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: Thursday, April 02, 2009 9:29 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Friday April 3 >2 Samuel 16-18 (The Message) > > 2 Samuel 16 > 1 Shortly after David passed the crest of the hill, Mephibosheth's steward > Ziba met him with a > string of pack animals, saddled and loaded with a hundred > loaves of bread, a hundred raisin cakes, a hundred baskets of fresh fruit, > and a skin of wine. > > 2 The king said to Ziba, "What's all this?" > > "The donkeys," said Ziba, "are for the king's household to ride, the > bread and fruit are for the > servants to eat, and the wine is for drinking, especially > for those overcome by fatigue in the wilderness." > > 3 The king said, "And where is your master's grandson?" > > "He stayed in Jerusalem," said Ziba. "He said, 'This is the day Israel > is going to restore my > grandfather's kingdom to me.'" > > 4 "Everything that belonged to Mephibosheth," said the king, "is now > yours." > > Ziba said, "How can I ever thank you? I'll be forever in your debt, my > master and king; may you > always look on me with such kindness!" > > 5-8 When the king got to Bahurim, a man appeared who had connections with > Saul's family. His name > was Shimei son of Gera. As he followed along he shouted > insults and threw rocks right and left at David and his company, servants > and soldiers alike. To the > accompaniment of curses he shouted, "Get lost, get > lost, you butcher, you hellhound! God has paid you back for all your dirty > work in the family of > Saul and for stealing his kingdom. God has given the kingdom > to your son Absalom. Look at you now-ruined! And good riddance, you > pathetic old man!" > > 9 Abishai son of Zeruiah said, "This mangy dog can't insult my master the > king this way-let me go > over and cut off his head!" > > 10 But the king said, "Why are you sons of Zeruiah always interfering and > getting in the way? If > he's cursing, it's because God told him, 'Curse David.' > So who dares raise questions?" > > 11-12 "Besides," continued David to Abishai and the rest of his servants, > "my own son, my flesh and > bone, is right now trying to kill me; compared to that > this Benjaminite is small potatoes. Don't bother with him; let him curse; > he's preaching God's word > to me. And who knows, maybe God will see the trouble > I'm in today and exchange the curses for something good." > > 13 David and his men went on down the road, while Shimei followed along on > the ridge of the hill > alongside, cursing, throwing stones down on them, and > kicking up dirt. > > 14 By the time they reached the Jordan River, David and all the men of the > company were exhausted. > There they rested and were revived. > > 15 By this time Absalom and all his men were in Jerusalem. > > And Ahithophel was with them. > > 16 Soon after, Hushai the Arkite, David's friend, came and greeted > Absalom, "Long live the king! > Long live the king!" > > 17 Absalom said to Hushai, "Is this the way you show devotion to your good > friend? Why didn't you > go with your friend David?" > > 18-19 "Because," said Hushai, "I want to be with the person that God and > this people and all Israel > have chosen. And I want to stay with him. Besides, > who is there to serve other than the son? Just as I served your father, > I'm now ready to serve you." > > 20 Then Absalom spoke to Ahithophel, "Are you ready to give counsel? What > do we do next?" > > 21-22 Ahithophel told Absalom, "Go and sleep with your father's > concubines, the ones he left to > tend to the palace. Everyone will hear that you have openly > disgraced your father, and the morale of everyone on your side will be > strengthened." So Absalom > pitched a tent up on the roof in public view, and went > in and slept with his father's concubines. > > 23 The counsel that Ahithophel gave in those days was treated as if God > himself had spoken. That > was the reputation of Ahithophel's counsel to David; it > was the same with Absalom. > > 2 Samuel 17 > 1-3 Next Ahithophel advised Absalom, "Let me handpick twelve thousand men > and go after David > tonight. I'll come on him when he's bone tired and take him > by complete surprise. The whole army will run off and I'll kill only > David. Then I'll bring the army > back to you-a bride brought back to her husband! You're > only after one man, after all. Then everyone will be together in peace!" > > 4 Absalom thought it was an excellent strategy, and all the elders of > Israel agreed. > > 5 But then Absalom said, "Call in Hushai the Arkite-let's hear what he has > to say." > > 6 So Hushai came and Absalom put it to him, "This is what Ahithophel > advised. Should we do it? What > do you say?" > > 7-10 Hushai said, "The counsel that Ahithophel has given in this instance > is not good. You know > your father and his men, brave and bitterly angry-like > a bear robbed of her cubs. And your father is an experienced fighter; you > can be sure he won't be > caught napping at a time like this. Even while we're > talking, he's probably holed up in some cave or other. If he jumps your > men from ambush, word will > soon get back, 'A slaughter of Absalom's army!' Even > if your men are valiant with hearts of lions, they'll fall apart at such > news, for everyone in > Israel knows the kind of fighting stuff your father's made > of, and also the men with him. > > 11-13 "Here's what I'd advise: Muster the whole country, from Dan to > Beersheba, an army like the > sand of the sea, and you personally lead them. We'll smoke > him out wherever he is, fall on him like dew falls on the earth, and, > believe me, there won't be a > single survivor. If he hides out in a city, then the > whole army will bring ropes to that city and pull it down and into a > gully-not so much as a pebble > left of it!" > > 14 Absalom and all his company agreed that the counsel of Hushai the > Arkite was better than the > counsel of Ahithophel. (God had determined to discredit > the counsel of Ahithophel so as to bring ruin on Absalom.) > > 15-16 Then Hushai told the priests Zadok and Abiathar, "Ahithophel advised > Absalom and the elders > of Israel thus and thus, and I advised them thus and > thus. Now send this message as quickly as possible to David: 'Don't spend > the night on this side of > the river; cross immediately or the king and everyone > with him will be swallowed up alive.'" > > 17-20 Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting around at En Rogel. A servant girl > would come and give them > messages and then they would go and tell King David, > for it wasn't safe to be seen coming into the city. But a soldier spotted > them and told Absalom, so > the two of them got out of there fast and went to a > man's house in Bahurim. He had a well in his yard and they climbed into > it. The wife took a rug and > covered the well, then spread grain on it so no one > would notice anything out of the ordinary. Shortly, Absalom's servants > came to the woman's house and > asked her, "Have you seen Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" > > The woman said, "They were headed toward the river." > > They looked but didn't find them, and then went back to Jerusalem. > > 21 When the coast was clear, Ahimaaz and Jonathan climbed out of the well > and went on to make their > report to King David, "Get up and cross the river quickly; > Ahithophel has given counsel against you!" > > 22 David and his whole army were soon up and moving and crossed the > Jordan. As morning broke there > was not a single person who had not made it across the > Jordan. > > 23 When Ahithophel realized that his counsel was not followed, he saddled > his donkey and left for > his hometown. After making out his will and putting his > house in order, he hanged himself and died. He was buried in the family > tomb. > > 24-26 About the time David arrived at Mahanaim, Absalom crossed the > Jordan, and the whole army of > Israel with him. Absalom had made Amasa head of the army, > replacing Joab. (Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, an Ishmaelite who > had married Abigail, > daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, the mother of > Joab.) Israel and Absalom set camp in Gilead. > > 27-29 When David arrived at Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Ammonite > Rabbah, and Makir son of > Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from > Rogelim brought beds and blankets, bowls and jugs filled with wheat, > barley, flour, roasted grain, > beans and lentils, honey, and curds and cheese from > the flocks and herds. They presented all this to David and his army to > eat, "because," they said, > "the army must be starved and exhausted and thirsty out > in this wilderness." > > 2 Samuel 18 > 1-2 David organized his forces. He appointed captains of thousands and > captains of hundreds. Then > David deployed his troops, a third under Joab, a third > under Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third under Ittai the > Gittite. > > The king then announced, "I'm marching with you." > > 3 They said, "No, you mustn't march with us. If we're forced to retreat, > the enemy won't give it a > second thought. And if half of us die, they won't do > so either. But you are worth ten thousand of us. It will be better for us > if you stay in the city > and help from there." > > 4 "If you say so," said the king. "I'll do what you think is best." And so > he stood beside the city > gate as the whole army marched out by hundreds and > by thousands. > > 5 Then the king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, "Deal gently for my > sake with the young man > Absalom." The whole army heard what the king commanded > the three captains regarding Absalom. > > 6-8 The army took the field to meet Israel. It turned out that the battle > was joined in the Forest > of Ephraim. The army of Israel was beaten badly there > that day by David's men, a terrific slaughter-twenty thousand men! There > was fighting helter-skelter > all over the place-the forest claimed more lives that > day than the sword! > > 9-10 Absalom ran into David's men, but was out in front of them riding his > mule, when the mule ran > under the branches of a huge oak tree. Absalom's head > was caught in the oak and he was left dangling between heaven and earth, > the mule running right out > from under him. A solitary soldier saw him and reported > it to Joab, "I just saw Absalom hanging from an oak tree!" > > 11 Joab said to the man who told him, "If you saw him, why didn't you kill > him then and there? I'd > have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver and a fancy > belt." > > 12-13 The man told Joab, "Even if I'd had a chance at a thousand pieces of > silver, I wouldn't have > laid a hand on the king's son. We all heard the king > command you and Abishai and Ittai, 'For my sake, protect the young man > Absalom.' Why, I'd be risking > my life, for nothing is hidden from the king. And > you would have just stood there!" > > 14-15 Joab said, "I can't waste my time with you." He then grabbed three > knives and stabbed Absalom > in the heart while he was still alive in the tree; > by then Absalom was surrounded by ten of Joab's armor bearers; they hacked > away at him and killed > him. > > 16-17 Joab then blew the ram's horn trumpet, calling off the army in its > pursuit of Israel. They > took Absalom, dumped him into a huge pit in the forest, > and piled an immense mound of rocks over him. > > Meanwhile the whole army of Israel was in flight, each man making his > own way home. > > 18 While alive, Absalom had erected for himself a pillar in the Valley of > the King, "because," he > said, "I have no son to carry on my name." He inscribed > the pillar with his own name. To this day it is called "The Absalom > Memorial." > > 19-20 Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, said, "Let me run to the king and bring him > the good news that God has > delivered him from his enemies." But Joab said, "You're > not the one to deliver the good news today; some other day, maybe, but > it's not 'good news' today." > (This was because the king's son was dead.) > > 21 Then Joab ordered a Cushite, "You go. Tell the king what you've seen." > > "Yes sir," said the Cushite, and ran off. > > 22 Ahimaaz son of Zadok kept at it, begging Joab, "What does it matter? > Let me run, too, following > the Cushite." > > Joab said, "Why all this 'Run, run'? You'll get no thanks for it, I can > tell you." > > 23 "I don't care; let me run." > > "Okay," said Joab, "run." So Ahimaaz ran, taking the lower valley road, > and passed the Cushite. > > 24-25 David was sitting between the two gates. The sentry had gone up to > the top of the gate on the > wall and looked around. He saw a solitary runner. The > sentry called down and told the king. The king said, "If he's alone, it > must be good news!" > > 25-26 As the runner came closer, the sentry saw another runner and called > down to the gate, > "Another runner all by himself." > > And the king said, "This also must be good news." > > 27 Then the sentry said, "I can see the first man now; he runs like > Ahimaaz son of Zadok." > > "He's a good man," said the king. "He's bringing good news for sure." > > 28 Then Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, "Peace!" Then he bowed > deeply before the king, his > face to the ground. "Blessed be your God; he has handed > over the men who rebelled against my master the king." > > 29 The king asked, "But is the young man Absalom all right?" > > Ahimaaz said, "I saw a huge ruckus just as Joab was sending me off, but > I don't know what it was > about." > > 30 The king said, "Step aside and stand over there." So he stepped aside. > > 31 Then the Cushite arrived and said, "Good news, my master and king! God > has given victory today > over all those who rebelled against you!" > > 32 "But," said the king, "is the young man Absalom all right?" > > And the Cushite replied, "Would that all of the enemies of my master > the king and all who > maliciously rose against you end up like that young man." > > 33 The king was stunned. Heartbroken, he went up to the room over the gate > and wept. As he wept he > cried out, > O my son Absalom, my dear, dear son Absalom! > Why not me rather than you, my death and not yours, > O Absalom, my dear, dear son! > > > 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
