The Ultimate Sign!
Psalm 114
1 When Israel came out of Egypt,
Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,
2 Judah became God’s sanctuary,
Israel his dominion.
3 The sea looked and fled,
the Jordan turned back;
4 the mountains leaped like rams,
the hills like lambs.
5 Why was it, sea, that you fled?
Why, Jordan, did you turn back?
6 Why, mountains, did you leap like rams,
you hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 who turned the rock into a pool,
the hard rock into springs of water.
Reflection: At the heart of the story of Israel, as God’s chosen ones is the phrase, “Out of Egypt have I called you and you came out.” Interestingly the Greek word for Church is “Ekkelsia”, which also means the “called out ones”. At the heart of our lives as believers is a sense of being called. God called us out from our everyday lives to follow Him just like He did the disciples. Of course the deliverance from the Egyptians at the Red Sea is a foreshadowing of what Jesus did on the cross to deliver us from our sin. When God calls us to do something He equips us for it and even supernaturally intervenes to make sure His purpose is done. The Israelites saw many instances of this through the leadership of Moses. Leaders help prepare God’s people for what God’s wants to see happen, and are conduits of God’s power as they submit to His authority and lead with integrity and servant hearts.
1 Samuel 21:10-22:23
Saul Kills the Priests of Nob
6 Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul was seated, spear in hand, under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing at his side. 7 He said to them, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? 8 Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.” 9 But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelek son of Ahitub at Nob. 10 Ahimelek inquired of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” 11 Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelek son of Ahitub and all the men of his family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. 12 Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” “Yes, my lord,” he answered. 13 Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?” 14 Ahimelek answered the king, “Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? 15 Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father’s family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair.” 16 But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelek, you and your whole family.” 17 Then the king ordered the guards at his side: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.” But the king’s officials were unwilling to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord. 18 The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. 19 He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep. 20 But one son of Ahimelek son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to join David. 21 He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22 Then David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your whole family. 23 Stay with me; don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you is trying to kill me too. You will be safe with me.”
Reflection: While we saw some of the highlights of Saul’s ministry and leadership, today we see the “lowlights”. So consumed is Saul by the jealousy of David and his son’s allegiance with him, that he starts killing the priests who assisted him when he was in need. When Saul calls for the priest Ahimelek, the priest merely recounts how faithful David has been, but Saul orders for his death for conspiring against him. But ironically none of the Jewish guards would carry out his order because they were priests and they knew what an offense against God this would be. So Saul turns to an Edomite (who would not have had the same respect for the priestly office) to carry out his murderous threats. David, unlike Saul, valiantly accepts responsibility for the action though he is not guilty. So he offers Abiathar safe harbor. We see that once pride and jealously take over a person there is no limit to the amount of sin that will follow.
Where are you tempted to be prideful? God hates pride and it is usually a lagging indicator to a fall. Root out pride in your life by making the best possible construction of your neighbor’s actions. This is a great antidote to pride. Instead of taking things personally, seek to understand your neighbor’s actions and be gracious about your interpretation.
John 4:43-54
Jesus Heals an Official’s Son
43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there. 46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. 48 “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” 49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.” 53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed. 54 This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.
Reflection: We see Jesus ministry in three places. He leaves Judah, goes back to Cana where he turned the water into wine, then also ministers in Capernaum. He meets a royal official whose son was deathly ill, instead of going and healing the boy personally he merely says, “Go, your son will live.” Importantly the man believes Jesus at his word, and sure enough when he goes home, the boy is healed at the exact time Jesus said. Jesus turned water into wine, and death into life. This was another sign that pointed to Jesus as the Messiah. As people believed in the sign, they came to faith in the One the sign pointed to. Jesus still uses signs to point to Him. Whether it is healing, or miracles, or things that happen that can only be attributed to God’s intervention. Importantly we must not get caught up in the sign, but what the sign is pointing to … the Living God! Sometimes God shows up in signs today, and sometimes he calls us to believe in the signs He has already done. The principal sign of course being His death and resurrection!
The Lord has sent me to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God. Isaiah 61:1-2
When Jesus came to Nazareth, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:16,21
Prayer: God we see your signs all around us. Help us to see signs that point to the fact that You are Lord of all, and one day Your reign will be known to all. But for now we walk by faith trusting in what You have already done, and look forward to what you will do! Amen.
1 When Israel came out of Egypt,
Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,
2 Judah became God’s sanctuary,
Israel his dominion.
3 The sea looked and fled,
the Jordan turned back;
4 the mountains leaped like rams,
the hills like lambs.
5 Why was it, sea, that you fled?
Why, Jordan, did you turn back?
6 Why, mountains, did you leap like rams,
you hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 who turned the rock into a pool,
the hard rock into springs of water.
Reflection: At the heart of the story of Israel, as God’s chosen ones is the phrase, “Out of Egypt have I called you and you came out.” Interestingly the Greek word for Church is “Ekkelsia”, which also means the “called out ones”. At the heart of our lives as believers is a sense of being called. God called us out from our everyday lives to follow Him just like He did the disciples. Of course the deliverance from the Egyptians at the Red Sea is a foreshadowing of what Jesus did on the cross to deliver us from our sin. When God calls us to do something He equips us for it and even supernaturally intervenes to make sure His purpose is done. The Israelites saw many instances of this through the leadership of Moses. Leaders help prepare God’s people for what God’s wants to see happen, and are conduits of God’s power as they submit to His authority and lead with integrity and servant hearts.
1 Samuel 21:10-22:23
Saul Kills the Priests of Nob
6 Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul was seated, spear in hand, under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing at his side. 7 He said to them, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? 8 Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.” 9 But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelek son of Ahitub at Nob. 10 Ahimelek inquired of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” 11 Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelek son of Ahitub and all the men of his family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. 12 Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” “Yes, my lord,” he answered. 13 Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?” 14 Ahimelek answered the king, “Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? 15 Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father’s family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair.” 16 But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelek, you and your whole family.” 17 Then the king ordered the guards at his side: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.” But the king’s officials were unwilling to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord. 18 The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. 19 He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep. 20 But one son of Ahimelek son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to join David. 21 He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22 Then David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your whole family. 23 Stay with me; don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you is trying to kill me too. You will be safe with me.”
Reflection: While we saw some of the highlights of Saul’s ministry and leadership, today we see the “lowlights”. So consumed is Saul by the jealousy of David and his son’s allegiance with him, that he starts killing the priests who assisted him when he was in need. When Saul calls for the priest Ahimelek, the priest merely recounts how faithful David has been, but Saul orders for his death for conspiring against him. But ironically none of the Jewish guards would carry out his order because they were priests and they knew what an offense against God this would be. So Saul turns to an Edomite (who would not have had the same respect for the priestly office) to carry out his murderous threats. David, unlike Saul, valiantly accepts responsibility for the action though he is not guilty. So he offers Abiathar safe harbor. We see that once pride and jealously take over a person there is no limit to the amount of sin that will follow.
Where are you tempted to be prideful? God hates pride and it is usually a lagging indicator to a fall. Root out pride in your life by making the best possible construction of your neighbor’s actions. This is a great antidote to pride. Instead of taking things personally, seek to understand your neighbor’s actions and be gracious about your interpretation.
John 4:43-54
Jesus Heals an Official’s Son
43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there. 46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. 48 “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” 49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.” 53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed. 54 This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.
Reflection: We see Jesus ministry in three places. He leaves Judah, goes back to Cana where he turned the water into wine, then also ministers in Capernaum. He meets a royal official whose son was deathly ill, instead of going and healing the boy personally he merely says, “Go, your son will live.” Importantly the man believes Jesus at his word, and sure enough when he goes home, the boy is healed at the exact time Jesus said. Jesus turned water into wine, and death into life. This was another sign that pointed to Jesus as the Messiah. As people believed in the sign, they came to faith in the One the sign pointed to. Jesus still uses signs to point to Him. Whether it is healing, or miracles, or things that happen that can only be attributed to God’s intervention. Importantly we must not get caught up in the sign, but what the sign is pointing to … the Living God! Sometimes God shows up in signs today, and sometimes he calls us to believe in the signs He has already done. The principal sign of course being His death and resurrection!
The Lord has sent me to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God. Isaiah 61:1-2
When Jesus came to Nazareth, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:16,21
Prayer: God we see your signs all around us. Help us to see signs that point to the fact that You are Lord of all, and one day Your reign will be known to all. But for now we walk by faith trusting in what You have already done, and look forward to what you will do! Amen.
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