Reading for Today:
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1 Samuel 18:1
Chapter 18 1 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
–19:24
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Psalms 58:1-11
Chapter 58 1 Do ye indeed in silence speak righteousness? Do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? 2 Nay, in heart ye work wickedness; Ye weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth. 3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. 4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: `They are' like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear, 5 Which hearkeneth not to the voice of charmers, Charming never so wisely. 6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: Break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Jehovah. 7 Let them melt away as water that runneth apace: When he aimeth his arrows, let them be as though they were cut off. 8 `Let them be' as a snail which melteth and passeth away, `Like' the untimely birth of a woman, that hath not seen the sun. 9 Before your pots can feel the thorns, He will take them away with a whirlwind, the green and the burning alike. 10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked; 11 So that men shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: Verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth. Psalm 59 For the Chief Musician; `set to' Al-tashheth. `A Psalm' of David. Michtam; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.
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Proverbs 15:27-30
27 He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; But he that hateth bribes shall live. 28 The heart of the righteous studieth to answer; But the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things. 29 Jehovah is far from the wicked; But he heareth the prayer of the righteous. 30 The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart; `And' good tidings make the bones fat.
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Luke 24:1-35
Chapter 24 1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came unto the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it came to pass, while they were perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel: 5 and as they were affrighted and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 saying that the Son of man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returned from the tomb, and told all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest. 10 Now they were Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the `mother' of James: and the other women with them told these things unto the apostles. 11 And these words appeared in their sight as idle talk; and they disbelieved them. 12 But Peter arose, and ran unto the tomb; and stooping and looking in, he seeth the linen cloths by themselves; and he departed to his home, wondering at that which was come to pass. 13 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was threescore furlongs from Jerusalem. 14 And they communed with each other of all these things which had happened. 15 And it came to pass, while they communed and questioned together, that Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. 17 And he said unto them, What communications are these that ye have one with another, as ye walk? And they stood still, looking sad. 18 And one of them, named Cleopas, answering said unto him, Dost thou alone sojourn in Jerusalem and not know the things which are come to pass there in these days? 19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we hoped that it was he who should redeem Israel. Yea and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things came to pass. 22 Moreover certain women of our company amazed us, having been early at the tomb; 23 and when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 And certain of them that were with us went to the tomb, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. 25 And he said unto them, O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Behooved it not the Christ to suffer these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they were going: and he made as though he would go further. 29 And they constrained him, saying, Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent. And he went in to abide with them. 30 And it came to pass, when he had sat down with them to meat, he took the bread and blessed; and breaking `it' he gave to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 32 And they said one to another, Was not our heart burning within us, while he spake to us in the way, while he opened to us the scriptures? 33 And they rose up that very hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, 34 saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 35 And they rehearsed the things `that happened' in the way, and how he was known of them in the breaking of the bread.
Notes:
1 Samuel 18:1 Jonathan loved him. Jonathan loved David with a loyalty and devotion indicative of covenantal love (18:3). Hiram of Tyre had much the same covenantal love for David (see 2 Sam. 5:11; 1 Kin. 5:1; 9:11). David’s later reign from Jerusalem is marked by loyalty to his covenant with Jonathan (2 Sam. 9:1).
1 Samuel 19:23 the Spirit of God was upon him. This was the last time the Spirit of the Lord would rest on Saul. God turned Saul’s heart to prophesy and not to harm David.
1 Samuel 19:24 stripped off his clothes. Saul removed his armor and royal garments, prompted by the Spirit of God, thus signifying God’s rejection of Saul as king over Israel. lay down naked. Without the royal garments, Saul was figuratively “naked,” perhaps so overwhelmed by the Spirit of God as to be in a deep sleep. Other than Saul’s utter despair and pitiful state at the home of the medium at En Dor (28:20) and his end at Mt. Gilboa (31:4–6), this episode represents one of the severest humblings in Saul’s life. Is Saul also among the prophets? This is a final editorial comment tying together the Spirit of God’s presence at Saul’s inauguration (10:10, 11), and the final departure of the same at his rejection (19:24).
Psalm 58:4 Their poison. The words and actions of these tyrants are like poisonous venom in a serpent’s fangs. deaf cobra. Like a cobra which cannot hear its charmer are these stubborn rulers, who ignore all encouragements to righteousness.
DAY 8: What happened on the day that Christ was resurrected from the dead?
Early in the morning, certain women came to the tomb “bringing the spices which they had prepared” (
Luke 24:1
Chapter 24 1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came unto the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared.
). But they found “the stone rolled away” (v. 2).
Matthew 28:2
2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it.
–4 records that an earthquake occurred and an angel rolled the stone away. The Roman guards fainted with fear. Mark, Luke, and John make no mention of the guards, so it appears they fled when they awoke to find the empty tomb. The women must have arrived shortly after.
Finding the stone rolled away, the women entered the tomb, but found it empty (v. 3). While they were still in the tomb, the angels suddenly appeared (v. 4;
Mark 16:5
5 And entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, arrayed in a white robe; and they were amazed.
). Only Luke mentioned both angels. Mark was concerned only with the one who spoke for the duo. Such minor differences in the Gospel accounts are all reconcilable.
The angel who spoke reminded them of Jesus’ promises (vv. 6–8), then sent them to find Peter and the disciples to report that Jesus was risen (Matt. 28:7, 8;
Mark 16:7
7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, He goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
, 8). The women did as they were told (vv. 9–11). The disciples were skeptical at first (v. 11), but ran to where the tomb was, John arriving first (
John 20:4
4 And they ran both together: and the other disciple outran Peter, and came first to the tomb;
), but Peter actually entering the tomb first (
John 20:6
6 Simon Peter therefore also cometh, following him, and entered into the tomb; and he beholdeth the linen cloths lying,
). They saw the linen wrappings intact but empty, proof that Jesus was risen (v. 12;
John 20:6
6 Simon Peter therefore also cometh, following him, and entered into the tomb; and he beholdeth the linen cloths lying,
–8). They left immediately (v. 12;
John 20:10
10 So the disciples went away again unto their own home.
).
Meanwhile, Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb and was standing outside weeping when Christ suddenly appeared to her (
John 20:11
11 But Mary was standing without at the tomb weeping: so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb;
–18). That was His first appearance (
Mark 16:9
9 Now when he was risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.
). Sometime soon after that, He met the other women on the road and appeared to them, as well (Matt. 28:9, 10). Later that day He appeared to two of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (vv. 13–32) and to Peter (v. 34).
From The MacArthur Daily Bible Copyright © 2003. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson Bibles, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc, Nashville, TN 37214, www.thomasnelson.com.
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