast! Give whatever your heart tells > you to your servants and to me, David your son.'" > > 9-11 David's young men went and delivered his message word for word to > Nabal. Nabal tore into them, > "Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? The country > is full of runaway servants these days. Do you think I'm going to take > good bread and wine and meat > freshly butchered for my sheepshearers and give it > to men I've never laid eyes on? Who knows where they've come from?" > > 12-13 David's men got out of there and went back and told David what he > had said. David said, > "Strap on your swords!" They all strapped on their swords, > David and his men, and set out, four hundred of them. Two hundred stayed > behind to guard the camp. > > 14-17 Meanwhile, one of the young shepherds told Abigail, Nabal's wife, > what had happened: "David > sent messengers from the backcountry to salute our master, > but he tore into them with insults. Yet these men treated us very well. > They took nothing from us > and didn't take advantage of us all the time we were > in the fields. They formed a wall around us, protecting us day and night > all the time we were out > tending the sheep. Do something quickly because big trouble > is ahead for our master and all of us. Nobody can talk to him. He's > impossible-a real brute!" > > 18-19 Abigail flew into action. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two > skins of wine, five sheep > dressed out and ready for cooking, a bushel of roasted > grain, a hundred raisin cakes, and two hundred fig cakes, and she had it > all loaded on some donkeys. > Then she said to her young servants, "Go ahead and > pave the way for me. I'm right behind you." But she said nothing to her > husband Nabal. > > 20-22 As she was riding her donkey, descending into a ravine, David and > his men were descending > from the other end, so they met there on the road. David > had just said, "That sure was a waste, guarding everything this man had > out in the wild so that > nothing he had was lost-and now he rewards me with insults. > A real slap in the face! May God do his worst to me if Nabal and every cur > in his misbegotten brood > aren't dead meat by morning!" > > 23-25 As soon as Abigail saw David, she got off her donkey and fell on her > knees at his feet, her > face to the ground in homage, saying, "My master, let > me take the blame! Let me speak to you. Listen to what I have to say. > Don't dwell on what that brute > Nabal did. He acts out the meaning of his name: Nabal, > Fool. Foolishness oozes from him. > > 25-27 "I wasn't there when the young men my master sent arrived. I didn't > see them. And now, my > master, as God lives and as you live, God has kept you > from this avenging murder-and may your enemies, all who seek my master's > harm, end up like Nabal! > Now take this gift that I, your servant girl, have brought > to my master, and give it to the young men who follow in the steps of my > master. > > 28-29 "Forgive my presumption! But God is at work in my master, developing > a rule solid and > dependable. My master fights God's battles! As long as you > live no evil will stick to you. > If anyone stands in your way, > if anyone tries to get you out of the way, > Know this: Your God-honored life is tightly bound > in the bundle of God-protected life; > But the lives of your enemies will be hurled aside > as a stone is thrown from a sling. > > 30-31 "When God completes all the goodness he has promised my master and > sets you up as prince over > Israel, my master will not have this dead weight in > his heart, the guilt of an avenging murder. And when God has worked things > for good for my master, > remember me." > > 32-34 And David said, "Blessed be God, the God of Israel. He sent you to > meet me! And blessed be > your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder > and taking charge of looking out for me. A close call! As God lives, the > God of Israel who kept me > from hurting you, if you had not come as quickly as > you did, stopping me in my tracks, by morning there would have been > nothing left of Nabal but dead > meat." > > 35 Then David accepted the gift she brought him and said, "Return home in > peace. I've heard what > you've said and I'll do what you've asked." > > 36-38 When Abigail got home she found Nabal presiding over a huge banquet. > He was in high > spirits-and very, very drunk. So she didn't tell him anything > of what she'd done until morning. But in the morning, after Nabal had > sobered up, she told him the > whole story. Right then and there he had a heart attack > and fell into a coma. About ten days later God finished him off and he > died. > > 39-40 When David heard that Nabal was dead he said, "Blessed be God who > has stood up for me against > Nabal's insults, kept me from an evil act, and let > Nabal's evil boomerang back on him." > > Then David sent for Abigail to tell her that he wanted her for his > wife. David's servants went > to Abigail at Carmel with the message, "David sent us > to bring you to marry him." > > 41 She got up, and then bowed down, face to the ground, saying, "I'm your > servant, ready to do > anything you want. I'll even wash the feet of my master's > servants!" > > 42 Abigail didn't linger. She got on her donkey and, with her five maids > in attendance, went with > the messengers to David and became his wife. > > 43-44 David also married Ahinoam of Jezreel. Both women were his wives. > Saul had married off > David's wife Michal to Palti (Paltiel) son of Laish, who was > from Gallim. > > 1 Samuel 26 > > Obsessed with a Single Flea > 1-3 Some Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Did you know that > David is hiding out on the > Hakilah Hill just opposite Jeshimon?" Saul was on his > feet in a minute and on his way to the wilderness of Ziph, taking three > thousand of his best men, > the pick of the crop, to hunt for David in that wild > desert. He camped just off the road at the Hakilah Hill, opposite > Jeshimon. > > 3-5 David, still out in the backcountry, knew Saul had come after him. He > sent scouts to determine > his precise location. Then David set out and came to > the place where Saul had set up camp and saw for himself where Saul and > Abner, son of Ner, his > general, were staying. Saul was safely inside the camp, > encircled by the army. > > 6 Taking charge, David spoke to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai son > of Zeruiah, Joab's > brother: "Who will go down with me and enter Saul's camp?" > > Abishai whispered, "I'll go with you." > > 7 So David and Abishai entered the encampment by night, and there he > was-Saul, stretched out asleep > at the center of the camp, his spear stuck in the ground > near his head, with Abner and the troops sound asleep on all sides. > > 8 Abishai said, "This is the moment! God has put your enemy in your grasp. > Let me nail him to the > ground with his spear. One hit will do it, believe me; > I won't need a second!" > > 9 But David said to Abishai, "Don't you dare hurt him! Who could lay a > hand on God's anointed and > even think of getting away with it?" > > 10-11 He went on, "As God lives, either God will strike him, or his time > will come and he'll die in > bed, or he'll fall in battle, but God forbid that I > should lay a finger on God's anointed. Now, grab the spear at his head and > the water jug and let's > get out of here." > > 12 David took the spear and water jug that were right beside Saul's head, > and they slipped away. > Not a soul saw. Not a soul knew. No one woke up! They > all slept through the whole thing. A blanket of deep sleep from God had > fallen on them. > > 13-14 Then David went across to the opposite hill and stood far away on > the top of the mountain. > With this safe distance between them, he shouted across > to the army and Abner son of Ner, "Hey, Abner! How long do I have to wait > for you to wake up and > answer me?" > > Abner said, "Who's calling?" > > 15-16 "Aren't you in charge there?" said David. "Why aren't you minding > the store? Why weren't you > standing guard over your master the king, when a soldier > came to kill the king your master? Bad form! As God lives, your life > should be forfeit, you and the > entire bodyguard. Look what I have-the king's spear > and water jug that were right beside his head!" > > 17-20 By now, Saul had recognized David's voice and said, "Is that you, my > son David?" > > David said, "Yes, it's me, O King, my master. Why are you after me, > hunting me down? What have I > done? What crime have I committed? Oh, my master, my > king, listen to this from your servant: If God has stirred you up against > me, then I gladly offer my > life as a sacrifice. But if it's men who have done > it, let them be banished from God's presence! They've expelled me from my > rightful place in God's > heritage, sneering, 'Out of here! Go get a job with some > other god!' But you're not getting rid of me that easily; you'll not > separate me from God in life or > death. The absurdity! The king of Israel obsessed > with a single flea! Hunting me down-a mere partridge-out in the hills!" > > 21 Saul confessed, "I've sinned! Oh, come back, my dear son David! I won't > hurt you anymore. You've > honored me this day, treating my life as most precious. > And I've acted the fool-a moral dunce, a real clown." > > 22-24 David answered, "See what I have here? The king's spear. Let one of > your servants come and > get it. It's God's business to decide what to do with > each of us in regard to what's right and who's loyal. God put your life in > my hands today, but I > wasn't willing to lift a finger against God's anointed. > Just as I honored your life today, may God honor my life and rescue me > from all trouble." > > 25 Saul said to David, "Bless you, dear son David! Yes, do what you have > to do! And, yes, succeed > in all you attempt!" > > Then David went on his way, and Saul went home. > > 1 Samuel 27 > 1 David thought to himself, "Sooner or later, Saul's going to get me. The > best thing I can do is > escape to Philistine country. Saul will count me a lost > cause and quit hunting me down in every nook and cranny of Israel. I'll be > out of his reach for > good." > > 2-4 So David left; he and his six hundred men went to Achish son of Maoch, > king of Gath. They moved > in and settled down in Gath, with Achish. Each man > brought his household; David brought his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and > Abigail, widow of Nabal > of Carmel. When Saul was told that David had escaped > to Gath, he called off the hunt. > > 5 Then David said to Achish, "If it's agreeable to you, assign me a place > in one of the rural > villages. It doesn't seem right that I, your mere servant, > should be taking up space in the royal city." > > 6-7 So Achish assigned him Ziklag. (This is how Ziklag got to be what it > is now, a city of the > kings of Judah.) David lived in Philistine country a year > and four months. > > 8-9 From time to time David and his men raided the Geshurites, the > Girzites, and the > Amalekites-these people were longtime inhabitants of the land stretching > toward Shur and on to Egypt. When David raided an area he left no one > alive, neither man nor woman, > but took everything else: sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, > clothing-the works. Then he'd return to Achish. > > 10-11 Achish would ask, "And whom did you raid today?" > > David would tell him, "Oh, the Negev of Judah," or "The Negev of > Jerahmeel," or "The Negev of > the Kenites." He never left a single person alive lest > one show up in Gath and report what David had really been doing. This is > the way David operated all > the time he lived in Philistine country. > > 12 Achish came to trust David completely. He thought, "He's made himself > so repugnant to his people > that he'll be in my camp forever." > > > Please join us on Skype Monday thru Friday at 8:00 EST for our Morning > Skype Prayer Time. > > > Contact Me At: > Donnie Parrett > 1956 Asa Flat Road > Annville, Kentucky 40402 > Home Phone: 606-364-3321 > Church Phone: 606-364-PRAY > Skype Name: Donnie1261 > Email: [email protected] > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/DBILG?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
