50 day journey to Christ - Day 20

Daily Reading:

1 Samuel 16

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

16 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have selected a king from his sons.”

² Samuel asked, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!”

The Lord answered, “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ ³ Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you are to do. You are to anoint for Me the one I indicate to you.”

⁴ Samuel did what the Lord directed and went to Bethlehem. When the elders of the town met him, they trembled and asked, “Do you come in peace?”

⁵ “In peace,” he replied. “I’ve come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. ⁶ When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Certainly the Lord’s anointed one is here before Him.”

⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”

⁸ Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either,” Samuel said. ⁹ Then Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either.” ¹⁰ After Jesse presented seven of his sons to him, Samuel told Jesse, “The Lord hasn’t chosen any of these.” ¹¹ Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” he answered, “but right now he’s tending the sheep.” Samuel told Jesse, “Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he gets here.” ¹² So Jesse sent for him. He had beautiful eyes and a healthy, handsome appearance.

Then the Lord said, “Anoint him, for he is the one.” ¹³ So Samuel took the horn of oil, anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord took control of David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.

¹⁴ Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and an evil spirit sent from the Lord began to torment him, ¹⁵ so Saul’s servants said to him, “You see that an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. ¹⁶ Let our lord command your servants here in your presence to look for someone who knows how to play the lyre. Whenever the evil spirit from God troubles you, that person can play the lyre, and you will feel better.”

¹⁷ Then Saul commanded his servants, “Find me someone who plays well and bring him to me.”

¹⁸ One of the young men answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is also a valiant man, a warrior, eloquent, handsome, and the Lord is with him.”

¹⁹ Then Saul dispatched messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” ²⁰ So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat and sent them by his son David to Saul. ²¹ When David came to Saul and entered his service, Saul admired him greatly, and David became his armor-bearer. ²² Then Saul sent word to Jesse: “Let David remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.” ²³ Whenever the spirit from God troubled Saul, David would pick up his lyre and play, and Saul would then be relieved, feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

Key:  Purple - Words of God, Bold - Verse of the Day

Daily Reflection:  Todays reading leads us through 2 stories.  The first story, one of a young man, annointed as the future king of Israel, the other of a the beginning of the end of the current king.  David was the youngest of the house of Jesse, a great grandson on Boaz and Ruth.  Annoited with oil, sealed with the Spirit of the Lord.  When the spirit of the Lord was with David it left King Saul and he was tourmented.  Saul sought relief from his agony, through the playings of the lyre, the stringings of the will be king David.   

Discussion Topic: Saul used music to ease his nerves during times of spiritual torment.  Can you identify a time when you sought music out to help ease your mind or relax you?  Is it possible to be that music in someone elses life?  

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Prayer:  Father in Heaven, you are Holy, Holy, Holy.  We enter your gates with thanksgiving in my heart, and into your courts with praise.  Better is one day of service to you, than a thousand elsewhere.  Lord reveal in us opportunities to serve those around us who may be turning to things to ease there torment.  Forgive us for judging the sins of others, as we also learn to forgive those who sin against us.  Lead us away from evil and protect us as we confront torment. for Your Kingdom, in Your Power and because of Your Glory, Amen.  

Acknowledgments:  Text - BibleGateway.com HSCB, Image - Artist Unknown, Image Website - http://www.finaltrump.com/2009/03/the-three-anointings-of-david/

50 Day journey to Christ - Day 17

Daily Reading:

Ruth 4

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Ruth and Boaz Marry

4 Boaz went to the gate of the town and sat down there. Soon the family redeemer Boaz had spoken about came by. Boaz called him by name and said, “Come^[a] over here and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. ² Then Boaz took 10 men of the town’s elders and said, “Sit here.” And they sat down.³ He said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, is selling a piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech. ⁴ I thought I should inform you:^[b] Buy it back in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, do so. But if you do^[c] not want to redeem it, tell me so that I will know, because there isn’t anyone other than you to redeem it, and I am next after you.”

“I want to redeem it,” he answered.

⁵ Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you will also acquire^[d] Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased man, to perpetuate the man’s name on his property.”

⁶ The redeemer replied, “I can’t redeem it myself, or I will ruin my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I can’t redeem it.”

⁷ At an earlier period in Israel, a man removed his sandal and gave it to the other party in order to make any matter legally binding concerning the right of redemption or the exchange of property. This was the method of legally binding a transaction in Israel.

⁸ So the redeemer removed his sandal and said to Boaz, “Buy back the property yourself.”

⁹ Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon. ¹⁰ I will also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to perpetuate the deceased man’s name on his property, so that his name will not disappear among his relatives or from the gate of his home. You are witnesses today.”

¹¹ The elders and all the people who were at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is entering your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel. May you be powerful in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem. ¹² May your house become like the house of Perez, the son Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring the Lord will give you by this young woman.”

¹³ Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he was intimate with her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. ¹⁴ Then the women said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord, who has not left you without a family redeemer today. May his name become well known in Israel. ¹⁵ He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. Indeed, your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” ¹⁶ Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and took care of him. ¹⁷ The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed.^[e] He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

David’s Genealogy from Judah’s Son

¹⁸ Now this is the genealogy of Perez:

Perez fathered Hezron.
¹⁹ Hezron fathered Ram,^[f]
who fathered Amminadab.
²⁰ Amminadab fathered Nahshon,
who fathered Salmon.
²¹ Salmon fathered Boaz,
who fathered Obed.
²² And Obed fathered Jesse,
who fathered David.

Daily Reflection:  As we pass into the next part of the story, we learn about more of a personal story.  A story about a woman, born of a foreign land with foreign traditions and customs.  A woman whose husband had died, and the family name would have died with the death of Ruth and her Mother in law Naiomi.  Without a husband neither one of them had much of a chance to work, earn income and provide for themselves and needed a reedemer.  As sinners, outside of the will of God, we are all in need of a reedemer.  

Discussion Question:  Think about your own life, what has Jesus redeemed you from?

Prayer:  Father in heaven, thank you for giving us your Son for our redemption.  Jesus thank you for taking on the ugliness of our sin and stepping up to be our Redeemer.  Your love for us is never ending.  We give thanks and praise for all You do, and all You are.  In your beautiful name.  Amen.  

(Acknowledgments: Scripture Text - BibleGateway.com, Artwork from: involutedgenealogies.com)