2 Samuel 4-5  Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, was made king of Israel by the hand of Abner.  He was afraid of Abner, ( 3:11) but when Abner was killed, Ish-bosheth was even more afraid. ( 4:1)  He had no strength in his own and was killed by 2 of his own commanders.   These brothers, Baanah and Rechab, snuck into the house and killed Ish-bosheth while he was sleeping.  Then, they cut off his head and took it to David, proclaiming victory on his behalf.  David was not pleased by this at all and had them killed because of their treachery.

It is after this that David is made king of all Israel.  He reigned over just Judah for 7 years and over all of Israel for another 33 years.  He conquered the "stronghold of Zion", Jerusalem and renamed it the City of David.  He led Israel against the Philistines twice during this time and was victorious both times.

Chapter 6  It is at this time that David turns his attention to bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.  It had been kept at the house of Abinadab for almost a century.  David's intentions were good, but his first try went horribly wrong.  They moved the Ark by a cart pulled by oxen.  It was never intended to be moved in that way. When the oxen stumbled, Uzzah reacted by simply reaching out to keep it steady, and he was instantly struck down by the Lord.  The Ark was holy and was never allowed to be touched in that way.  David learned a lesson that day.  He learned to fear the Lord in an even deeper way than he ever had before.

Three months later, David makes another attempt at bringing the Ark to Jerusalem. This time he does it with much reverence and humility.  The Ark is carried by the Levites as the Law required.  Sacrifices are offered every 6 paces along the way.  The people shout and the trumpets sound. There is a great celebration as the Ark is brought into the city and taken into the tent that David had prepared for it.  This is also recorded in I Chronicles 15 with much more detail.  David not only brought the Ark up and prepared the tent, but he also organized the priests and Levites, restoring the true worship of the Lord as it was meant to be, according to the Law of Moses.

All of Israel celebrated this wonderful re-establishment of worship with the Lord.  All, that is, except Michal, David's wife.  Michal sees David "leaping and dancing" as he worships the Lord, " and she despised him in her heart."  Michal remains childless for all of her life.

Father in heaven, You are the Lord, Jehovah, the great and might One, who reveals Himself to His people.  Like David, that is not always easy or pleasant. May we learn early to have fear and reverence toward You, for You are Holy.  May we worship You in spirit and in truth.  Fill us Holy Spirit with Your light, that we may see clearly and worship fully.  You are worthy of our best efforts, our humblest reverence, and our deepest, fullest worship.  Even as David worshipped with all of his heart and soul and body, may we do likewise.  Praise and thanksgiving to You, O Jehovah, our God.
amen

2 Samuel 1-2  David hears of Saul's and Jonathan's deaths and he mourns the loss.  David had great respect for Saul, even though Saul had tried to kill him.  But, most of all David had loved Jonathan like a brother, and was devastated by his death.  David went up to Hebron and became king of Judah. Meanwhile, Saul's cousin Abner took one of Saul's sons, Ish-bosheth and made him king over the rest of Israel.  That lasted 2 years.

Abner, leading the army of Israel and Joab, leading the army of Judah, met together to fight.   The battle goes in Judah's favor.  Abner was running away from them and was being chased by Joab's brother, Asahel.  He warns Asahel several times to turn away, to chase someone else, but Asahel won't turn.  Abner ends up killing Asahel.  Still the chase continued, with Joab and his other brother, Abishai chasing Abner.   Abner does not want any more bloodshed.  He called out to Joab asking, "Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long will you refrain from telling the people to turn back from following their brothers?"  At this, Joab stops and sounds the trumpet. They stop pursuing Israel.  They bury their brother in Bethlehem and return to David in Hebron.

Chapter 3 - Abner makes himself powerful in Israel, but Ish-bosheth gets angry at him for taking one of Saul's concubines.  Abner gets angry and defects to David.  David accepts Abner's offer of a covenant  and asks only that his wife Michal is given back to him.  After David and Abner meet, Joab finds out about Abner's visit .  Joab is angry at Abner because of his brother's death, so he lures Abner back and kills him.  This sets David against Joab.  What a mess!

Sin and suffering go hand in hand. Personal relationships suffer from the sins of pride and self-centeredness.  Nations war against nations for the same reason - sin.   David is not immune from this. He grieved over the consequences of sin.  We do too.  Things have not changed much over the thousands of years since David's day.  Men still seek power, still kill over selfish desires, and still let anger and pride make a mess of relationships.  Our only hope is in Christ!  Let Your Kingdom come, Lord Jesus!

Father, we need You.  Lead us in Your ways and deliver us from all evil.  Forgive us our sins and help us to forgive others freely.  Fill us with Your love and grant us true peace. We ask this in the Name of Jesus, the Righteous Servant. Amen.

Galatians 6  Paul has been talking about walking in the Spirit instead of in the flesh... living lives with spiritual values, thoughts, actions etc.  Instead of boasting and arguing and biting one another, we should "bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ" - the law of love.   We do this by restoring those who fall into sin; by sharing our material goods with those who are in need; and by "doing good to all men" whenever we have the opportunity.

Those who were pushing the Christians to be circumcised had fleshly motivations to do so.. it made them look good.  They could boast about their conquests!  Paul says, " But may it never be that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world had been crucified to me and I to the world." ( v14).

We sow what we reap, Paul teaches.  If we sow "to (our) own flesh"  we will reap "corruption".  The flesh - the mortal, corruptible, perishable body, (meat) - will die and decay and return to the dust one day.   If all our focus and energy in this life is for the purpose of satisfying  our physical bodies, it is all for nothing.  When the last breath is breathed and the heart beats its last beat - there is nothing left.

But if we sow to the Spirit - if our focus and energy, our resources and gifts, are sowed into spiritual purposes - then the result will be eternal life, a harvest of peace and grace.

"Examine (your) own work", Paul writes.  What am I sowing?  Do I spend my time, energy, money, on the things that have no meaning?  Does my life revolve around ways that  I can make myself feel good, look good, and seem better than others?  Is it all about me?  Do I boast about what I have done or have?  Then, I am sowing to the flesh, and that will rot just like the meat that sits out in the open, and boy, does that stink!  

Or have I been crucified to the world and the world to me?  Have I laid down my life and taken up my cross to follow Jesus?  Does He get my time, my energy, my money, my life... it's all His really, but do I acknowledge that?  What does that look like in real life?  When I examine my own work, do I see - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control growing?   Am I restoring those who have failed?  Bearing other's burdens? Sharing with those who teach the Word? Doing good to all men?

"And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them... "   Peace - fullness, completion, rest, reconciliation with God; mercy - compassion and tenderness. What we need and what the world is greatly lacking... is ours in Jesus Christ!

Father in heaven, Jehovah-Shalom, the Lord of peace, bless Your holy Name.  Thank you for saving us and making us Your own. Come Lord Jesus and draw us to Yourself, fill us with Your Spirit, that we might walk in Your ways. Open our eyes to see Your perfect will,  to see ourselves truthfully, to examine our lives by Your Light and to turn from those things that keep us from Your full peace and rest.  We ask this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Galatians 5  We have been set free from the Law and from the "worthless elemental things" that enslaved us.  We have been made "sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus".  We are heirs to the promise.  And " It was for freedom that Christ set us free."  We have been redeemed for liberty, not for bondage.  Paul tells the Galatians that if they choose circumcision, they are choosing bondage.  Bondage to the whole Law.  This choice would cut them off from grace and from Christ.

Instead of placing themselves back into a place of bondage and trying to make themselves righteous by the works of the Law, Paul reminds them and us that what really counts is "faith working through love."  We are "called to freedom" and to use that freedom through love to "serve one another."  The whole Law is fulfilled in this way, " You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 

The only way to accomplish this is to "walk by the Spirit".  We are to be "led by the Spirit",  to "live by the Spirit" and to "walk by the Spirit".  The Spirt led life will be marked by fruit: " love , joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. " 

On the other hand, a life that is not led by the Spirit will be marked by "deeds of the flesh": "immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing" etc.  Paul exhorted the believers to not "bite and devour one another..."  and not "to be boastful, challenging one another, envying one another."  

We need a firm grasp on our identity as sons and daughters of God, through Christ.  Then we can walk in intimacy with Him, being led by His Spirit.  It is through this daily walk with Him that we begin to develop the fruit of His Spirit. When He is our life, then and only then, will His life begin to be seen in us.  Then our lives will be marked by His qualities and character instead of the qualities of the flesh driven life.

Father in heaven,  how we love You and desire to live by Your Spirit, walking in Truth and love.  Thank You for making us Your children through Jesus Christ, Your Son.  Be magnified and exalted as Your Life is seen in us.  Deliver us from temptations to live by the flesh, and from the evil one who wants us to rebel against You.  You alone are our God. We yield to You.  In Jesus Christ our Lord we come, Amen.

Galatians 4  Paul continues to explain what it means to be an "heir".  A child is an heir to his father's estate.  As a child, he has no power to claim these things, for he is too young to manage them. In this way he is no different than a slave. However, that doesn't make him any less an owner. There will come a time in his life, when he is old enough, that he will be ready to take over the inheritance.

Likewise, there was a time when men were like children or slaves, under the rule of "the elemental things of the world." The Jews were slaves to the Law.  The Gentiles were slaves to false gods or philosophies. Neither of these were good.  Neither could justify or redeem. Both systems held people in bondage.  But, there came a time, "the fullness of time" when God sent His Son, under the Law, to fulfill the Law, and to redeem, set free all who were in bondage to the Law.  Likewise, those who were in bondage to false gods, could also be set free from slavery, when they came to believe in Jesus.  They also became sons of God, through Christ. 

The problem in Galatia was that those who had been set free from slavery to their false gods, now thought that they had to be slaves to the Law... the same thing that the Jews had been set free from!

We can almost hear Paul shouting, "No! No! NO!!! What are you thinking?"  No wonder he was perplexed about them.  Paul gives another example, another contrast to help them see the truth.
They all knew the story of Abraham and Sarah.  They knew that Abraham and Sarah were promised a child. And that they got impatient and chose to use Hagar as a surrogate and produced Ishmael.
Hagar is the bondwoman, a slave, and her son would not be an heir.  Sarah is the free woman, Abraham's wife, and her son Isaac would be free, the heir of all that Abraham possessed.

Paul says that those who are under the Law, or under a false god, are like Hagar.  They are in bondage and will inherit nothing.  But those who are children of the promise, like Isaac, are free, Sarah's children. These are the heirs.  " So then brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman but of a free woman."   We are sons and daughters, not slaves.  We are able to say "Abba Father " because we have been redeemed and adopted by the Lord God Himself, through faith in Christ Jesus. 

Abba Father, how can we thank You enough for the grace that You have given us?  We are Your children, Your sons and daughters, heirs of Abraham's blessings.   Lead us in Your ways and let Your perfect will be done.  May Your Kingdom come in all of its glory and everlasting perfection and peace.  Grant us today all our needs, our daily bread portions.  Forgive us our sins as we forgive others.  Lead us in paths of righteousness and truth and wisdom, away from temptations.  Deliver us from the darkness and lies and confusion of the evil one.  For You are God and all glory, honor, and power belongs to You.  Amen.

Galatians 3  The true gospel, the Good news, is that, " All nations shall be blessed in you."  Paul says.  (God's promise to Abraham.) v8.   Abraham " believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness". 
Abraham was saved by faith.  It is faith that brings salvation/justification.  It is faith that makes us into "sons of Abraham" and children of God.

Paul argues with those who want to add the requirements of the Law to the criterion for justification.

First of all,  not even the Jews who lived by the law could be justified by the Law.  ( 2:16)
All people, Jews or Gentiles, can only be justified by faith in Christ. (2:16-17)
If anyone could be justified, made righteous by the Law, then "Christ died needlessly". (v21)
The Spirit of God cannot be received by the Law, but only "by hearing with faith". ( 3:2)
Perfection, completion or holiness,  cannot come by the Law or flesh, but only by the Spirit.. through faith. ( v3)
Miracles... do not occur because of the works of keeping the Law,  but by "hearing with faith" (v5)
Abraham, himself, was "reckoned" righteous because of faith, not works.. the Law was not even given until 430 years later. (v8, 17)

The works of the Law don't - can't  justify anyone unless they keep ALL of them.  Since no one can do that, then all are "cursed".  But, Christ "redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us".  (v13) Thus the only way that we can be justified is by faith in Him.

Paul compares the Promise and the Law.
The Promise was given to Abraham and to his seed - to Jesus Christ.
The Law, which came 430 years later, was given because of "transgressions", through a mediator, for a limited time, until "the seed should come to whom the promise had been made" - until Christ came.
The Law can not impart life. (v21)
The Promise is fulfilled by faith in Jesus Christ.
The Law was useful as a tutor,  but it served its purpose only until faith came.
Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are "sons of God".  We "who were baptized into Christ" are
clothed.. with Christ....  We are made "one in Christ Jesus".  "And if you belong to Christ then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise." 

"Heirs" - a sharer or possesser; one who receives a portion of a heritage.   In Romans 4:13 Paul wrote, "For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world..."   Heirs of the "cosmos". The promise to Abraham was HUGE!
 Genesis 17: 4-8  gives us the exact promises that God made to Abraham:
He would father a multitude of nations.
He would be exceedingly fruitful.
He would have nations and kings come from him.
God would be his God and his descendant's God.
He would have the land of Canaan forever.
Then in Genesis 22:17-18, after Abraham obeyed God by offering Isaac as a sacrifice, God added this:
" I will greatly bless you and I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand of the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." 
This is the inheritance promised to Abraham's descendants, which we are because we belong to Christ.   Our inheritance includes the nations, the blessings, the possession of the gates of the enemy, and most of all the fact that God, Elohim, the Creator and Sovereign Lord of all - is our God. Forever.

Jesus said, " Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth." ( Matthew 5:5)  All that was promised to Abraham and to his descendants is ours in Christ Jesus.

Great are You Lord and highly to be praised.  You have given us amazing grace, that we should be Your children through Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Lamb who was slain for us. Thank You.
We have been blessed with so much more than we can understand or grasp... an inheritance for eternity..   We come to You with meek and humble hearts, confessing that we are unable to do anything to deserve Your mercy, and yet You have saved us by faith in Jesus Christ, who loved us and delivered Himself up for us.  Bless Your holy Name! Amen.

Galatians 2 The "truth of the gospel" was at stake in the church of Galatia.  Those who had come to preach a distorted gospel were Jewish converts who couldn't let go of the traditions of the Law.  They wanted the Gentile believers to become Jews, submitting to circumcision and following the Law.  Paul had dealt with this before.  In fact, he had traveled to Jerusalem and met with Peter and James and the other elders to discuss this very thing.( Acts 15)   The decision had been reached already !  Since even Jews could not be saved by the Law, why should Gentiles try it too?

Again and again Paul emphasizes the "truth of the gospel".  God had entrusted him to preach the true gospel to the uncircumcised. (v7)  God had shown grace to Paul, once a staunch defender of the Law, but now freed from it,  for he was "crucified with Christ". (v20)  He "died to the Law, that (he) might live to God." ( 2:19)  To preach any other "gospel" would "nullify the grace of God". ( v21)  For " a man is not justified by the works of the Law, but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified." ( v16)

Paul's testimony is simple, "... I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and delivered Himself up for me."  It all boils down to this statement.  This is the true gospel that Paul preached and lived by.  This is pure amazing grace available to every man, woman, and child..whether Jew or Gentile..

Thank You Father, Holy God, our Savior and King.  You have revealed Your Grace to us in Your Word and by Your Spirit.  You have loved us with an everlasting love.  You have delivered us from sin and guilt.  You have forgiven us and set us free.  Wonderful are Your works O Lord!  You are great and mighty, full of lovingkindness and compassion.  We praise and worship You. In Christ Jesus our Lord we come to Your throne and ask that You will sanctify us through and through, for You are faithful and You will bring it to pass. Amen.