M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
David Leaves the Service of Achish
29 Now the Philistines assembled all their forces at Aphek, and Israel was encamped at the spring that is in Jezreel. 2 The rulers of the Philistines were passing on according to hundreds and thousands, David and his men passing on at the rear with Achish. 3 Then the commanders of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul, the king of Israel, who has been with me for days and years?[a] I have not found anything threatening in him from the day of his desertion until this day!” 4 But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him and they said to him, “Send the man back so that he might return to his place where you have assigned him! But he will not go down with us into the battle, so that he does not become an adversary to us in the battle. By what could this fellow make himself favorable to his lord? Is it not with the heads of these men? 5 Is this not David about whom they sing in the dances, saying,
‘Saul has killed his thousands,
but David his ten thousands’?”
6 So Achish called David and said to him, “As Yahweh lives,[b] certainly you were honest, and I am pleased to have you marching with me[c] in the campaign.[d] For I have not found any wrong in you from the day you came to me until this day, but in the eyes of the rulers, you are not good. 7 So then, return and go in peace, so that you do not do something that displeases[e] the rulers of the Philistines.” 8 Then David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant from the day that I entered your service[f] until this day, that I should not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” 9 And Achish answered and said to David, “I know that you are good in my eyes, like an angel of God! However, the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go up with us into the battle.’ 10 So then, rise early in the morning, you and the servants of your lord who came with you. When you rise early in the morning and it is light enough for you, leave. 11 So David set out early, he and his men, to leave in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines, but the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
David Recovers His Loved Ones
30 Now[g] when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. When they attacked Ziklag, they burned it with fire. 2 They took captive the women[h] who were in it, from the youngest to the oldest.[i] They did not kill anyone, but carried them off and went on their way. 3 When David and his men came to the city, they saw,[j] and it was burned with fire, and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until there was not enough strength in them to weep. 5 Two of David’s wives had been taken captive. Ahinoam from Jezreel[k] and Abigail, the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 6 And David was in a very precarious situation,[l] for the people spoke of stoning him, for the souls of all the people were bitter, each one over his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in Yahweh his God.
7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Please bring the ephod here for me.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 And David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Should I pursue after this band of raiders? Will I overtake them?” He said to him, “Pursue them, for you will certainly overtake them, and you will certainly rescue them.” 9 So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the Wadi[m] Besor, but the rest remained. 10 David pursued, he and four hundred men; but two hundred men stayed because they were too exhausted to pass over the Wadi Besor.
11 Then they found an Egyptian man in the open country and brought him to David, and they gave him food and he ate; they also gave him water. 12 They gave him a slice of fig cake and two raisin cakes; he ate and this revived him,[n] because he had not eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 Then David said to him, “To whom do you belong,[o] and from where are you? The young man said, “I am an Egyptian young man, a servant of an Amalekite man, but my master abandoned me because I became ill three days ago. 14 We raided the Negev of the Kerethites and that which belongs to Judah and then the Negev of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.” 15 So David asked him, “Will you take me down to this band of raiders?” He said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me and that you will not deliver me into my master’s hand! Then I will take you down to this band.” 16 So he took him down, and there they were,[p] spread out over the surface of all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all of the abundant plunder which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17 Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped except[q] four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled. 18 So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken; David also rescued his two wives. 19 None of theirs was missing from the smallest to the greatest,[r] even sons and daughters, from the plunder up to everything they had taken for themselves; David brought back everything. 20 And David took all of the sheep,[s] and the cattle they drove along in front of that livestock, and they said, “This is David’s plunder.”
21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow[t] David; they had left them behind at the Wadi[u] Besor. They went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. David came near with the people and asked them how they were doing.[v] 22 Then all the corrupt and useless men among the men who went with David reacted and said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them anything from the plunder which we recovered, except[w] each man may take his own wife and children. They must take them along and go!” 23 But David said to them, “You should not do so, my brothers, with what Yahweh has given to us! He has preserved us and has given the raiding band that came against us into our hand. 24 And who would listen to you regarding this matter? For as the share of the one who went down into the battle, so the share of the one who remained with the baggage will be. They will share alike.” 25 So[x] from that day and beyond, he made it a rule and a regulation for Israel until this day.
26 Then David came to Ziklag, and he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Here is[y] a gift for you from the plunder of the enemies of Yahweh!” 27 It was for those in Bethel, for those in Ramoth of the Negev, for those in Jattir, 28 for those in Aroer, for those in Siphmoth, for those in Eshtemoa, 29 for those in Racal, for those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites, for those in the towns of the Kenites, 30 for those in Hormah, for those in Bor Ashan, for those in Athach, 31 for those in Hebron, and for all the places where David and his men had roamed.[z]
A History Lesson from Israel
10 For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all went through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. 5 But God was not pleased with the majority of them, for they were struck down in the desert.
6 Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we should not be desirers of evil things, just as those also desired them, 7 and not become idolaters, as some of them did, just as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play,”[a] 8 nor commit sexual immorality, as some of them committed sexual immorality, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day, 9 nor put Christ to the test, as some of them tested him, and were destroyed by snakes, 10 nor grumble, just as some of them grumbled, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to those people as an example, but are written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore, the one who thinks that he stands must watch out lest he fall. 13 Temptation has not come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but will also make a way out together with the temptation, so that you may be able to endure it.
Warning Against Idolatry
14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I am speaking as to sensible people; you judge what I am saying. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all share from the one bread. 18 Consider Israel according to the flesh: are not the ones who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar? 19 Therefore, what am I saying? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but that the things which they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to become sharers with demons. 21 You are not able to drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You are not able to share the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Or are we attempting to provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than he is, are we?[b]
Freedom in Christ
23 All things are permitted, but not all things are profitable. All things are permitted, but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good[c] but the good of the other. 25 Eat everything that is sold in the meat market, asking no questions[d] for the sake of the conscience, 26 for “the earth is the Lord’s, and its fullness.”[e] 27 If any of the unbelievers invites you, and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, asking no questions[f] for the sake of the conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This is offered to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of that one who informed you and the conscience. 29 Now I am not speaking about your own conscience, but the conscience of the other person. For why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?
31 Therefore, whether you eat or you drink or whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God. 32 Give no offense[g] both to Jews and to Greeks and to the church of God, 33 just as I also please all people in all things, not seeking my own benefit, but the benefit of the many, in order that they may be saved.
Abominations in the Temple and in Jerusalem
8 And then[a] in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me.[b] And the hand of the Lord Yahweh fell on me there, 2 and I saw,[c] and look! A figure like the appearance of a man;[d] from the appearance of his waist and below was fire, and from his waist and upward[e] was like the appearance of brightness,[f] like the outward appearance of[g] amber. 3 And he sent out the form of a hand, and he took me by a lock of hair of my head, and the Spirit lifted me between earth and heaven, and it brought me to Jerusalem in visions of God to the doorway of the inner gate that faced north,[h] at which there was the seat of the image of jealousy, which was making jealous. 4 And look! There was the glory of the God of Israel like the vision that I saw in the valley. 5 And he said to me, “Son of man,[i] lift up now[j] your eyes toward the north.”[k] And I lifted up my eyes toward the north,[l] and, look, there was to the north of the gate of the altar this image of jealousy at the entrance. 6 And he said to me, “Son of man,[m] “Do you see[n] what they are doing—great detestable things that the house of Israel is committing[o] here so as to drive me from[p] my sanctuary, and yet you will see again[q] greater[r] detestable things.” 7 And he brought me to the doorway of the courtyard, and I saw, and look! A hole in the wall. 8 And he said to me, “Son of man,[s] dig now[t] through the wall.” And I dug through the wall, and look! There was a doorway. 9 And he said to me, “Come and see the detestable things, the evil that they are doing[u] here. 10 And I came, and I saw, and look, all kinds of creatures[v] and detestable beasts;[w] and all of the idols of the house of Israel were carved on the wall all around.[x] 11 And seventy men from the elders of the house of Israel, and Jaazaniah, the son of Shaphan, was standing in the midst of them, and they were standing before them.[y] Each one had his censer in his hand, and the fragrance of the cloud of the incense was going up. 12 And he said to me, “Have you seen, son of man,[z] what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in the inner rooms of his idol, for they are saying, ‘Yahweh is not seeing us; Yahweh has abandoned the land.’” 13 And he said to me, “Still you will see again[aa] greater detestable things that they are doing.” 14 And he brought me to the doorway of the gate of the house of Yahweh that is toward the north, and look! There were the women sitting weeping for Tammuz. 15 And he said to me, “Have you seen, son of man?[ab] Still you will see again[ac] greater detestable things than these.” 16 And he brought me to the inner courtyard of the house of Yahweh, and look, at the doorway of the temple of Yahweh, between the portico and the altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of Yahweh and their faces toward the east, and they were bowing down toward the east before the sun. 17 And he said to me, “Have you seen, son of man?[ad] Was it too small a thing[ae] for the house of Judah to do[af] the detestable things that they did here? For they filled up the land with violence, and they provoked me to anger again,[ag] and look! They are putting the branch to their nose. 18 And so I will act in rage, and my eye will not take pity, and I will not have compassion, and they will cry in my ear with a loud voice, and I will not hear them.”
God Provides for and Protects His People
For the music director. Of the sons of Korah.
According to Alamoth. A song.[a]
46 God is our refuge and strength,
a very sufficient help in troubles.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth change,
and though the mountains totter into the midst[b] of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though mountains shake with its surging water. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams gladden the city of God,
the holiest of the dwellings of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her;
she will not be made to totter.
God will help her at daybreak.[c]
6 Nations roar, kingdoms shake;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 Yahweh of hosts is with us;
our high stronghold is the God of Jacob. Selah
8 Come, see the works of Yahweh,
who has placed desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and cuts off the spear.
The wagons of war he burns with fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations;
I will be exalted in the earth.
11 Yahweh of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our high stronghold.
God Is King over All the Earth
For the music director. Of the sons of Korah. A psalm.[d]
47 All you peoples, clap your hands.[e]
Shout to God with a voice of rejoicing.
2 For Yahweh Most High is awesome,[f]
a great king over all the earth.
3 He subdues peoples under us
and nations under our feet.
4 He chooses for us our inheritance,
the pride of Jacob whom he loves.
5 God has gone up with a shout,
Yahweh with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises.
Sing praises to our king, sing praises.
7 For God is king of all the earth.
Sing praises with understanding.[g]
8 God reigns over nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
9 The princes of the peoples are gathered together
with the people of Abraham’s God.
For the shields of the earth belong to God.
He is very exalted.
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software