M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

David Wins over the Ammonites and Syrians

10 After this the king of the Ammonites died. His son Hanun became king in his place. ² Then David said, “I will show kindness to Nahash’s son Hanun, just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent some of his servants to comfort him in the loss of his father. But when David’s servants came to the land of the Ammonites, ³ the Ammonite leaders said to their lord Hanun, “Do you think that David is honoring your father because he sent men to comfort you? Has he not sent his servants to you so they can spy out the city and destroy it?” ⁴ So Hanun took David’s servants and cut off half the hair from their faces. Then he cut off half their clothing, almost up to the belt, and sent them away. ⁵ When David heard about it, he sent men to meet them, for they were very ashamed. The king said, “Stay at Jericho until the hair grows again on your faces. Then return.”

⁶ Now when the sons of Ammon saw that they had become hated by David, they paid for the help of the Syrians of Beth-rehob and the Syrians of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers. And they paid for the help of the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and 12,000 men of Tob. ⁷ When David heard about it, he sent Joab and all the army of the powerful men. ⁸ The sons of Ammon came to the city gate and got ready for battle. And the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob, and the men of Tob and Maacah, were by themselves in the field.

⁹ Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and behind him. So he chose all the best men of Israel and dressed them for battle against the Syrians. ¹⁰ He put the rest of the people under the rule of his brother Abishai. He dressed them for battle against the sons of Ammon. ¹¹ Joab said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then help me. But if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. ¹² Be strong. Let us show ourselves to have strength of heart because of our people and the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is good in His eyes.” ¹³ So Joab and the people who were with him came near to battle against the Syrians, and they ran away from him. ¹⁴ When the sons of Ammon saw that the Syrians had run away, they ran away from Abishai and went into the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the sons of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵ When the Syrians saw that they had lost the battle against Israel, they gathered together. ¹⁶ Hadadezer sent men and brought out the Syrians who were on the other side of the Euphrates River, and they came to Helam. They were led by Shobach, the captain of Hadadezer’s army. ¹⁷ When it was told to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. The Syrians dressed themselves for battle against David, and fought against him. ¹⁸ But the Syrians ran away from Israel. David killed 700 drivers of the Syrian war-wagons, and 40,000 horsemen. He killed Shobach, the captain of their army, who died there. ¹⁹ When all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had lost the battle against Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. The Syrians were afraid to help the sons of Ammon any more.

The Old and the New Way

3 Are we making it sound as if we think we are so important? Other people write letters about themselves. Do we need to write such a letter to you? ² You are our letter. You are written in our hearts. You are known and read by all men. ³ You are as a letter from Christ written by us. You are not written as other letters are written with ink, or on pieces of stone. You are written in human hearts by the Spirit of the living God. ⁴ We can say these things because of our faith in God through Christ. ⁵ We know we are not able in ourselves to do any of this work. God makes us able to do these things. ⁶ God is the One Who made us preachers of a New Way of Worship. This New Way of Worship is not of the Law. It is of the Holy Spirit. The Law brings death, but the Holy Spirit gives life.

⁷ The Law of Moses was written on stone and it brought death. But God’s shining-greatness was seen when it was given. When Moses took it to the Jews, they could not look at his face because of the bright light. But that bright light in his face began to pass away. ⁸ The new way of life through the Holy Spirit comes with much more shining-greatness. ⁹ If the Law of Moses, that leads to death, came in shining-greatness, how much greater and brighter is the light that makes us right with God? ¹⁰ The Law of Moses came with shining-greatness long ago. But that light is no longer bright. The shining-greatness of the New Way of Worship that brings us life is so much brighter. ¹¹ The shining light that came with the Law of Moses soon passed away. But the new way of life is much brighter. It will never pass away.

¹² We speak without fear because our trust is in Christ. ¹³ We are not like Moses. He put a covering over his face so the Jews would not see that the bright light was passing away. ¹⁴ Their minds were not able to understand. Even to this day when the Law is read, there is a covering over their minds. They do not see that Christ is the only One Who can take the covering away. ¹⁵ Yes, to this day, there is a covering over their hearts whenever the Law of Moses is read. ¹⁶ But whenever a man turns to the Lord, the covering is taken away. ¹⁷ The heart is free where the Spirit of the Lord is. The Lord is the Spirit. ¹⁸ All of us, with no covering on our faces, show the shining-greatness of the Lord as in a mirror. All the time we are being changed to look like Him, with more and more of His shining-greatness. This change is from the Lord Who is the Spirit.

The Picture-Story of the Eagles and the Vine

17 The Word of the Lord came to me saying, ² “Son of man, give the people of Israel this picture-story to think about. ³ Tell them, ‘The Lord God says, “A large eagle with big wings and long feathers of many colors came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar tree. ⁴ He broke off the very top of its young branches and brought it to a land of traders. He placed it in a city of people who buy and sell. ⁵ Then he took some of the seed of the land and planted it in good ground for growing. He planted it like a willow tree where there was much water to make it grow. ⁶ And it grew and became a low spreading vine. Its branches grew toward him, but its roots stayed under it. So it became a vine, and branches and leaves grew out from it.

⁷ “But there was another large eagle with big wings and many feathers. And the vine turned its roots and branches toward him from where it was planted, that he might water it. ⁸ It had been planted in good ground beside much water, that it might grow branches and give fruit and become a beautiful vine.”’ ⁹ Tell them, ‘The Lord God says, “Will it live and grow? Will not its roots be pulled up and its fruit be cut off so that its leaves that started to grow dry up? It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the roots. ¹⁰ Even if it is planted again, will it live and grow? Will it not dry up when the east wind hits it? Will it not dry up in the place where it grew?”’”

¹¹ Then the Word of the Lord came to me saying, ¹² “Now tell these sinful people, ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘See, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem. He took its king and the king’s sons, and brought them back with him to Babylon. ¹³ He took one of the king’s family and made an agreement with him. And he made him promise to keep it. He also took away the strong leaders of the land, ¹⁴ so that the nation would be under his power and not become strong again. It could only last by keeping his agreement. ¹⁵ But the king of Judah turned against him by sending his men to Egypt to get horses and a large army for him. Will it go well for him? Can he get away with that? Can he break the agreement and not be punished? ¹⁶ As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘he will die in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose promise he hated, and whose agreement he broke. He will die in Babylon. ¹⁷ Pharaoh with his powerful army of many men will not help him in the war, when battle-walls are put up so that many people are killed. ¹⁸ He hated the promise and broke the agreement. Because he had given his promise and then did all these things, he will not get away from being punished.’” ¹⁹ So the Lord God says, “As I live, I will punish him for hating My promise and for breaking My agreement. ²⁰ I will spread My net over him and he will be caught in My trap. Then I will bring him to Babylon and punish him there for not being faithful to Me. ²¹ And all the best of his soldiers will be killed by the sword, and those left alive will be thrown to the wind. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken.”

God’s Promise of Hope

²² The Lord God says, “I will also take a young branch from the very top of the cedar tree and plant it. I will break a soft new one from the very top of its young branches, and plant it on a high mountain. ²³ I will plant it on the high mountain of Israel. It will grow branches and give fruit and become a beautiful cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it. They will nest in the shadow of its branches. ²⁴ Then all the trees of the field will know that I am the Lord. I bring down the high tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree become green. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I say.”

Prayer for Help

60 O God, You have turned away from us. You have broken us. You have been angry. O heal us and turn to us again. ² You have made the land shake. You have torn it open. Heal it where it is broken, for it shakes. ³ You have made Your people suffer hard things. You have given us wine to drink that makes us not able to walk straight. ⁴ You have given a flag to those who fear You, so it may be seen because of the truth. ⁵ Save us with Your right hand, and answer us, so Your loved ones may be set free.

⁶ God has said in His holy place: “I will be full of joy. I will divide Shechem and the valley of Succoth. ⁷ Gilead is Mine. And Manasseh is Mine. Ephraim is the covering for My head. Judah is My Law giver. ⁸ Moab is where I wash My hands. I will throw My shoe over Edom. Call out, Philistia, because of me.”

⁹ Who will bring me into the strong city? Who will lead me into Edom? ¹⁰ Have You not turned away from us, O God? And will You not go out with our armies, O God? ¹¹ O give us help against those who hate us. For the help of man is worth nothing. ¹² With God’s help we will do well. And He will break under His feet those who fight against us.

A Safe Place in God

61 Hear my cry, O God. Listen to my prayer. ² I call to You from the end of the earth when my heart is weak. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. ³ For You have been a safe place for me, a tower of strength where I am safe from those who fight against me. ⁴ Let me live in Your tent forever. Let me be safe under the covering of Your wings. ⁵ For You have heard my promises, O God. You have given me that which You give to those who fear Your name. ⁶ You will add days to the life of the king. His years will be as long as the lives of many children and grandchildren added together. ⁷ He will stay forever with God. Set apart loving-kindness and truth to keep him safe. ⁸ So I will sing thanks to Your name forever and keep my promises day by day.