Latest / A Chapter a Day Bible Reading / April 25 - 2 Samuel 15

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April 25 - 2 Samuel 15 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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  Hello friends. It's shown here.
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  It is Thursday, it's the 25th of April, it is Anzac Day.
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  That is the day that we pause, we don't go to work and we get
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  to remember the incredible sacrifice of so many people who
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  have fought for the freedom that we get to enjoy.
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  And I don't know what your Anzac Day traditions look like or what
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  this day brings for you, but it is a truly momentous day in my
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  life these days, seeing as two years ago on this day, standing
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  on the beach at the dawn service.
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  Yeah, one of those rare moments where I literally heard the
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  voice of God speaking to me, telling me that this was my
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  calling to enter into his service as an Army chaplain.
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  And here I am two years later, not just participating in the
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  service, but actually taking part in leading some of the main
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  service in Hobart, which is kind of mind blowing and and yeah,
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  just so encouraging. So I would encourage you,
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  friend, What is God prompting in your heart?
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  What is He saying? This is what I have in store for
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  you. Listen for that voice.
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  Because we just don't know what's around the corner.
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  We don't know the plans that God has for us, the plans that he
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  has put together carefully from the very beginning to use all of
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  those gifts and talents that you think really don't make much
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  sense. But God's Kingdom, it all makes
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  perfect sense. So today, today's a glorious day
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  of remembrance and a wonderful day for me personally.
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  So I pray that you get to take a moment and if you are not in
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  this part of the world, then this might not make much sense
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  to you. But this is the day that
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  Australia and New Zealand and the way that we joined together
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  and fought together in those conflicts, we celebrate that and
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  we celebrate the peace that we get to enjoy.
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  So friends, for the peace we enjoy, we are most grateful.
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  And unfortunately, in today's reading, there is not much peace
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  after David has welcomed home his son Absalom.
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  Unfortunately, Absalom rebels against him and it all goes pear
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  shaped and we see the conflict that will be part of this family
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  all too often play out. So let's read that together.
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  Second Samuel Chapter 15. After this, Absalom brought a
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  chariot and horses, and he hired 50 bodyguards to run ahead of
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  him, and he got up early every morning and went out to the gate
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  of the city. When people brought a case to
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  the king for judgement, Absalom would ask where in Israel they
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  were from, and they would tell him their tribe.
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  Then Absalom would say, you've really got a strong case here.
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  It's too bad the king doesn't have anyone to hear it.
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  I wish I were the judge. Then everyone could bring their
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  cases to me for judgement, and I would give them justice.
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  When people tried to bow before him, Absalom wouldn't let them.
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  Instead, he took them by the hand and kissed them.
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  Absalon did this with everyone who came to the king for
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  judgement, and so he stole the hearts of all the people of
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  Israel. After four years, Absalom said
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  to the king, Let me go to Hebron to offer a sacrifice to the Lord
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  and fulfil the vow I made to him.
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  For while your servant was at Geshur in Aram, I promised to
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  sacrifice to the Lord in Hebron if he would bring me back to
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  Jerusalem. All right, the king told him.
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  Go and fulfil your vow. So Absalom went to Hebron, and
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  while he was there he sent secret messengers to all the
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  tribes of Israel to stir up a rebellion against the king.
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  As soon as you hear the Rams horn, his message read.
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  You either say Absalon has been crowned king in Hebron.
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  He took 200 men from Jerusalem with him as guests, but they
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  knew nothing of his intentions. While Absalom was offering the
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  sacrifices he sent for, a heifer Fell one of David's councillors
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  who lived in Gilo. Soon many others also joined
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  Absalom and the conspiracy gained momentum.
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  A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David all
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  Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you.
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  Then we must flee at once, or it will be too late, David urged
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  his men. Hurry, If we get out of the city
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  before Absalom arrives, both we and the city of Jerusalem will
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  be spared from disaster. We are with you, his advisors
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  replied. Do what you think is best.
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  So the king and all his household set out at once.
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  He left no one behind except ten of his concubines to look after
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  the palace. The King and all his people set
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  out on foot, pausing at the last house to let all the King's men
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  move past to lead the way. There were 600 men from Gath who
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  came with David along with the King's bodyguard.
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  Then the king turned and said to Itai, a leader of the men from
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  Gath, Why are you coming with us?
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  Go on back to King Absalom, for you are a guest in Israel, a
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  foreigner in exile. You arrived only recently.
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  And should I force you today to wander with us?
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  I don't even know where we will go.
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  Go back and take your Kingsman with you, and may the Lord show
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  you His unfailing love and faithfulness.
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  But I said to the King, I vowed by the Lord and by your own life
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  that I will go wherever my Lord the King goes.
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  So no matter what happens, whether it means life or death,
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  David replied. Alright, come with us.
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  So it's I and all his men and their families went along.
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  Everyone cried loudly as the king and his followers passed
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  by. They crossed the Kidron Valley
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  and Len went out toward the wilderness.
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  Zadok and all the Levites also came along carrying the Ark of
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  the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God,
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  and Abiathar offered sacrifices until everyone had passed out of
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  the city. Then the king instructed Zadok
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  to take the Ark of God back to the city.
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  If the Lord sees fit, David said he will bring me back to see the
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  ark and the Tabernacle again, but if he is through with me,
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  then let him do what seems best to him.
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  The king also told Zadok the priest, Look, here is my plan.
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  You and Abiathar should return quietly to the city with your
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  son Ahimaaz and Abiathar's son Jonathan.
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  I will stop at the shallows of the Jordan River and wait there
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  for a report from you. So Zadok and Abiathar took the
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  Ark of God back to the city and stayed there.
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  David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he
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  went. His head was covered and his
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  feet were bare as a sign of mourning, and the people who
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  were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed
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  the hill. When someone told David that his
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  advisor, a hyphal, was now backing Absalom, David prayed
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  all Lord let a hyper fell give Absalom foolish advice.
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  When David reached the summit of the Mount of Olives, where
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  people worship God, Hushai, the archive was waiting there for
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  him. Hushai had torn his clothing and
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  put dirt on his head as a sign of mourning, but David told him
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  if you go with me, you will only be a burden.
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  Return to Jerusalem until Absalom.
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  I will now be your advisor, O King, just as I was your
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  father's advisor in the past. Then you can frustrate and
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  counter a hydrophilus. Advice.
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  Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there, tell them about
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  the plans being made in the King's palace, and they will
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  send their sons, A Hymers and Jonathan to tell me what is
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  going on. So David's friend Hushai
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  returned to Jerusalem, getting there just as Absalom arrived.
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  Lord, in this reading we hear of David just letting go of his
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  plans and acquiescing to you as his God, saying that if his time
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  of ruling was coming to an end, so be it.
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  May your will be done. Oh Lord, what an example.
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  How tightly do we hold on to our own plans?
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  How hard do we find it to let go of the things that we so badly
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  want to happen that we've been working towards?
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  But Lord, you have a plan for each of us.
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  You have a path that You want us to tread and Lord, when that
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  moment comes in our lives, when You show us what You have before
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  us, help us to put Your plans ahead of our own so that we can
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  live our lives fully in Your service, because that's what You
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  have made us for. To live lives of service to Your
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  Kingdom and nothing else is going to bring us more
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  satisfaction and fulfilment and use our gifts more fully than
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  what you have planned for us. You who know us better even than
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  ourselves. Thank you, Jesus, that You would
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  invest in us and that You would call us into Your service in
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  this way so we offer our lives to You to be used in any way
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  that you see fit to Your glory. We pray all of this in your
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  name, Amen.