Texts:
1 Samuel 23-24
2 Corinthians 3
Samuel:
How much more likely would you be to set out on a new adventure if you knew, ahead of time, that God wanted you to do it?
It is interesting that David seeks God's counsel (approval? direction?) before any and every military campaign.
How do we seek God's counsel today?
In chapter 24, Saul finally comes to understand that David will be king. Saul rarely seems to get much compassion, but I feel for him here.
Corinthians:
This is a tough chapter. In "selling" the new life, the new covenant, Paul makes the "old" covenant seem out of date. Not to accuse Paul of being a salesman, but if you have a washing machine, you aren't going to buy a new one unless someone convinces you that you need it.
How does Paul compare the "new" and the "old" covenants here?
September 29, 2009
Texts:
1 Samuel 20-22
2 Corinthians 2
Samuel:
Chapter 20 seems to be at odds with much of chapter 19--in terms of how David and Saul came to such disagreement. Jonathan's knowledge of his father's feelings seems different here too.
Some people want to read into David and Jonathan's relationship. Quite frankly, it doesn't really add up. While there was homosexual behavior in those days, there was not the same sense of sexual identity as we have it today. Shouldn't men be able to be close friends without making it about sex? People do the same thing with Frodo and Sam in the Lord of the Rings. I don't see it.
When Saul yells at Jonathan in vs 30, I think it is more about the fact that Saul knows that if David is alive, his son Jonathan will never be king.
Chapter 21 is difficult. It is a good illustration of how faithful people get in the way of political scheming. The priest Ahimelech didn't know that David had fled from Saul. How could he have known? And Saul's soldiers seem to agree with him when they refuse Saul's order to kill him. Even today, innocent people suffer because of political wars.
The violence in Honduras comes to mind....
Corinthians:
In v 3, he talks about writing this tearful letter to them. Is this a letter we have? Is it chapters 10-13? Is it part of 1 Cor?
V 14-17 seem to have a different tone than the first half of the chapter, to my ears at least. What do you think?
And compare vv 16 and 17 with the opening lines of chapter 3. What do you notice?
1 Samuel 20-22
2 Corinthians 2
Samuel:
Chapter 20 seems to be at odds with much of chapter 19--in terms of how David and Saul came to such disagreement. Jonathan's knowledge of his father's feelings seems different here too.
Some people want to read into David and Jonathan's relationship. Quite frankly, it doesn't really add up. While there was homosexual behavior in those days, there was not the same sense of sexual identity as we have it today. Shouldn't men be able to be close friends without making it about sex? People do the same thing with Frodo and Sam in the Lord of the Rings. I don't see it.
When Saul yells at Jonathan in vs 30, I think it is more about the fact that Saul knows that if David is alive, his son Jonathan will never be king.
Chapter 21 is difficult. It is a good illustration of how faithful people get in the way of political scheming. The priest Ahimelech didn't know that David had fled from Saul. How could he have known? And Saul's soldiers seem to agree with him when they refuse Saul's order to kill him. Even today, innocent people suffer because of political wars.
The violence in Honduras comes to mind....
Corinthians:
In v 3, he talks about writing this tearful letter to them. Is this a letter we have? Is it chapters 10-13? Is it part of 1 Cor?
V 14-17 seem to have a different tone than the first half of the chapter, to my ears at least. What do you think?
And compare vv 16 and 17 with the opening lines of chapter 3. What do you notice?
September 28, 2009
Texts:
1 Samuel 18-19
2 Corinthians 1
Samuel:
The story of David just gets better and better.
Poor Saul. His son loves David. His daughter loves David. The people love David. Even God loves David.
Corinthians:
Welcome to Second Corinthians. As you may have heard me say in Sunday School last week, many scholars believe that this is a compilation of at least 2 letters by Paul to the church in Corinth. It is also possible that this letter (or parts of it) pre-date the one we know as "First Corinthians". In any case, chapters 10-13 seem to have a different tone than the earlier chapters. Think about these possibilities as you read this letter.
One interesting note at the end of chapter 1 is verses 17-22 is this idea of saying "yes" and "no". Paul points out here that Jesus is in the "yes" business. Another way of saying that is that in Jesus Christ, God's word to us is always YES! What does that say to you?
1 Samuel 18-19
2 Corinthians 1
Samuel:
The story of David just gets better and better.
Poor Saul. His son loves David. His daughter loves David. The people love David. Even God loves David.
Corinthians:
Welcome to Second Corinthians. As you may have heard me say in Sunday School last week, many scholars believe that this is a compilation of at least 2 letters by Paul to the church in Corinth. It is also possible that this letter (or parts of it) pre-date the one we know as "First Corinthians". In any case, chapters 10-13 seem to have a different tone than the earlier chapters. Think about these possibilities as you read this letter.
One interesting note at the end of chapter 1 is verses 17-22 is this idea of saying "yes" and "no". Paul points out here that Jesus is in the "yes" business. Another way of saying that is that in Jesus Christ, God's word to us is always YES! What does that say to you?
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