Giving God the Glory

Herod's Death

Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there a while. He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. Having secured the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.

On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.   Acts 12:19b–23 NIV

This is a terrifying story about how God views His glory being received by mortals. 

Well, Herod was fighting with the people of Tyre and Sidon.   Their food supplies were about to be shut off completely.  They had to make peace with him some way so their people could have food and not die.   The names Tyre and Sidon were famous in the ancient Near East. Both towns are now located in Lebanon, with Tyre 20 mi south of Sidon and only 12 mi north of the Israel-Lebanon border. Today each is just a shadow of their former selves.

So the people of Tyre and Sidon got the support of Blastus, a trusted servant of the king.  So Blastus was able to get an audience with the king for the people of Tyre and Sidon. 

The day finally arrived for the people and king Herod to meet.  We see Herod in his royal robes sitting and giving a great speech to the folks at his feet.  Maybe he promised to fill every pot with a chicken and every oven will have bread baking in it from now on.  Whatever he said it must have been impressive.  The people became excited and shouted, “This is the voice of a god and not a man.” 

The Bible says   “Immediately”    Not 5 minutes from now.  Not the next day.  But Immediately an angel of the Lord struck Herod down and he was eaten by worms and he died. 

Oh my goodness!!!  Can you see that picture?  One minute Herod is sitting there giving a speech.  His hands are raised in the air and he is telling the people what they want to hear.  They begin to shout and tell him speaks as a god.  This is exactly what he wants to hear. 

The angel of the Lord came and struck him down.  Right there in front of all the people.  All of his flesh was consumed by worms and he died right there in his royal robes. 

Why? You ask.  It was because Herod did not give God the glory.  He took the people’s glory for himself. 

Our God is a jealous God.  He does not suffer prideful men.  Other prideful men have not died by worms but they have died strange and terrible deaths.  When one chooses to do as Satan did in Heaven and challenge God’s authority and take His glory for themselves, then look out…….    

Folks, we do not live by our own power.  We only are here by the graciousness and mercy of God.  He is the only one who has the power to make us live and breathe and move here on this earth. 

He must receive all of the Glory for everything in Heaven and on earth.  He is the one who gives sunshine and rain so we have food to eat and survive.  He gives clean air for us to breathe.  He gives material to make our clothes.  He gives relationships for our edification.

He gave His Son for our salvation from sin past, present and future.  He gave the pathway to Heaven.  Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  John 14:6 NIV

Psalm 18:3 (NLT) ³ I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.

          Please be careful to give God glory and praise and honor.  

Grief... Everyone will Experience It

When we lose someone or something we will go through grief.  

We have all experienced grief. We have all had those intense waves of emotion.  Whether we lose our job, our beloved dog, our health, our imagined future (as in divorce), or when a beloved friend or relative dies, we will experience grief.

There are specific stages of grief as described by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross in her book, On Death and Dying.   In it, she identified five stages that a dying patient experiences when informed of their terminal prognosis.  We can apply these stages to our everyday loses. 

The stages Kubler-Ross identified are:

• Denial (I cannot believe this is happening to me!)
• Anger (It isn’t fair.  Why me? It is _____’s fault.)
• Bargaining (I promise I'll be a better person if... Or… If I had done something differently this would not be happening)
• Depression (I don't care anymore.  This is an important stage and must not be thwarted.)
• Acceptance (I'm ready for whatever comes.)

After you think you are done with all the stages do not be surprised to realize you are going through them again and then again.  The stages do not always come in this order.  They may mix up some and repeat and then finally acceptance will come.

There is no time frame on any of the stages.  But if there is difficulty in any stage one may need to seek professional assistance.   You may not recognize you are having difficulty but your family or friends will let you know.  Please listen to them. 

Grief is part of life.  It is part of death.  This is how God so wonderfully made us.  

A Story for Today

The subject of today's lesson is of a very sensitive nature.

  King David had many children. Amnon was David's firstborn son, born to his wife,   Ahinoam of Jezreel. Absolam and Tamar were brother and sister. They were born to  David's wife, Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur. Amnon was half-brother to Absolam and Tamar.

King David was a 'man after God's own heart'. He was a key chosen ancestor of Jesus Christ.  But David's family was what we call dysfunctional, to say the least. We are going to explore one particular incident that happened to Tamar.

2 Samuel 13:1-22  Paraphrase

Tamar was a beautiful young virgin living in her father's home.
Amnon was love sick over his half-sister, Tamar.

It was not proper for Amnon to be with Tamar.

Jonadab was a 'friend' of Amnon. Jonadab was the son of Shimeah, David's brother.  They were cousins.  Jonadab was a crafty man. He was sneaky and devious.

Jonadab saw Amnon losing weight and getting thinner. He said to Amnon, "You are the king's son. Tell me, will you, why are you wasting away?"  Amnon confessed, "Tamar is Absolam's sister and I love her."

Jonadab cooked up a plan. He told Amnon to lie on his bed and when his father, David,  noticed he was not where he was supposed to be, he would come to check on him.  "When David comes to check on you, tell him you are sick. Ask him if Tamar could come and fix some food at your bedside where you can watch. Then tell Tamar that you are so weak that it would be better if she could feed you."

Amnon lay down on his bed and did as Jonadab suggested.

David sent word to Tamar to do just as Amnon asked.

So, Tamar went to Amnon's house and she took out the flour and kneaded it; and made cakes in his sight and baked them.

A woman working in the kitchen is sensuous to a man. She was thin with long dark hair and she was very beautiful. The lust in his heart increased.

When the cakes were baked she took the pan and served them to Amnon. But Amnon would not eat them.

This situation would have caused concern to Tamar… Amnon asked her to come to his house. She came. He asked her to cook for him and she did. Now, he will not eat what she cooked. What is happening here?

Amnon said, "Have everyone go away." And they all left.

This is not a good thing. Tamar is worried that her brother is so sick that he cannot  eat in front of the group.                  But we know Amnon has evil in his heart.

Amnon said, "Come to my bedroom and feed me."

Tamar is really concerned now for his health. He has never been so sick before so that he needed to be fed…..  She is clueless of what he is thinking.  So Tamar takes the cakes into Amnon's bedroom to feed him.

Now when Tamar came into Amnon's bedroom with the cakes he took hold of her hand and said, "Come lay with me, my sister."

This is the first she has a clue that he has more on his mind than the evening meal. He hold's on tightly.  There is no one there to protect her. She is alone. If only she could have at least known that God was with her.

Tamar said, "No, my brother, do not force me. For no such thing should be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing. I could not bear the shame. And you would be as one of the wanton fools in Israel. Just talk to, the king. Tell the king that you want to marry me and he will give me to you. I will come and be your wife. It will be only a short time and I can be with you whenever you want.

Absolam is so wrong. They are not married She is a virgin. It is lust and not love. Tamar has said NQ!!!! Why won’t he listen to her?

But he would not hear her. He was stronger than she. "Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!"  ……..And then he hated her……. More than he loved her before.     Amnon said. "Get out….. Leave me."

Can you imagine how Tamar felt?  Tamar said. "No way. This is worse than the first thing you did to me."  

She is in tears end disheveled.

Amnon called a servant who attended him. He said, "Put her out and bolt the door behind her." So she gathered up her robe of many colors. It was for the daughters of the king who were virgins. The servant put her out of the house and bolted the door.

Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe of many colors and laid her hand on her head and went away crying bitterly.

She did not hide what was done to her. She went out into the street. Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe because she was shamed.   Not only once for the first thing but twice when Amnon put her out of the house. And she was in mourning for the loss of her life as she knew it and for her future. She has lost so much. Where can she go? She could not go back to the palace where the virgins live. She was defiled.  Where could she live? Who would take care of her now? In her country women who were not married were not able to earn a living to sustain themselves.  If they did not have a father or a husband to look after them they were outcasts from society. 

Absolam saw Tamar as she sat in sackcloth and ashes and crying bitterly. "What happened?"  She told him everything.

"It's OK my sister. Hold your peace. Be still. He's your brother. Do not take this to heart. It is not as bad as you are making it out to be. You will be alright," he counseled her.

What kind of advice is that? Absolam doesn't understand how badly she felt? He didn't know the shame she felt. He didn’t understand how this has changed her life. .He didn't see how the dreams of a young girl were dashed upon the rocks. He didn’t know how she had dreamt of having a wonderful husband, a home of her own and children at her feet. He didn't know how this is all gone now - totally gone forever.

No one would want her since she is not a virgin. She would not be able to walk outside the house except that people would point and say she is impure. Others would say she brought it on herself by the way she dressed, walked and talked.  She would never be able to sit at her father's table again in fine clothes like her sisters.

This isn't what was supposed to happen. "All I was doing was taking care of my sick brother just like my father asked me to. And look what he did to me? I said 'NO' but he wouldn’t listen. I tried to get away but he wouldn't let me go. Now I sit by myself alone forever at my brother's house. There will be no husband for me. There will be no children for me to cuddle, teach and love. My life is over. "

So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absolam's house.

When King David heard of all these things he became angry. Very Angry.

But did he do anything about it? No… Sometimes when we have committed similar sins as David did with Bathsheba we are unable to deal with that kind of sin in other people's lives. Especially when the people are close to us. If David had stood up for Tamar maybe things would have been different for her.

Absolam went to Amnon and talked to him. Not good or bad. But Absolam hated Amnon for what he did to Tamar, his sister.

The hatred was deep and strong. He won’t deal with him now. Sometime later. .. perhaps.

What about Amnon? Was he shamed? Doesn't look like it. Kind of looks like he is going to get away with it all.

But does he?

It was not Tamar's fault. The shame is not hers to bear.

Well, I said this is a story for today. This still happens today. Sometimes it is uncle or father or neighbor or baby sitter. Sometimes it is boys instead of girls who are hurt.

Mom, Dad, if one of your kids comes to you with a story like this don't just brush it off like David and Absolam did. Check it out. Search for the truth and when you find it stand up for the child. Take the child to a trained professional s0 they may put it all in perspective and release the emotion from the event and from their life.
Help them to forgive. Make sure they have Jesus in their heart. Jesus will help them heal from all of this. There are Christian counselors in every county.

If you are one in three who has had this or a similar experience…. there is hope. You must know it isn't your fault. You did nothing wrong. You can rise above your devastation. You can leave it behind. You can forgive. If Jesus helped others He will help you. Please call someone and talk to them about your pain. Bring your shame out into the open.  Healing can begin when you tell someone what happened. If you have been threatened go to a safe place in your community. Talk to a friend or to a Pastor or counselor. You may call me. 239·282-2013

In the midst of pain remember: Hebrews 13:5 For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you."

 In the midst of trying to rid yourself of the pain remember  Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

 In all things and in all days remember: Psalm 91:1-5 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him will I trust." Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night. Nor the arrow that flies by day. 

How do You Eat an Elephant?

Sometimes in our lives we become so bogged down with the cares of this world that we are not able to get 'it' all done.  We have so many errands and tasks to complete that there is not enough time to do it all.  All we can see is the great big elephant and he is sitting on our own plate.

So how do we eat an elephant?  ONE BITE  at a time.

Just do one task at a time.  One focus at a time.  It will all get done.  Or maybe it didn't need to be done to begin with.

This is to encourage you to relax and take a breath and see your task in a different light and take one bite at a time.  Another thing is... You may ask for help to eat that elephant.  Invite someone over to take a stab at that elephant with you.  It is always more fun with a friend.  

always, sue

How to Keep the Honeymoon Alive.....

Sometimes as the years progress we may let our relationships slip into disarray.

 May I ask you to consider these words…. 

Ø  I’m wrong

Ø  I’m sorry.

Ø  Will you forgive me? 

Ø  I love you. 

Do you think you and your mate might repair your friendship?   What would happen if you both would come together and touch hands and confess the above words.  Do you think your hearts might touch  again? 

What would it hurt to give up the right to be right?   What if you both would humble yourselves and converse again like you did when you were first married?  What would be the outcome then?   Could you learn to love him/her again? 

What about your relationship with God?  Would you be able to confess the above words to Him?  He asks you to humble yourself and to confess your sins and accept Him in your heart. 

Learn to love Him well.   

How do you study the Bible???

When we read the Bible we should be open to ask some questions about what we are reading.  In doing this we will get so much more out of the time we have spent with God. 

Just take a chapter in the Bible that seems interesting to you.  Or you may be reading through the Bible in a systematic fashion.    Whatever the case, as you read, here are some questions you might enjoy searching out the answers for.

1.       What is the chapter about? 

2.       Who is talking and to whom is it written?

3.       Why was it written?  What is the purpose of the chapter? 

4.       What do we learn about God, ourselves and others?

5.       What promises, insights, commands, warnings, and encouragements do we see?

6.       How can we apply these findings to our lives today.  

You can shorten these questions to what we used to ask in the journalism profession. 

Who

What

Where

Why

When and 

How.  

If you are willing to answer these questions, your Bible study will change dramatically.  Happy studying.....  always, Sue     

Did you know there are 5 ladies in the Lineage of Jesus?????

Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba and of course Mary the mother of Jesus. 

Matthew 1 New Living Translation (NLT)

The Ancestors of Jesus the Messiah

 ¹ This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David^[ and of Abraham:

 ² Abraham was the father of Isaac.
   Isaac was the father of Jacob.
   Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
 ³ Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).
   Perez was the father of Hezron.
   Hezron was the father of Ram.
 ⁴ Ram was the father of Amminadab.
   Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
   Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
 ⁵ Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).
   Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).
   Obed was the father of Jesse.
 ⁶ Jesse was the father of King David.
   David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).
 ⁷ Solomon was the father of Rehoboam.
   Rehoboam was the father of Abijah.
   Abijah was the father of Asa.
 ⁸ Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat.
   Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.
   Jehoram was the father of Uzziah.
 ⁹ Uzziah was the father of Jotham.
   Jotham was the father of Ahaz.
   Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.
 ¹⁰ Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh.
   Manasseh was the father of Amon
   Amon was the father of Josiah.
 ¹¹ Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon).
 ¹² After the Babylonian exile:
   Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel.
   Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel.
 ¹³ Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud.
   Abiud was the father of Eliakim.
   Eliakim was the father of Azor.
 ¹⁴ Azor was the father of Zadok.
   Zadok was the father of Akim.
   Akim was the father of Eliud.
 ¹⁵ Eliud was the father of Eleazar.
   Eleazar was the father of Matthan.
   Matthan was the father of Jacob.
 ¹⁶ Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
   Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

This is such an interesting study.  Stick with me and we will meet some interesting folks along the way.  We are going to focus on the ladies this time.  But to do this we have to see where they came from and see their relationship with the men.

Well, at the very beginning you see treachery and deceit in the family.  I’ve told you before how dysfunctional this family is.  So let’s see what we can find today. 

Remember God promised a son to Abraham and Sarah?  They did not get the son of promise for many years and Sarah became discouraged and gave her handmaid, Hagar to Abraham.  Hagar bore a son, Ishmael.  (all the modern day Muslims come from Ishmael)  When Ishmael was about 13 years old Sarah bore the son of promise, Isaac. 

Isaac grew and became married to Rebekah.  She finally became pregnant and bore twins, Esau first and Jacob second.  Through a series of events Jacob tricked Esau out of his birthright.  Genesis 25:19-34    There are more intriguing events in the story you may want to read about in Genesis.  

Jacob went to Haran where his uncle Laban lived.  He went to get a wife.  When he was first there he fell in love with Rachel.  She was very beautiful and Jacob agreed to work for 7 years for her hand in marriage.  When the marriage happened Laban gave Leah (Rachel’s older sister) to Jacob instead of Rachel.  Jacob did not find out until the next morning that he was not married to Rachel but Leah.  He was tricked.  Like he tricked his brother. 

So Jacob had 12 sons.  One of them was Judah.  Judah had 3 sons;  Er, Onan and Shelah.  Let’s go to the Bible to get this story.  It is too interesting to let out any details. 

Genesis 38:6-30  New Living Translation (NLT)

 ⁶ In the course of time, Judah arranged for his firstborn son, Er, to marry a young woman named Tamar. ⁷ But Er was a wicked man in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord took his life. ⁸ Then Judah said to Er’s brother Onan, “Go and marry Tamar, as our law requires of the brother of a man who has died. You must produce an heir for your brother.”

 ⁹ But Onan was not willing to have a child who would not be his own heir. So whenever he had intercourse with his brother’s wife, he spilled the semen on the ground. This prevented her from having a child who would belong to his brother. ¹⁰ But the Lord considered it evil for Onan to deny a child to his dead brother. So the Lord took Onan’s life, too.

 ¹¹ Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Go back to your parents’ home and remain a widow until my son Shelah is old enough to marry you.” (But Judah didn’t really intend to do this because he was afraid Shelah would also die, like his two brothers.) So Tamar went back to live in her father’s home.

 ¹² Some years later Judah’s wife died. After the time of mourning was over, Judah and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to Timnah to supervise the shearing of his sheep. ¹³ Someone told Tamar, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”

 ¹⁴ Tamar was aware that Shelah had grown up, but no arrangements had been made for her to come and marry him. So she changed out of her widow’s clothing and covered herself with a veil to disguise herself. Then she sat beside the road at the entrance to the village of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. ¹⁵ Judah noticed her and thought she was a prostitute, since she had covered her face. ¹⁶ So he stopped and propositioned her. “Let me have sex with you,” he said, not realizing that she was his own daughter-in-law.

   “How much will you pay to have sex with me?” Tamar asked.

 ¹⁷ “I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,” Judah promised.

   “But what will you give me to guarantee that you will send the goat?” she asked.

 ¹⁸ “What kind of guarantee do you want?” he replied.

   She answered, “Leave me your identification seal and its cord and the walking stick you are carrying.” So Judah gave them to her. Then he had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant. ¹⁹ Afterward she went back home, took off her veil, and put on her widow’s clothing as usual.

 ²⁰ Later Judah asked his friend Hirah the Adullamite to take the young goat to the woman and to pick up the things he had given her as his guarantee. But Hirah couldn’t find her. ²¹ So he asked the men who lived there, “Where can I find the shrine prostitute who was sitting beside the road at the entrance to Enaim?”

   “We’ve never had a shrine prostitute here,” they replied.

 ²² So Hirah returned to Judah and told him, “I couldn’t find her anywhere, and the men of the village claim they’ve never had a shrine prostitute there.”

 ²³ “Then let her keep the things I gave her,” Judah said. “I sent the young goat as we agreed, but you couldn’t find her. We’d be the laughingstock of the village if we went back again to look for her.”

 ²⁴ About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has acted like a prostitute. And now, because of this, she’s pregnant.”

   “Bring her out, and let her be burned!” Judah demanded.

 ²⁵ But as they were taking her out to kill her, she sent this message to her father-in-law: “The man who owns these things made me pregnant. Look closely. Whose seal and cord and walking stick are these?”

 ²⁶ Judah recognized them immediately and said, “She is more righteous than I am, because I didn’t arrange for her to marry my son Shelah.” And Judah never slept with Tamar again.

 ²⁷ When the time came for Tamar to give birth, it was discovered that she was carrying twins. ²⁸ While she was in labor, one of the babies reached out his hand. The midwife grabbed it and tied a scarlet string around the child’s wrist, announcing, “This one came out first.” ²⁹ But then he pulled back his hand, and out came his brother! “What!” the midwife exclaimed. “How did you break out first?” So he was named Perez.  ³⁰ Then the baby with the scarlet string on his wrist was born, and he was named Zerah.^]

Tamar tricked Judah into lying with her and she became pregnant and bore Perez.   A whole lot of trickery going on here.  Be careful to remember that what you sow you also reap. 

Ok, so let’ move on to the next lady mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy. 

New Living Translation (NLT)  Joshua 2  Rahab Protects the Spies

 ¹ Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove.  He instructed them, “Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho.” So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night.

 ² But someone told the king of Jericho, “Some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” ³ So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab: “Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land.”

 ⁴ Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, “Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn’t know where they were from. ⁵ They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them.” ⁶ (Actually, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them beneath bundles of flax she had laid out.) ⁷ So the king’s men went looking for the spies along the road leading to the shallow crossings of the Jordan River. And as soon as the king’s men had left, the gate of Jericho was shut.

 ⁸ Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. ⁹ “I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. ¹⁰ For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea^[b] when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed.^{[c] 11} No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.

 ¹² “Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that ¹³ when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families.”

 ¹⁴ “We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety,” the men agreed. “If you don’t betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the Lord gives us the land.”

 ¹⁵ Then, since Rahab’s house was built into the town wall, she let them down by a rope through the window. ¹⁶ “Escape to the hill country,” she told them. “Hide there for three days from the men searching for you. Then, when they have returned, you can go on your way.”

 ¹⁷ Before they left, the men told her, “We will be bound by the oath we have taken only if you follow these instructions. ¹⁸ When we come into the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us down. And all your family members—your father, mother, brothers, and all your relatives—must be here inside the house. ¹⁹ If they go out into the street and are killed, it will not be our fault. But if anyone lays a hand on people inside this house, we will accept the responsibility for their death. ²⁰ If you betray us, however, we are not bound by this oath in any way.”

 ²¹ “I accept your terms,” she replied. And she sent them on their way, leaving the scarlet rope hanging from the window.

 ²² The spies went up into the hill country and stayed there three days. The men who were chasing them searched everywhere along the road, but they finally returned without success.

 ²³ Then the two spies came down from the hill country, crossed the Jordan River, and reported to Joshua all that had happened to them. ²⁴ “The Lord has given us the whole land,” they said, “for all the people in the land are terrified of us.”

Joshua 6:22-23 New Living Translation (NLT)

 ²² Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, “Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute’s house and bring her out, along with all her family.”

 ²³ The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel.

Rahab was a Gentile.  Not a Jew.  She was a prostitute.  Not a virgin.  God works through people whom we are inclined to reject.  God remembered her because of her faith, not her past.   If at times you feel like a failure, remember that Rahab rose above her situation through her faith in God. 

Salmon and Rahab were the parents of Boaz.  

Boaz and Ruth were the parents of Obed.   So let’s see who is Ruth? 

Ruth has her own book in the Bible.  I would encourage you to read it.  It is short.   In it you will see love, faith, kindness, faithfulness, integrity, protection and prosperity.  What a love story!!!  Ruth and Naomi are both widows.   Naomi is Ruth’s mother in law.  They live in Moab.  Ruth is a Gentile, and when Naomi choses to move back to Bethlehem Ruth goes with her.  Ruth accepts the customs and faith of the Israelites and becomes bride of Boaz, her kinsman redeemer. 

We may see ourselves the same as Ruth.  She first had no hope, and she was an alien in a foreign land.  We have no hope and have no part in the kingdom of God.  She risked everything to put herself at the feet of Boaz.  As we risk everything to bow at the feet of Jesus, God will save us, forgive us and rebuild our lives.  He gives us blessings that last through eternity.  Jesus is our Kinsman redeemer. 

Obed was the father of Jesse.

Jesse was the father of King David.  That makes Ruth, David’s great grandma.  That makes it look different somehow doesn’t it? 

King David had an affair with Bathsheba and they had a child who died.  After that they had Solomon. He was the wisest man in the world.   2 Samuel 11

New Living Translation (NLT)  2 Samuel 11

David and Bathsheba

 ¹ In the spring of the year,  when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.

 ² Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. ³ He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” ⁴ Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home. ⁵ Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, “I’m pregnant.”

 ⁶ Then David sent word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent him to David. ⁷ When Uriah arrived, David asked him how Joab and the army were getting along and how the war was progressing. ⁸ Then he told Uriah, “Go on home and relax.  David even sent a gift to Uriah after he had left the palace. ⁹ But Uriah didn’t go home. He slept that night at the palace entrance with the king’s palace guard.

 ¹⁰ When David heard that Uriah had not gone home, he summoned him and asked, “What’s the matter? Why didn’t you go home last night after being away for so long?”

 ¹¹ Uriah replied, “The Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents,^[c] and Joab and my master’s men are camping in the open fields. How could I go home to wine and dine and sleep with my wife? I swear that I would never do such a thing.”

 ¹² “Well, stay here today,” David told him, “and tomorrow you may return to the army.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. ¹³ Then David invited him to dinner and got him drunk. But even then he couldn’t get Uriah to go home to his wife. Again he slept at the palace entrance with the king’s palace guard.

David Arranges for Uriah’s Death

 ¹⁴ So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver. ¹⁵ The letter instructed Joab, “Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed.” ¹⁶ So Joab assigned Uriah to a spot close to the city wall where he knew the enemy’s strongest men were fighting. ¹⁷ And when the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight, Uriah the Hittite was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers.

 ¹⁸ Then Joab sent a battle report to David. ¹⁹ He told his messenger, “Report all the news of the battle to the king. ²⁰ But he might get angry and ask, ‘Why did the troops go so close to the city? Didn’t they know there would be shooting from the walls? ²¹ Wasn’t Abimelech son of Gideon^[d] killed at Thebez by a woman who threw a millstone down on him from the wall? Why would you get so close to the wall?’ Then tell him, ‘Uriah the Hittite was killed, too.’”

 ²² So the messenger went to Jerusalem and gave a complete report to David. ²³ “The enemy came out against us in the open fields,” he said. “And as we chased them back to the city gate, ²⁴ the archers on the wall shot arrows at us. Some of the king’s men were killed, including Uriah the Hittite.”

 ²⁵ “Well, tell Joab not to be discouraged,” David said. “The sword devours this one today and that one tomorrow! Fight harder next time, and conquer the city!”

 ²⁶ When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. ²⁷ When the period of mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to the palace, and she became one of his wives. Then she gave birth to a son. But the Lord was displeased with what David had done.

2 Samuel 12

Nathan Rebukes David

 ¹ So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. ² The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. ³ The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. ⁴ One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.”

 ⁵ David was furious. “As surely as the Lord lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! ⁶ He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.”

 ⁷ Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! The Lord, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. ⁸ I gave you your master’s house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. ⁹ Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife. ¹⁰ From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised me by taking Uriah’s wife to be your own.

 ¹¹ “This is what the Lord says: Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view. ¹² You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel.”

David Confesses His Guilt

 ¹³ Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

   Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the Lord^[a] by doing this, your child will die.”

 ¹⁵ After Nathan returned to his home, the Lord sent a deadly illness to the child of David and Uriah’s wife. ¹⁶ David begged God to spare the child. He went without food and lay all night on the bare ground. ¹⁷ The elders of his household pleaded with him to get up and eat with them, but he refused.

 ¹⁸ Then on the seventh day the child died. David’s advisers were afraid to tell him. “He wouldn’t listen to reason while the child was ill,” they said. “What drastic thing will he do when we tell him the child is dead?”

 ¹⁹ When David saw them whispering, he realized what had happened. “Is the child dead?” he asked.

   “Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.”

 ²⁰ Then David got up from the ground, washed himself, put on lotions,  and changed his clothes. He went to the Tabernacle and worshiped the Lord. After that, he returned to the palace and was served food and ate.

 ²¹ His advisers were amazed. “We don’t understand you,” they told him. “While the child was still living, you wept and refused to eat. But now that the child is dead, you have stopped your mourning and are eating again.”

 ²² David replied, “I fasted and wept while the child was alive, for I said, ‘Perhaps the Lord will be gracious to me and let the child live.’ ²³ But why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me.”

 ²⁴ Then David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and slept with her. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The Lord loved the child ²⁵ and sent word through Nathan the prophet that they should name him Jedidiah (which means “beloved of the Lord”), as the Lord had commanded.

In the life of Bathsheba we see how seemingly small decisions lead to greater sins and greater consequences.  Bathsheba could not have foreseen the chain of events that one night with the King would lead to.   She had to deal with the guilt of being unfaithful to her husband, the discovery of her pregnancy, the death of her husband, the death of her child.  We are told that King David went in a comforted her and bore another son, Solomon.  He was loved by the Lord. 

Bathsheba’s story tells us that even small choices may have large ramifications.  We surely need to include God in all of our choices.  Another thing I think is important is to practice what is right and good.  Remember when we were kids and in school they had fire drills?  Well,  I think we should think through some scenarios and decide what is right and good and make up our minds if that situation ever comes up we will do what is right and good.  Practice it in our minds and then we will not be caught unawares.  You know????

So then Mary was the Mother of our Messiah.  Mary was a lovely young virgin.  She was chosen of God to fulfill a special plan He made before the foundation of the world. 

Ladies,  we are important to God.  He loves us in a very special way.  We can make mistakes and He will forgive us and he promises to make all things work together for good to those who love him and are called according to His purposes.  I implore you, if you have never asked Jesus into your heart to do that right now.  Ask Him to guide you in your life and in every decision you make. 

Jesus loves prostitutes, gentiles, Jews, sinners and everyone in between.  He loves me and He loves you.  Please choose Him.  sue