Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Matthew 6: 34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about it1wself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Colossians 2: 6-7
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Isaiah 43: 2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Proverbs 18: 10
The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
Deuteronomy 31: 8
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
For I am the Lord , your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
My soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is (Lamentations 3:17)
Heavenly Joy comes from God
But the fruit of the Spirit is Joy…..
(Galatians 5: 22)
Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart
(Psalm 5: 11)
Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in His place
(1 Chronicles 16: 27)
In His presence, there is fullness of joy. He will make known to you the path of life
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore
(Psalm 16: 11)
We rejoice and believe in Him. The outcome is salvation of our soul
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls
(1 Peter 1: 8-9)
The Joy of the Lord may be in you
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full
(John 15: 11)
Ask and receive, so that your joy will be complete
So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete (John 16: 22, 24)
Life is not about eating and drinking
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path
(Psalms 119: 105)
Reading the scriptures is not only very important, it is our food and life
Jesus said, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God
(Matthew 4: 4)
When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty
(Jeremiah 15: 16)
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5: 11-14)
The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.
For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.
He went on to say, This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.
From this time, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. You do not want to leave too, do you? Jesus asked the Twelve
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God (John 6: 63-69)
No one can come to Jesus unless the Father enable him
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29: 11-13)
When we seek God with all our heart, we will find Him. When we found God, we find Jesus and can come to worship Him
Reading the words of God have eternal life. This is a worthwhile thing to do for ourselves, to make time from our busy schedule for a blessed life while we are still on earth and the age to come
Without God’s words, our lives become wayward and weak. Only with the guidance of God’s words, can we determine the eternal direction, and know how to walk every step of the way
Therefore, it is necessary to read the scriptures and let God’s words come close to our hearts. Let’s enjoy the words of God through reading the Bible
Praying to the Lord to plant my feet on higher ground
Doubts arises and fear dismay
My heart has no desire to stay
My prayer and aim, are higher ground
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled
My Faith has found the song of saints on higher ground
I want to catch a gleam of the glory bright
Meanwhile, I’ll pray till I have rested
O Lord, lead me on to higher ground
Lord, lift me up, and let me stand
By faith on Heaven’s tableland
A higher plane than I have found
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground
Philippians 3:14-18 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if at some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Colossians 3: 1-2 Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Philippians 1: 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;
Psalm 121: 1-2 I will lift up my eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
Proverbs 4: 18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
Psalm 63: 3-4 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
Psalm 143: 8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
☘️ All the fame, status, and wealth of the world are not eternal
All enjoyment and happiness fly away and become nothing in the blink of an eye
Even one’s own life cannot be preserved.
Therefore, pursuing worldly things and relying on human intelligence are foolish and useless
☘️ Heaven and earth will perish but You remain the same and Your years will never end
In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing You will change them and they will be discarded.
But You remain the same, and Your years will never end. (Psalms 102: 25-27)
☘️ We received a kingdom that cannot be shaken and may remain. So be thankful and worship God with reverence
To Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks.
If they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven?
At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”
The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken–that is, created things–so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12: 24-29)
☘️ With Jesus we can obtain something eternal, and valuable. Apart from Him, everything is empty, not worth pursuing and cannot be relied upon
By relying on the Lord wholeheartedly, recognizing the Lord, and relying on Him for everything, will we never change
☘️ Only Jesus Christ is unchanging. Not only does He Himself not change, but His relationship with us and His love for us will never change
The purpose of the book of Proverbs is to recognize wise instruction and apply knowledge wisely.
Most importantly, this all begins with a reverent respect—”fear”—of the Lord and the rejection of foolish ways.
Proverbs 1:8–19 is a warning against foolishness and the allure of sinful behavior.
It is an example of the biblical wisdom literature, and raises questions of values, moral behaviour, the meaning of human life, and right conduct, and its theological foundation is that “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom”
Through the study of Proverbs, we receive the moral discipline needed to live one’s life successfully.
Proverbs is full of instructions about moral discipline. Moral discipline can only come through God’s Word.
Lastly, The Book of Proverbs teaches us understanding and discernment.
Here are the contents we have read in the Book of Proverbs:
The Beginning of Knowledge
Shun Evil Counsel
The Call of Wisdom
The Value of Wisdom
Guidance for the Young
Security in Wisdom
The Peril of Adultery
Dangerous Promises
The Folly of Indolence
The Wicked Man
Beware of Adultery
The Crafty Harlot
The Excellence of Wisdom
The Way of Wisdom
The Way of Folly
Wise Sayings of Solomon
Sayings of the Wise
Further Sayings of the Wise
Further Wise Sayings of Solomon
The Wisdom of Agur
The Words of King Lemuel’s Mother
The Virtuous Wife
Thank and Praise the Lord!
May the Lord guide and enlightened us along the way
Ecclesiastes contains the thoughts of “the Philosopher”, a man who reflected deeply on how short and contradictory human life is, with its mysterious injustices and frustrations, and concluded that “life is useless”.
He could not understand the ways of God, who controls human destiny.
The theme of Ecclesiastes is the necessity of fearing God in this fallen, confusing world.
Each human being wants to understand all the ways God is acting in the world, but he cannot, because he is not God.
And yet the faithful do not despair but cling to God, even when they cannot see what God is doing.
Without a rival here, I am Thine alone My constant flame
May Thy pure love dwell in my soul
And possess me whole
My Joy, Treasure and Crown
Remove all coldness from my heart
That my every act, word, thought, be love
O Love, how gracious is Thy way
Fear vanished in Thy presence
Care, anguish, and sorrow disappeared before Thy healing grace
O Lord Jesus, there’s nothing I see, desire or seek but Thee
Titus 3: 4-5 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
Psalms 9: 1 I will praise you, O Lord , with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.
1 John 4: 4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Psalms 16: 11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalms 52: 8 But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.
John 15: 10-12 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Luke 21: 34-36 Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
1 John 4: 7-8 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Galatians 6: 9-10 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Psalms 73: 25-28 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
▪️ The Lord said to Abram to leave his country to the land that He will show him. Abram came from a family of idol worship and he did not know God. But God chose him. God will make his name great and he will be a blessing. And God will make him a great nation
▪️ Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. He had no child with Sarai
🍁 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing
I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed
So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran
(Genesis 12: 1-4)
▪️ God promised Abram a son. And he believed the Lord
🍁 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir
And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir
And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness
(Genesis 15: 3-4, 6)
▪️ Many years passed and Sarai was old. She was still without a child. So she gave her Egyptian servant, Hagar to Abram as wife and she conceived
▪️ This was a very wrong decision they made as it was not according to the will of God. This was the plan between Abram and Sarai. God was not please with Abram and He did not speak to Abram for the next 13 years
▪️ Now disharmony arise in the house of Abram
Hagar looked with contempt on her mistress
This upset Sarai and she brought up her grievous state to Abram; It displeased Abram but allowed Sarai to do as she wished
Obviously, Sarai dealt with her harshly and Hagar fled from her while she was conceived with child
Later the angel of the Lord told her to return to her mistress Sarai and be submissive to her
🍁 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar
So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife
And he went into Hagar, she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress
And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked at me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me. But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her
(Genesis 16: 1, 3-6)
▪️ The Lord appeared again to Abram when he was 99 years of age and changed his name to Abraham. God made a Covenant with him that all male shall be circumcised
▪️ The Lord change Sarai name to Sarah
▪️ God will give her a son next year and his name shall be called Isaac. The Lord will establish His covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him
▪️ Abraham laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?
▪️ As for Ishmael, the Lord will bless him. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation
🍁 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless
No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations
This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised
And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name
I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?
And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!
God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him
As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation
But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year
(Genesis 17: 1, 5, 10, 15-21)
▪️ Sarah gave birth to a son; and she saw Ishmael was laughing at her baby son
▪️ She brought her anger to Abraham and wanted to cast out Hagar and her son. Abraham was not happy on account of his son Ishmael
▪️ So God appeared and said to Abraham: Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you; and because Ishmael is also your son, the Lord will make him a great nation
▪️ The following morning, Abraham sent them away with provisions
🍁 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him
But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing
So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac
And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son
But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named
And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring
So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba
(Genesis 21: 2, 9-14)
▪️ Ishmael married an Egyptian wife
So Ishmael became the forefather of the Arab tribe
🍁 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt
(Genesis 21: 21)
▪️ Ishmael has 12 princes. God said this even before Ishmael was born
▪️ They settled in present day called Saudi Arabia; and Ishmael was the forefather of the Arabic tribes
▪️ They settled in different land and later the Islamic faith originated from the Arab tribes
🍁 These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes
They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled over against all his kinsmen
(Genesis 25: 16, 18)
▪️ Even in Rebecca’s womb Esau and Jacob were having a conflict
The Lord told Rebecca that 2 nations in your womb will be divided
🍁 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord
And the Lord said to her, Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger
When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb
The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau
Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them
(Genesis 25: 22-26)
▪️ Esau went to Ishmael and married his daughter; so Esau was close to the Ishmaelites
Later his grandson Amalek was at odd with Israel; He has great hatred for Israel
🍁 Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth
(Genesis 28: 9)
▪️ Esau grandson was Amalek
The Amalekites are seen to be the descendants of Amalek, the grandson of Esau
Esau had his birthright stolen from him by his younger brother Jacob, who later became Israel
Amalek, who grew up in Esau’s household, was very aware of the resentment his family felt against the children of Israel
🍁 Esau’s son Eliphaz also had a concubine named Timna, who bore him Amalek. These were grandsons of Esau’s wife Adah
(Genesis 37: 12)
▪️ After Israel crossed the Red Sea from Egypt, Amalek attacked them
🍁 Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God
(Deuteronomy 25: 17)
▪️ During the rule of the Persian Empire over Israel, Haman was the chief minister to the king
He was also the descendant of Agag, the king of the Amalekites
He wanted to destroyed all the Jews in the kingdom
See! The Amalekites are the descendants of Esau. Later God wipe them out of existence
🍁 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus
(Esther 3: 6)
▪️ We have had war after war and are still on going. Famine and Earthquakes are happening around the world
▪️ Since the re-establishment of Israel many wars were fought between Israel and the Arab countries
▪️ Israel ~ Arab war (1948 – 49)
Suez war (1956)
Six days war (1969 – 70)
War of Attrition (1973)
Kipper war (1982)
Gulf war (1991)
Israel – Hamas ( 2023)
🍁 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places
(Matthew 24: 6-7)
▪️ The present day conflict between Israel and the Arabic countries started long time ago since Abraham and Sarah made the wrong decision to have a son from the Egyptian maid, Hagar
▪️ Jesus is Jewish; Yet they crucified Him on the cross; and don’t believe that He is their Messiah; and they are still waiting for their Messiah to save them; Their Messiah has already come
▪️ The Jews will suffer through war and tribulations; Sufferings will wake them up; Only the remnants left are saved
🍁 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved. For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality.” It is just as Isaiah said previously: “Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah (Romans 9: 27-29)
▪️ We should not be overly concerned about all that is happening in the world
▪️ But take to heart that this is a wake up call that the Coming of our Lord Jesus is very near
Save yourselves while the door is still opened
▪️ Only God knows the number of gentiles are yet to be fulfilled
▪️ This is the mystery
The grace will be given to the gentile first until the number is fulfilled; Then the door of salvation for the gentiles will be closed; It is just like God shutting the door of the Ark. No one can go in after that
🍁 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in
[1] Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, the son of Jesse, the oracle of the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel: [2] “The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me; his word is on my tongue. [3] The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, [4] he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth. [5] “For does not my house stand so with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. For will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire? [6] But worthless men are all like thorns that are thrown away, for they cannot be taken with the hand; [7] but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire.” [8] These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time. [9] And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. [10] He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the Lord brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain. [11] And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines. [12] But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory. [13] And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. [14] David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. [15] And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” [16] Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the Lord [17] and said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did. [18] Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them and won a name beside the three. [19] He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three. [20] And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. [21] And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. [22] These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men. [23] He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard. [24] Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, [25] Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod, [26] Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, [27] Abiezer of Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite, [28] Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai of Netophah, [29] Heleb the son of Baanah of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, [30] Benaiah of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, [31] Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Bahurim, [32] Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, [33] Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, [34] Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai of Maacah, Eliam the son of Ahithophel of Gilo, [35] Hezroof Carmel, Paarai the Arbite, [36] Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, [37] Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, [38] Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, [39] Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
2 SAMUEL 23: 1-39
🍁 2 Samuel 23: 1-7 David’s Last Words
Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, the son of Jesse, the oracle of the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel:
The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me; his word is on my tongue The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth
For does not my house stand so with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure For will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire? But worthless men are all like thorns that are thrown away, for they cannot be taken with the hand; but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire
🍁 2 Samuel 23: 8-39 David’s Mighty Men
These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three He wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time
And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, son of Ahohi He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword And the Lord brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain
And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory
And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim
David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem
And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate! Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David But he would not drink of it He poured it out to the Lord and said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives? Therefore he would not drink it These things the three mighty men did
Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them and won a name beside the three He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three
And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds He struck down two ariels of Moab He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three And David set him over his bodyguard
Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa Abiezer of Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai of Netophah Heleb the son of Baanah of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin Benaiah of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Bahurim Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai of Maacah, Eliam the son of Ahithophel of Gilo Hezroof Carmel, Paarai the Arbite Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all
