8 Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, “Am I a dog’s head of Judah? To this day I keep showing steadfast love to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not given you into the hand of David. And yet you charge me today with a fault concerning a woman. 9 God do so to Abner and more also, if I do not accomplish for David what the Lord has sworn to him, 10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.” 11 And Ish-bosheth could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.
Exegetical Notes: 2 Samuel 1:22-2:7
22 “From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.
Continues the lamentation of David over the death of Saul and Jonathan (see. 1:17, 18). Officially titled “The Song of the Bow”.
David highlights both Saul’s and Jonathan’s reputations on the battlefield in verse 22. Jonathan is known for his mastery of the bow and arrow, while Saul is a known swordsman.
23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles; they were stronger than lions.
Exegetical Notes: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; 13:2-8
12:7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
To prevent such spiritual pride from welling up in Paul, he was given a thorn in the flesh.
Continue reading “Exegetical Notes: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; 13:2-8”
Exegetical Notes: 2 Corinthians 9:1-15
9 Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints,
Paul uses a bit of honey here to convince the believers in Corinth to complete their original intention of participating in the Jerusalem Offering. (See. 8:6)
“the ministry for the saints” – more specifically the Jerusalem Offering. As Paul would go from town to town on his missionary journey, he collected an offering to present to the believers in Jerusalem.
So You’re At A Funeral (4 Practical & Polite Helps To Make A Funeral Visitation Meaningful)
One of the greatest opportunities to show genuine care and concern for others is through times of grief. I hope the following words help you communicate your love for others as you seek to be a source of God-sent comfort in their lives.
Don’t Be A Slow Driver
Exegetical Notes: 2 Corinthians 5:16-6:2
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.
“From now on, therefore” – Places strong emphasis on on the content of verses 14-15. Christ’s death is the foundational act/event that controls our actions: 1) that we would be controlled by his love, 2) that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him [14], and who we are, namely, a new creation [17].
“according to the flesh” – NIV translates this as “from a worldly point of view”.
APP: As believers, we should not assign value to individuals based on worldly measurements of worth (i.e. money, power, fame, beauty, etc.). Instead, Christ’s love as demonstrated in his reconciling death (Rom. 5:8) places each person on equal footing. Through Christ, each of us has become “a new creation”.
Exegetical Notes: 2 Corinthians 4:5-18
5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
“ourselves” – we live in a world full of self promotion. Much of what fills our social media platforms is nothing more than promoting a well manicured version of our own lives. However, as believers we have a greater duty to promote the life-changing gospel of Christ.
APP: As believers, we should desire that others experience the same eye-opening grace that we have experienced (see next verse).
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Sowing Seeds By Faith
You Been Farming Long?
We’ve all seen the picture of the two boys in overalls captioned by the words, “You been farming long?”
When Life Crumbles
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where all seems lost? You know, when life throws you something completely unexpected and you find yourself feeling completely hopeless. We all have had days like this. We’ve all had situations arise in our lives that cause us hurt, situations that cause pain, situations that make us feel a complete since of loss. I’ve had days (sometimes it may be weeks, months, or even years) like this, you have too.
Cashing A Check With Your Body
I remember a phrase from my childhood which was usually only uttered by tough guys. Tough guys or my mother. I don’t remember exactly where I first heard the phrase, but when it was said, you can bet that the speaker meant business. I think the phrase may have come from the blockbuster movie, Top Gun. Before you don your acid washed jeans and run to play “Danger Zone” on your cassette player, hear me out. In this movie, Maverick, played by the very homely Tom Cruise, has just risked his life and his airplane to help a fellow pilot safely land on an aircraft carrier. In the midst of giving Maverick a verbal reprimand, Captain Jordan tells the daring pilot, “Son, you’re ego is writing checks your body can’t cash.” We modified the phrase slightly to, “Son, you’re writing a check your body can’t cash” to mean that the running of one’s mouth was soon to end in a physical altercation.
But what if you could cash a check with your body. Would you? What would it look like? Let me explain a bit further.