Proverbs 24:17-18 (New Living Translation)
17 Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall;
don’t be happy when they stumble.
18 For the Lord will be displeased with you
and will turn his anger away from them.
Are there any victories when we have enemies?
It doesn’t appear to be so.
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1 Kings 3:16 (New Living Translation)
Some time later two prostitutes came to the king to have an argument settled.
This is from the (hi)story of wise King Solomon and the two women with one live baby. Stop! Wait a minute!
The (hi)story begins with two prostitutes bringing an argument to the King of Israel, the people chosen by God to be His special people.
Two prostitutes before the King. Two prostitutes come to the King? Where was the Chief of Staff? How did the Secret Service allow these two prostitutes into the throne room? Didn’t they vet anyone? Didn’t they do anything? How does this happen? Didn’t anyone know that the King had more important things to do but listen to two prostitutes gripe?
Again, these women are p r o s t i t u t e s.
This doesn’t make any sense (to me). God does move in mysterious ways and His thoughts are far beyond my thoughts.
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Psalms 19:14 (New Living Translation)
May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
This is a classic of prayer and poetry. What more can a person add to their prayer?
Oh that I would take this to heart every day and live it all the days of my life.
Please God, help me in my unbelief.
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1 Chronicles 27:33 (New Living Translation)
Ahithophel was the royal adviser. Hushai the Arkite was the king’s friend.
This chapter of the Chronicles of the Kings lists the names of high-ranking officials who served the King and the kingdom. Down here near the bottom of the list is Hushai. His position was the king’s friend.
I have to pause on this one. Why does the King need a friend. What does the friend of the king do?
I suppose we all need a friend or two or twelve. Through my life, I can recall occasions when someone—who was nothing more than a friend—boosted me. They didn’t give me any money, they didn’t give me anything, and they didn’t do anything for me. They were simply a friend. They were and did the kinds of things that friends do.
Yes, the king needed a friend. So do the rest of us. This need and this gift of a friend are two of the uncountable gifts from God. Thank you, God.
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2 Samuel 15:1-6 (New Living Translation)
After this, Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty bodyguards to run ahead of him. 2 He got up early every morning and went out to the gate of the city. When people brought a case to the king for judgment, Absalom would ask where in Israel they were from, and they would tell him their tribe. 3 Then Absalom would say, “You’ve really got a strong case here! It’s too bad the king doesn’t have anyone to hear it. 4 I wish I were the judge. Then everyone could bring their cases to me for judgment, and I would give them justice!”
5 When people tried to bow before him, Absalom wouldn’t let them. Instead, he took them by the hand and kissed them. 6 Absalom did this with everyone who came to the king for judgment, and so he stole the hearts of all the people of Israel.
Absalom wants to be king. He sets out on a campaign.
Promise people what they want and kiss babies.
It works. What? Yes, it works. He stole the hearts of all the people of Israel.
You’ve got to be kidding, right? How can people be so gullible, so easily swayed? I guess we haven’t changed much after a few dozen centuries.
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2 Samuel 14:20 (New Living Translation)
He did it to place the matter before you in a different light. But you are as wise as an angel of God, and you understand everything that happens among us!
A woman says this to King David after she has pretended to be someone else with a story of woe. Her acting and her story work. David relents.
Yet, David eventually sees through the act and calls the woman to account. She admits what she has done. She has told David his own tale of woe, but in a different light.
This is an example of:
The woman is a masterful actress. Someone is a masterful writer—probably the woman.
Who advises the King? An actress and a playwright, and we don’t know her name.
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2 Kings 3:14-16a (New Living Translation)
14 Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I wouldn’t even bother with you except for my respect for King Jehoshaphat of Judah. 15 Now bring me someone who can play the harp.”
While the harp was being played, the power of the Lord came upon Elisha, 16 and he said, “This is what the Lord says:…
God is about to speak to King Joram of Israel through the prophet Elisha. Elisha, however, couldn’t prophecy, so he asks for some harp music.
This is one instance, so I hesitate to draw a universal conclusion that prophecy comes with music. Still, we have it here—Elisha couldn’t speak for God without some harp music.
I don’t know what kind of “music” this music was, but it helped Elisah.
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1 Samuel 15:23 (New Living Translation)
Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”
Here is another one of those passages that must have lost something in translation, or there must be some other excuse for me not liking it.
Rebelling against someone is as bad as witchcraft: must be a bad translation. Come on, being disagreeable or the like is as bad as consulting witches, wizards, and mediums?
Being stubborn is as bad as worshiping an idol: I know this one is written incorrectly. I mean some people are just stubborn. They inherited that from their parents, right? Isn’t that the source of stubbornness? It isn’t like something you choose to be?
Once again, I am wrong, and God is right. I beg forgiveness with the usual plea—please help me with my unbelief.
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1 Samuel 14:52 (New Living Translation)
The Israelites fought constantly with the Philistines throughout Saul’s lifetime. So whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army.
As predicted, if Israel had a King, the King would take the young men into war.
I guess God knew what He was saying when he warned the Israelites of the danger of a King. God knew what all Kings in all times in all peoples would do—consume the young, brave men in their wars.
It is a shame we haven’t learned this one.
→ No CommentsTags: 1 Samuel · Old Testament
Philippians 2:3-4 (New Living Translation)
3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
This may be an odd take on these verses. Let’s say the majority of persons in a church like to do things one way. That means that church never does things that way. The majority always considers the interests of others more important than their own. Hence, the majority does things the way the minority would rather do them.
Upside down? Reverse? Crazy? Perhaps.