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: Saturday, March 28, 2009 10:07 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Sunday March 29 >2 Samuel 1-3 (The Message) > > 2 Samuel 1 > 1-2Shortly after Saul died, David returned to Ziklag from his rout of the > Amalekites. Three days > later a man showed up unannounced from Saul's army camp. > > 2-3 Disheveled and obviously in mourning, he fell to his knees in respect > before David. David > asked, "What brings you here?" > > He answered, "I've just escaped from the camp of Israel." > > 4 "So what happened?" said David. "What's the news?" > > He said, "The Israelites have fled the battlefield, leaving a lot of > their dead comrades behind. > And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead." > > 5 David pressed the young soldier for details: "How do you know for sure > that Saul and Jonathan are > dead?" > > 6-8 "I just happened by Mount Gilboa and came on Saul, badly wounded and > leaning on his spear, with > enemy chariots and horsemen bearing down hard on him. > He looked behind him, saw me, and called me to him. 'Yes sir,' I said, 'at > your service.' He asked > me who I was, and I told him, 'I'm an Amalekite.'" > > 9 "Come here," he said, "and put me out of my misery. I'm nearly dead > already, but my life hangs > on." > > 10 "So I did what he asked-I killed him. I knew he wouldn't last much > longer anyway. I removed his > royal headband and bracelet, and have brought them to > my master. Here they are." > > 11-12 In lament, David ripped his clothes to ribbons. All the men with him > did the same. They wept > and fasted the rest of the day, grieving the death of > Saul and his son Jonathan, and also the army of God and the nation Israel, > victims in a failed > battle. > > 13 Then David spoke to the young soldier who had brought the report: "Who > are you, anyway?" > > "I'm from an immigrant family-an Amalekite." > > 14-15 "Do you mean to say," said David, "that you weren't afraid to up and > kill God's anointed > king?" Right then he ordered one of his soldiers, "Strike > him dead!" The soldier struck him, and he died. > > 16 "You asked for it," David told him. "You sealed your death sentence > when you said you killed > God's anointed king." > > 17-18 Then David sang this lament over Saul and his son Jonathan, and gave > orders that everyone in > Judah learn it by heart. Yes, it's even inscribed in > The Book of Jashar. > 19-21 Oh, oh, Gazelles of Israel, struck down on your hills, > the mighty warriors-fallen, fallen! > Don't announce it in the city of Gath, > don't post the news in the streets of Ashkelon. > Don't give those coarse Philistine girls > one more excuse for a drunken party! > No more dew or rain for you, hills of Gilboa, > and not a drop from springs and wells, > For there the warriors' shields were dragged through the mud, > Saul's shield left there to rot. > 22 Jonathan's bow was bold- > the bigger they were the harder they fell. > Saul's sword was fearless- > once out of the scabbard, nothing could stop it. > 23 Saul and Jonathan-beloved, beautiful! > Together in life, together in death. > Swifter than plummeting eagles, > stronger than proud lions. > 24-25 Women of Israel, weep for Saul. > He dressed you in finest cottons and silks, > spared no expense in making you elegant. > The mighty warriors-fallen, fallen > in the middle of the fight! > Jonathan-struck down on your hills! > 26 O my dear brother Jonathan, > I'm crushed by your death. > Your friendship was a miracle-wonder, > love far exceeding anything I've known- > or ever hope to know. > 27 The mighty warriors-fallen, fallen. > And the arms of war broken to bits. > > 2 Samuel 2 > 1 After all this, David prayed. He asked God, "Shall I move to one of the > cities of Judah?" > > God said, "Yes, move." "And to which city?" > > "To Hebron." > > 2-3 So David moved to Hebron, along with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel > and Abigail the widow of > Nabal of Carmel. David's men, along with their families, > also went with him and made their home in and around Hebron. > > 4-7 The citizens of Judah came to Hebron, and then and there made David > king over the clans of > Judah. > > A report was brought to David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had given > Saul a decent burial. > David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead: "God > bless you for this-for honoring your master, Saul, with a funeral. God > honor you and be true to > you-and I'll do the same, matching your generous act of > goodness. Strengthen your resolve and do what must be done. Your master, > Saul, is dead. The citizens > of Judah have made me their king." > > 8-11 In the meantime, Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had > taken Saul's son Ish-Bosheth > to Mahanaim and made him king over Gilead, over Asher, > over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin-king, as it turns out, over all > Israel. Ish-Bosheth Saul's > son, was forty years old when he was made king over > Israel. He lasted only two years. But the people of Judah stuck with > David. David ruled the people > of Judah from Hebron for seven and a half years. > > 12-13 One day Abner son of Ner set out from Mahanaim with the soldiers of > Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, > headed for Gibeon. Joab son of Zeruiah, with David's > soldiers, also set out. They met at the Pool of Gibeon, Abner's group on > one side, Joab's on the > other. > > 14 Abner challenged Joab, "Put up your best fighters. Let's see them do > their stuff." > > Joab said, "Good! Let them go at it!" > > 15-16 So they lined up for the fight, twelve Benjaminites from the side of > Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, > and twelve soldiers from David's side. The men from > each side grabbed their opponents' heads and stabbed them with their > daggers. They all fell dead-the > whole bunch together. So, they called the place Slaughter > Park. It's right there at Gibeon. > > 17-19 The fighting went from bad to worse throughout the day. Abner and > the men of Israel were > beaten to a pulp by David's men. The three sons of Zeruiah > were present: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel, as fast as a wild > antelope on the open plain, > chased Abner, staying hard on his heels. > > 20 Abner turned and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" > > "It surely is," he said. > > 21 Abner said, "Let up on me. Pick on someone you have a chance of beating > and be content with > those spoils!" But Asahel wouldn't let up. > > 22 Abner tried again, "Turn back. Don't force me to kill you. How would I > face your brother Joab?" > > 23-25 When he refused to quit, Abner struck him in the belly with the > blunt end of his spear so > hard that it came out his back. Asahel fell to the ground > and died at once. Everyone who arrived at the spot where Asahel fell and > died stood and gaped-Asahel > dead! But Joab and Abishai kept up the chase after > Abner. As the sun began to set, they came to the hill of Ammah that faced > Giah on the road to the > backcountry of Gibeon. The Benjaminites had taken their > stand with Abner there, deployed strategically on a hill. > > 26 Abner called out to Joab, "Are we going to keep killing each other till > doomsday? Don't you know > that nothing but bitterness will come from this? How > long before you call off your men from chasing their brothers?" > > 27-28 "As God lives," said Joab, "if you hadn't spoken up, we'd have kept > up the chase until > morning!" Then he blew the ram's horn trumpet and the whole > army of Judah stopped in its tracks. They quit chasing Israel and called > off the fighting. > > 29 Abner and his soldiers marched all that night up the Arabah Valley. > They crossed the Jordan and, > after a long morning's march, arrived at Mahanaim. > > 30-32 After Joab returned from chasing Abner, he took a head count of the > army. Nineteen of David's > men (besides Asahel) were missing. David's men had > cut down 360 of Abner's men, all Benjaminites-all dead. They brought > Asahel and buried him in the > family tomb in Bethlehem. Joab and his men then marched > all night, arriving in Hebron as the dawn broke. > > 2 Samuel 3 > 1 The war between the house of Saul and the house of David dragged on and > on. The longer it went on > the stronger David became, with the house of Saul getting > weaker. > > 2-5 During the Hebron years, sons were born to David: > Amnon, born of Ahinoam of Jezreel-the firstborn; > Kileab, born of Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's widow-his second; > Absalom, born of Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur- the third; > Adonijah, born of Haggith-the fourth; > Shephatiah, born of Abital-the fifth; > Ithream, born of Eglah-the sixth. > These six sons of David were born in Hebron. > > 6-7 Abner took advantage of the continuing war between the house of Saul > and the house of David to > gain power for himself. Saul had had a concubine, Rizpah, > the daughter of Aiah. One day Ish-Bosheth confronted Abner: "What business > do you have sleeping with > my father's concubine?" > > 8-10 Abner lost his temper with Ish-Bosheth, "Treat me like a dog, will > you! Is this the thanks I > get for sticking by the house of your father, Saul, and > all his family and friends? I personally saved you from certain capture by > David, and you make an > issue out of my going to bed with a woman! What God promised > David, I'll help accomplish-transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul > and make David ruler over > the whole country, both Israel and Judah, from Dan to > Beersheba. If not, may God do his worst to me." > > 11 Ish-Bosheth, cowed by Abner's outburst, couldn't say another word. > > 12 Abner went ahead and sent personal messengers to David: "Make a deal > with me and I'll help bring > the whole country of Israel over to you." > > 13 "Great," said David. "It's a deal. But only on one condition: You're > not welcome here unless you > bring Michal, Saul's daughter, with you when you come > to meet me." > > 14 David then sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul: "Give me back > Michal, whom I won as my > wife at the cost of a hundred Philistine foreskins." > > 15-16 Ish-Bosheth ordered that she be taken from her husband Paltiel son > of Laish. But Paltiel > followed her, weeping all the way, to Bahurim. There Abner > told him, "Go home." And he went home. > > 17-18 Abner got the elders of Israel together and said, "Only yesterday, > it seems, you were looking > for a way to make David your king. So do it-now! For > God has given the go-ahead on David: 'By my servant David's hand, I'll > save my people Israel from > the oppression of the Philistines and all their other > enemies.'" > > 19 Abner took the Benjaminites aside and spoke to them. Then he went to > Hebron for a private talk > with David, telling him everything that Israel in general > and Benjamin in particular were planning to do. > > 20 When Abner and the twenty men who were with him met with David in > Hebron, David laid out a feast > for them. > > 21 Abner then said, "I'm ready. Let me go now to rally everyone in Israel > for my master, the king. > They'll make a treaty with you, authorizing you to rule > them however you see fit." Abner was sent off with David's blessing. > > 22-23 Soon after that, David's men, led by Joab, came back from a field > assignment. Abner was no > longer in Hebron with David, having just been dismissed > with David's blessing. As Joab and his raiding party arrived, they were > told that Abner the son of > Ner had been there with David and had been sent off > with David's blessing. > > 24-25 Joab went straight to the king: "What's this you've done? Abner > shows up, and you let him > walk away scot-free? You know Abner son of Ner better than > that. This was no friendly visit. He was here to spy on you, figure out > your comings and goings, > find out what you're up to." > > 26-27 Joab left David and went into action. He sent messengers after > Abner; they caught up with him > at the well at Sirah and brought him back. David knew > nothing of all this. When Abner got back to Hebron, Joab steered him aside > at the gate for a > personal word with him. There he stabbed him in the belly, > killed him in cold blood for the murder of his brother Asahel. > > 28-30 Later on, when David heard what happened, he said, "Before God I and > my kingdom are totally > innocent of this murder of Abner son of Ner. Joab and > his entire family will always be under the curse of this bloodguilt. May > they forever be victims of > crippling diseases, violence, and famine." (Joab and > his brother, Abishai, murdered Abner because he had killed their brother > Asahel at the battle of > Gibeon.) > > 31-32 David ordered Joab and all the men under him, "Rip your cloaks into > rags! Wear mourning > clothes! Lead Abner's funeral procession with loud lament!" > King David followed the coffin. They buried Abner in Hebron. The king's > voice was loud in lament as > he wept at the side of Abner's grave. All the people > wept, too. > > 33-34 Then the king sang this tribute to Abner: > Can this be? Abner dead like a nameless bum? > You were a free man, free to go and do as you wished- > Yet you fell as a victim in a street brawl. > > And all the people wept-a crescendo of crying! > > 35-37 They all came then to David, trying to get him to eat something > before dark. But David > solemnly swore, "I'll not so much as taste a piece of bread, > or anything else for that matter, before sunset, so help me God!" Everyone > at the funeral took > notice-and liked what they saw. In fact everything the king > did was applauded by the people. It was clear to everyone that day, > including all Israel, that the > king had nothing to do with the death of Abner son of > Ner. > > 38-39 The king spoke to his servants: "You realize, don't you, that today > a prince and hero fell > victim of foul play in Israel? And I, though anointed > king, was helpless to do anything about it. These sons of Zeruiah are too > much for me. God, requite > the criminal for his crime!" > > > 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
