211 And there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David inquired of Jehovah. And Jehovah said, It is for Saul, and for [his] house of blood, because he slew the Gibeonites. 2 And the king called the Gibeonites, and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remainder of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn to them; and Saul sought to smite them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah.) 3 And David said to the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and with what shall I make atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of Jehovah? 4 And the Gibeonites said to him, As to Saul and his house, it is with us no question of receiving silver or gold, neither is it for us to have any man put to death in Israel. And he said, What ye say will I do for you. 5 And they said to the king, The man that consumed us, and that devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in all the borders of Israel, 6 let seven men of his sons be given up to us, and we will hang them up to Jehovah in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of Jehovah. And the king said, I will give [them]. 7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of Jehovah's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. 8 And the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she had borne to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of [the sister of] Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; 9 and he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before Jehovah. And they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the first days of the harvest, in the beginning of barley harvest.
10 Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water poured on them out of the heavens, and suffered neither the fowl of the heavens to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night. 11 And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done. 12 And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-Gilead, who had stolen them from the open place of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, the day the Philistines had smitten Saul in Gilboa; 13 and he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged. 14 And they buried [them] with the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the sepulchre of Kish his father; and they did all that the king had commanded. And afterwards God was propitious to the land.
15 And the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought with the Philistines. And David was exhausted. 16 And Ishbibenob, who was of the children of Raphah—the weight of his lance was three hundred shekels of bronze, and he was girded with new [armour]—thought to smite David. 17 And Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the lamp of Israel.
18 And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines, at Gob; then Sibbechai the Hushathite smote Saph, who was of the children of Raphah. 19 And there was again a battle at Gob with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, a Bethlehemite, smote Goliath the Gittite; now the shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam. 20 And there was again a battle, at Gath; and there was a man [there] of great stature, that had on each hand six fingers, and on each foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to Raphah. 21 And he defied Israel; but Jonathan the son of Shimea David's brother smote him. 22 These four were born to Raphah, in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
221 And David spoke to Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul.
2 And he said, Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; 3 God is my rock, in him will I trust—My shield, and the horn of my salvation, My high tower, and my refuge, My saviour: thou wilt save me from violence. 4 I will call upon Jehovah, who is to be praised; So shall I be saved from mine enemies. 5 For the waves of death encompassed me, Torrents of Belial made me afraid. 6 The bands of Sheol surrounded me; The cords of death encountered me; 7 In my distress I called upon Jehovah, And I cried to my God; And he heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry [came] into his ears. 8 Then the earth shook, and quaked; The foundations of the heavens trembled And shook because he was wroth. 9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals burned forth from it. 10 And he bowed the heavens, and came down; And darkness was under his feet. 11 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; And he was seen upon the wings of the wind. 12 And he made darkness round about him a tent, Gatherings of waters, thick clouds of the skies. 13 From the brightness before him Burned forth coals of fire. 14 Jehovah thundered from the heavens, And the Most High uttered his voice. 15 And he sent arrows, and scattered [mine enemies]; Lightning, and discomfited them. 16 And the beds of the sea were seen, The foundations of the world were uncovered At the rebuke of Jehovah, At the blast of the breath of his nostrils. 17 He reached forth from above, he took me, He drew me out of great waters; 18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, From them that hated me; For they were mightier than I. 19 They encountered me in the day of my calamity; But Jehovah was my stay. 20 And he brought me forth into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted in me. 21 Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. 22 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not wickedly departed from my God. 23 For all his ordinances were before me, And his statutes, I did not depart from them, 24 And I was upright before him, And kept myself from mine iniquity. 25 And Jehovah hath recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his sight. 26 With the gracious thou dost shew thyself gracious; With the upright man thou dost shew thyself upright; 27 With the pure thou dost shew thyself pure; And with the perverse thou dost shew thyself contrary. 28 And the afflicted people thou dost save; And thine eyes are upon the haughty, [whom] thou bringest down. 29 For thou art my lamp, Jehovah; And Jehovah enlighteneth my darkness. 30 For by thee I have run through a troop; By my God have I leaped over a wall. 31 As for God, his way is perfect; The word of Jehovah is tried: He is a shield to all that trust in him. 32 For who is God, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, save our God? 33 God is my strong fortress, And he maketh my way perfectly smooth. 34 He maketh my feet like hinds' [feet], And setteth me upon my high places. 35 He teacheth my hands to war, And mine arms bend a bow of brass. 36 And thou didst give me the shield of thy salvation, And thy condescending gentleness hath made me great. 37 Thou enlargedst my steps under me; And mine ankles did not slip. 38 I pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them, And I turned not again till they were consumed. 39 And I have consumed them and have crushed them, and they rose not again; Yea, they fell under my feet. 40 And thou girdedst me with strength to battle: Thou didst subdue under me those that rose up against me. 41 And mine enemies didst thou make to turn their backs unto me, And those that hated me I destroyed. 42 They looked, and there was none to save—Unto Jehovah, and he answered them not. 43 And I did beat them small as the dust of the earth, I trod them as the mire of the streets; I stamped upon them. 44 And thou hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, Thou hast kept me to be head of the nations: A people I knew not doth serve me: 45 Strangers come cringing unto me: At the hearing of the ear, they obey me. 46 Strangers have faded away, And they come trembling forth from their close places. 47 Jehovah liveth; and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God, the rock of my salvation, 48 The God who hath avenged me, And hath brought the peoples under me. 49 He brought me forth from mine enemies: Yea, thou hast lifted me up above them that rose up against me; From the man of violence hast thou delivered me. 50 Therefore will I give thanks to thee, Jehovah, among the nations, And will sing psalms to thy name. 51 [It is he] who giveth great deliverances to his king, And sheweth loving-kindness to his anointed, To David, and to his seed for evermore.
24 But when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, he said, How difficultly shall those who have riches enter into the kingdom of God; 25 for it is easier for a camel to enter through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 26 And those who heard it said, And who can be saved? 27 But he said, The things that are impossible with men are possible with God. 28 And Peter said, Behold, we have left all things and have followed thee. 29 And he said to them, Verily I say to you, There is no one who has left home, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, 30 who shall not receive manifold more at this time, and in the coming age life eternal.
31 And he took the twelve to [him] and said to them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written of the Son of man by the prophets shall be accomplished; 32 for he shall be delivered up to the nations, and shall be mocked, and insulted, and spit upon. 33 And when they have scourged [him] they will kill him; and on the third day he will rise again. 34 And they understood nothing of these things. And this word was hidden from them, and they did not know what was said.
35 And it came to pass when he came into the neighbourhood of Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside begging. 36 And when he heard the crowd passing, he inquired what this might be. 37 And they told him that Jesus the Nazaraean was passing by. 38 And he called out saying, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. 39 And those [who were] going before rebuked him that he might be silent; but he cried out so much the more, Son of David, have mercy on me. 40 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be led to him. And when he drew nigh he asked him [saying], 41 What wilt thou that I shall do to thee? And he said, Lord, that I may see. 42 And Jesus said to him, See: thy faith has healed thee. 43 And immediately he saw, and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people when they saw [it] gave praise to God.
(Read Luke 18:18-30)
Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they cannot serve both; but if one must be quitted, it shall be their God, not their wordly gain. Their boasted obedience will be found mere outside show; the love of the world in some form or other lies at the root. Men are apt to speak too much of what they have left and lost, of what they have done and suffered for Christ, as Peter did. But we should rather be ashamed that there has been any regret or difficulty in doing it.
(Read Luke 18:31-34)
The Spirit of Christ, in the Old Testament prophets, testified beforehand his sufferings, and the glory that should follow, 1 Peter 1:11. The disciples' prejudices were so strong, that they would not understand these things literally. They were so intent upon the prophecies which spake of Christ's glory, that they overlooked those which spake of his sufferings. People run into mistakes, because they read their Bibles by halves, and are only for the smooth things. We are as backward to learn the proper lessons from the sufferings, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ, as the disciples were to what he told them as to those events; and for the same reason; self-love, and a desire of worldly objects, close our understandings.
(Read Luke 18:35-43)
This poor blind man sat by the wayside, begging. He was not only blind, but poor, the fitter emblem of the world of mankind which Christ came to heal and save. The prayer of faith, guided by Christ's encouraging promises, and grounded on them, shall not be in vain. The grace of Christ ought to be thankfully acknowledged, to the glory of God. It is for the glory of God if we follow Jesus, as those will do whose eyes are opened. We must praise God for his mercies to others, as well as for mercies to ourselves. Would we rightly understand these things, we must come to Christ, like the blind man, earnestly beseeching him to open our eyes, and to show us clearly the excellence of his precepts, and the value of his salvation.
