TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 11:27–12:9
I will bless those who bless you...and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. - Genesis 12:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
Does someone in your family have an old Bible with records of births, deaths, and marriages? These may be mostly keepsakes today, but in the days before public records of such events were kept, a family Bible may have been a lot more than an heirloom. There were probably many times when these detailed family records were the best, if not the only, source for tracing a family’s ancestry.

Every name in the family line was carefully recorded. A person who was able to use family records to prove some sort of legitimate claim or relationship would have been thankful for such careful record keeping.

God is a careful record-keeper too--every name recorded in the genealogies of His Book is important. We could spend several days tracing the biblical line of descent from Seth all the way to Abraham. That line covered a long time period and some key people, which becomes obvious when you read Genesis 5 and encounter names like Enoch and Noah.

We’re going to pick up the story of God’s righteous line with the patriarch who was called Abram until God changed his name to Abraham (Gen. 17:5). This change is important because it permanently changed the focus of Abraham’s life. The name Abram, “exalted father,” pointed backward to Abram’s heritage, which may have included royalty. But the name Abraham, “father of a multitude,” pointed ahead to this man’s descendants--including Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:16).

You’ll find another key genealogy in Genesis 11:10-26. The names here show the descent of Seth’s righteous line from Noah’s son Shem to Terah, the father of Abram.

Abram’s initial call in Ur isn’t specifically mentioned in Genesis 11. But it’s suggested in the past tense of 12:1, “The Lord had said to Abram” (see also Acts 7:2-4). The family left Ur but then settled in Haran. That, however, was not God’s will for Abram, so he set out for the land God would show him.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God is keeping a book of names, called “the book of life belonging to the Lamb” (Rev. 13:.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 15:1-18
By faith Abraham...was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. - Hebrews 11:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
When the U.S. Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the new nation considered it an occasion worth celebrating. Colonial leader John Adams said of the new holiday, “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.”

It’s obvious on this Fourth of July that our country has moved a long way from the ideal John Adams had of worshiping and thanking God on Indepen-dence Day. But anytime God grants deliverance to a person, or a nation, it’s an occasion to thank and worship the Lord. Abram in Genesis 15 is a case in point.

Today’s verses describe an independence day for this patriarch who is so crucial to the story of God’s righteous line. God had delivered Abram from the marauding kings who had kidnapped Lot (Gen. 14:1-24). And the Lord made a covenant with Abram, promising him that a new nation would be born from his own child and would live in its own land.

Our primary focus today is on verses 1-6 of chapter 15, which provide the next bridge connecting the line that leads to God’s Redeemer. Abram received God’s specific promise that a son would be born to him, so he didn’t need to adopt his faithful servant, Eliezer. The promised son was Isaac, who was born years after Abram tried to “help God out” by fathering Ishmael (see tomorrow’s study).

We have an advantage as we read this story, because we have the Bible’s later revelation about what God was planning in the lives of Abraham and Isaac. The apostle Paul referred to Isaac as the son of God’s promise, even though Abraham would have other children, children of promise (Rom. 9:7-9). Isaac was therefore the “offspring” through whom the promised Redeemer would come.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
John Adams’ hope that Independence Day would be observed with “solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty” can still happen today.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 16:1-16
Without faith it is impossible to please God. - Hebrews 11:6
TODAY IN THE WORD
If someone were to ask you to name a great evangelist, a great pastor, and a great missionary from church history, George Whitefield, Charles Spurgeon, and David Brainerd would be good choices. But to understand God’s work in these three lives, we need to know something about them besides the obvious fact that they were gifted. Whitefield often spent entire nights praying for souls, Spurgeon had faithful people below his platform praying for him while he preached, and Brainerd prayed so long it was said that the snow melted beneath him.

Today’s lesson isn’t on prayer, although that would be a great study any day. The point of the illustration is that since God so often chooses to work behind the scenes in any given situation, we can’t afford to make decisions based only on what we can see. Like the prayer warriors at work beneath Spurgeon’s pulpit, God’s work is often hidden to our sight. That’s why Paul said, “We live by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).

Abram, the great example of faith and “father of the faithful,” apparently forgot this fact during a period of his life when it seemed that nothing was happening to bring about what God had promised. God had promised Abram that he would have a son and become the father of a great nation. But now it was at least ten years later (v. 3)--and as the old saying goes, Abram and Sarai weren’t getting any younger. In fact, by the time Ishmael was born, thirteen years had passed since Abram had left Haran for Canaan in obedience to God’s word (see Gen. 12:4; 16:16).

It was Sarai who made the suggestion that she and Abram help God out by having Abram consummate a relationship with Hagar, Sarai’s servant. This passage documents the origin of the Arab peoples, who are Ishmael’s descendants and who have “live[d] in hostility” (v. 12) toward the Jews for centuries.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
What does it mean to “live by faith, not by sight”?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 21:1-8
“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you...to give you hope and a future.” - Jeremiah 29:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
At first, the doctor who delivered Henry thought he was stillborn. There were no visible signs of life in the newborn. It was 1876, and there weren’t a lot of sophisticated medical instruments available for such occasions. More than an hour passed before an attentive nurse detected a pulse and gave Henry the treatment he needed. Dr. Henry Ironside, better known as Harry, lived for seventy-five years and became one of the most beloved and influential Bible teachers of the early twentieth century. He also served as pastor of the Moody Memorial Church in Chicago.

Fragile babies and medical emergencies are no obstacle to God when He acts to accomplish His purposes. He can preserve life when it’s hanging by a thread, or even bring life out of death. God can also sustain His promises even when that promise seems to rely on the descendants of an elderly, childless couple.

Abraham learned the reality of God’s life-giving power at least twice in his life, and both occasions involved Isaac. The first was Isaac’s birth, and the second was his deliverance from death (Gen. 22, which we’ll study tomorrow).

Harry Ironside’s godly parents saw his survival as a sign from God that He had something special in store for their son. Abraham and Sarah knew that Isaac’s birth was a sign of God’s favor. Isaac was clearly a miracle baby.

Isaac was born to 100- and 90-year-old parents whose hope of having children had died long ago (Gen. 17:17). In giving Isaac to Sarah and Abraham, God brought life out of death.

More than that, Isaac’s birth was a promise fulfilled. God had told Abraham a year earlier that Sarah would have a son, and both of them laughed (Gen. 17:17; 18:10-13). But God had the last laugh when Isaac (meaning “laughter”) was born, and the new parents invited others to join in their laughter of joy.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Here’s a thought to follow up on yesterday’s discussion concerning answers to prayer.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 22:1-18
God himself will provide the lamb. - Genesis 22:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
Writing about Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac, Bible commentator Allen Ross says, “It is one thing to claim to trust God when waiting for something; it is quite another thing to trust and obey His word after it is received. This was a test of how much Abraham would obey God’s word. Would he cling to the boy now that he had him, or would he still obey and return him to the Lord? In other words how far would Abraham go in obedience? Did he really believe that God would still keep His word and raise the seed of promise?”

Abraham’s obedience to God was certainly the focus of this dramatic event. Everything about the heavenly command seemed to fly in the face of Abraham’s expectations from the God whose call he had heard and obeyed decades earlier.

For instance, the order to offer Isaac suggested human sacrifice, which Abraham may have known from his pagan days in Ur. But it must have seemed a stunning demand from the true God.

The key to this test, however, was in Isaac and all that he represented to Abraham. God knew Abraham loved his son (v. 2), so we can assume he felt the anguish any father would feel at the thought of losing a dear son.

But Isaac was also the promised child Abraham had waited twenty-five years for. All of the patriarch’s hopes for the future rested in this boy, and for good reason. God had told Abraham, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned” (Gen. 21:12).

God’s command even emphasized the importance of Isaac’s place in His plan. He said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac” (v. 2). Isaac was not Abraham’s only physical son, but he was the only son in the line of God’s promise.

Abraham risked everything he hoped for when he tied up Isaac, laid him on the altar, and reached for the knife (vv. 9-10). At that moment Abraham passed God’s test, and God provided a substitute sacrifice--a picture of the sacrifice the future offspring, Jesus Christ, would make to crush Satan and provide salvation.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Allen Ross is right when he says that it’s harder to keep trusting God when we have the answer we’ve been waiting for.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 25:19-34
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. - Exodus 33:19
TODAY IN THE WORD
One historian says that the children of U.S. presidents have often had a hard time living up to the reputations and experiences of their parents. “Most children have not been able to get enough distance to manage careers of their own that bring them within sight, sound, or possibility of the presidency,” notes Richard E. Neustadt of Harvard University.

From what we know of Isaac’s life after the death of Abraham, Isaac probably fits the profile described above. Abraham wasn’t a president, but he was a prominent figure who may be the most revered and honored person in Scripture other than Jesus Christ. But compared to his father, Isaac’s “career” doesn’t seem very spectacular.

We can infer that because the Bible covers Isaac’s 180 years of life (Gen. 35:28) in a very short space. The only episodes given in any detail are his lie to King Abimelech about Rebekah and the deception Jacob and Rebekah pulled on him (Gen. 26–27).

We can assume that Isaac was not as great as his father Abraham. And he was far less colorful and controversial than his younger son Jacob. Yet Isaac still holds an important place in the godly line, the genealogy of Christ. God gave Isaac and Rebekah their twins Esau and Jacob in answer to Isaac’s prayer for his barren wife (Gen. 25:21).

But then these parents fell into the trap of playing favorites, with Isaac and Rebekah each choosing a personal favorite son (v. 28). This rivalry fueled the deceptive plan Rebekah later devised to get Isaac’s blessing for her baby boy Jacob.

Amazingly, God used this game of family politics to accomplish His plan. He prophesied to Rebekah that Jacob’s line would rule over Esau’s. Much later, the Lord told the nation of Israel He had chosen Jacob and rejected Esau (Mal. 1:1-2) on the basis of His divine judgment (see also Rom. 9:10-15).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
By the world’s standards, most of us don’t have a prominent heritage.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 28:10-22
I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. - Genesis 28:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
Author C. S. Lewis was known as a person of unlimited generosity and kindness to a wide array of people. When an army friend was killed in World War I, Lewis kept a promise by caring for the man’s sister and invalid mother in his home until the mother’s death in 1951. Lewis also opened his country home, The Kilns, to children from London who were relocated during World War II to protect them from German air raids. The Kilns itself fell into disrepair because of the “astonishing amounts” of money Lewis gave to people in need.

We have all known people like this--men and women whose lives seem to bless and lift everyone they touch. In a spiritual sense, this was also true of Abraham. His son Isaac, and his grandson Jacob, were the direct beneficiaries of Abraham’s legacy of faithfulness to God. And through these patriarchs, “all peoples on earth” have been blessed (v. 14).

It’s clear from Jacob’s well-known dream that he was heir to a wonderful blessing. Even though Jacob was on the run from Esau after cheating his older brother out of his blessing, Jacob was still God’s choice to carry forward the promise He made to Abraham. God reiterated this great promise to Jacob as he lay on his stone pillow at Bethel (vv. 13-14).

God’s intention was to be with Jacob as He had been with Jacob’s father and grandfather. The angels going up and down the stairway in Jacob’s dream symbolized God’s watchfulness and activity in his life. For all of Jacob’s deceitfulness, at least he showed an interest in God that Esau apparently lacked.

Jacob’s overnight stop in Bethel was an unforgettable, life-shaping experience for him. He made a vow to honor and serve God--but the rest of the story reveals that Jacob did not immediately reach great spiritual heights after Bethel. He was still Jacob, the con man at heart, until God wrestled him into submission and gave him a new name, Israel (Gen. 32:22-31).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We can act as a source of blessing to the people around us in the week ahead.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 29:1-35
I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? - Jeremiah 32:27
TODAY IN THE WORD
It’s interesting to see how Jacob’s family situation differed so drastically from that of his grandfather Abraham.

We’re discussing these patriarchs and their families from the standpoint of God’s righteous line as it has been revealed through Scripture. In Abraham’s day, the survival of this line seemed to hang by the thin thread of a very old couple who had never had a child together.

But God set the laws of nature aside and gave Isaac to Sarah and Abraham. As far as the promise was concerned, Isaac was an only child--and Abraham even had to be willing to kill him to obey God.

As soon as Ishmael and his mother Hagar were sent away by Sarah, the tent in which Isaac grew up must have been rather quiet and peaceful. Even Jacob had to share his home with only one brother, although their lives were not always peaceful.

What a contrast these two families were to the large, unruly, and basically bad-tempered family Jacob produced. Bible trivia experts know that he fathered twelve sons and one daughter by four different wives. There was jealousy between the sisters Jacob married, and his older sons were violent men who plotted to kill their younger brother Joseph.

But all of this was far in the future when Jacob arrived at the distant home of his uncle Laban. Jacob was still a fugitive of sorts, trying to get as far away from Esau as he could. So when Jacob realized he had found the place he was seeking, he was so relieved and happy he began to cry. Rachel was happy too, and Laban welcomed Jacob as a long-lost son.

But God also disciplines the same children He chooses to bless (Heb. 12:4-11), and Jacob was in for some rough times with Laban. The deceiver had met his match in the father of Leah and Rachel. Even though Jacob loved Rachel, he wound up with Leah as his first wife. In the middle of all the wrangling between Jacob and Laban, this chapter ends with a very important birth notice that could easily be overlooked.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
It’s easy to see why God had to discipline Jacob the schemer.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 49:1, 8-12
The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. - Revelation 5:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
When the National Archives formally took possession of the late Abraham Zapruder’s 26-second home movie, it triggered a controversy over the film’s value. Zapruder was the Dallas dressmaker whose 8mm camera recorded the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas on November 22, 1963. The attorney for Zapruder’s heirs argued the world-famous film was a collector’s item that could bring as much as $30 million at auction. But government attorneys representing the Archives said the film was a historical document, traditionally a less valuable property, assessing its worth at about $1 million.

Sometimes it’s hard to determine the value of an inheritance. In other cases, it’s impossible, as in the case of Judah, the fourth son of Jacob (or Israel) and founder of the tribe bearing his name. The inheritance passed on through Judah was indeed priceless, because it included the line of Israel’s Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s selection of Judah as the line through whom Christ would come was formalized when Jacob called his sons together to bless them and prophesy the future for them and their descendants. Judah was told that kings would come from him, as did David and his successors. But this prophecy was to ultimately be fulfilled when the King, the One to whom the royal scepter belongs, came in the form of Jesus.

In verses 10-12, Jacob saw that future, and he spoke of the glories of the millennial kingdom. No other period could fit this description of Judah’s King ruling the nations while His people enjoy unparalleled prosperity.

Why did God choose Judah over his brothers for this honor? It wasn’t because he was the most righteous. Judah’s only extended appearance in Scripture was in Genesis 38, when his lust led him into the affair with Tamar, his own daughter-in-law.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
All of us are leaving a legacy and an inheritance behind. More importantly, we can even help determine its worth.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ruth 1:1-22
Your people will be my people and Your God my God. - Ruth 1:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
Bible teachers have used many favorable adjectives to describe Ruth, the faithful young woman from Moab who became the great-grandmother of David. This fact alone is enough to show why Ruth needs to be included as we discuss God’s preservation of His righteous line.

One writer comments that meeting Ruth is like finding a rose growing in the middle of a garbage dump. Another says Ruth “gleams like a beautiful pearl against a jet-black background.”

The reason for these and other comparisons becomes clear when we compare Judges 21:25 to Ruth 1:1. The era of Israel’s judges was a time of spiritual unfaithfulness and foreign domination interrupted only by a few brief victories. It was also a lawless time of Israel’s disobedience to the law of God. The last verse of Judges sums up the situation: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.”

But then came Ruth, who lived “in the days when the judges ruled” (v. 1). Typical of the times, this great story of faithfulness to God began with an act that expressed little faith. A man named Elimelech from Bethlehem left home with his family to escape a famine. He chose to go to Moab, about fifty miles east, on the opposite side of the Dead Sea.

By doing this, Elimelech abandoned the place of God’s blessing (v. 6) to live among the descendants of Lot’s immoral union with his oldest daughter (Gen. 19:36-37). The child was named Moab, and his people were often hostile to Israel. Later, the prophet Amos pronounced judgment on Moab (Amos 2:1).

What was meant to be a brief time in Moab for Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons turned into ten years (1:1-5), during which time all three men died. Naomi was left alone with her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth.

It’s quite a picture. Israel was a faithless nation, and
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
One value of our lessons this month is to remind ourselves that we also come from a spiritual line, people in our past and present who have helped bring us to Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ruth 2:1-23
May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge. - Ruth 2:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
A 1980s British sitcom called To the Manor Born told the story of a woman living on an estate that had been in her family for generations. The problem was that the lady of the manor was basically penniless, although her financial condition wasn’t widely known. Many of the show’s episodes dealt with the woman’s attempts to keep the manor running and to hold on to her estate on a shoestring budget.

This could have been Naomi’s story upon her return to Bethlehem with Ruth. Naomi was penniless, although apparently she was able to move back onto the family property in Bethlehem. That may have included a house and some land, but judging from the women’s financial condition, they had no way to make a real living.

That’s where the comparison between the TV show and the Bible story ends. There was one very important difference in Naomi’s situation: God looked upon her and Ruth with favor and arranged circumstances to provide them with a secure future. And in the process, Ruth was introduced into the godly line from which King David and Jesus Christ, the Redeemer-King, would come.

The story begins to unfold quickly once Boaz enters the drama. He was a descendant of Judah (Ruth 4:18-21), which qualified him to be in God’s righteous line.

Boaz was a righteous man in his own right, someone who along with Ruth deserves mention as a shining exception to the corruption and spiritual decline of that era.

Boaz not only helped accomplish God’s will in his own generation, but he also served as a type or example of the future Redeemer by fulfilling the duties of a “kinsman-redeemer” in his family (v. 20). This included redeeming property that had been sold due to poverty and marrying the childless widow of a dead relative. Many Bible teachers believe this ancient provision was a picture of Jesus, the Kinsman-Redeemer of Israel.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
It’s great to read about the amazing ways God provided for His people in biblical times.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ruth 3:1-18
The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. - Psalm 145:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
In her book Flowers by the Wayside, Beverly Parkin describes a flower that reminds us of Ruth. Parkin says the regal yellow iris “grows in damp places, untroubled by storms and violent winds. There is great strength in its broad, spear-shaped leaves and the flowers bloom regardless of the weather.... The iris has great character.”

That’s a good illustration of the spiritual strength and character Ruth displayed. Her proposal to Boaz that he become a kinsman-redeemer to Naomi and her was perfectly appropriate in the society of the day. God used the same concept to describe His relationship to Israel (Ezek. 16:.

This was also an act of faith on Ruth’s part, because she was putting herself totally at the mercy of God and the kindness and generosity of Boaz.

She was in good hands! The psalmist reminds us that we serve a “gracious and compassionate” God who is rich in love and mercy. God had been at work for Ruth’s good--and the blessing of others through her--since she first came into Naomi’s family. And since Boaz was also a person of spiritual integrity, he realized what he needed to do and took the appropriate steps.

But why the sudden inclusion of the nearer relative in the story (v. 12)? The drama increases because of this complication. We’re not told how Ruth felt about the possibility of becoming someone else’s wife. It could be that God was giving Ruth and Naomi a test of faith--they had to wait at home for the outcome.

Boaz knew Ruth was an exceptional woman who had gained a good reputation in Bethlehem--and she wasn’t even Jewish. Her presence and godly character served as an example to God’s people of what He expected from them. At various times in Israel’s history, God used righteous Gentiles to call attention to Israel’s lack of faith.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Here’s a simple exercise you can do this weekend, either by yourself or at dinnertime with your family or friends.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ruth 4:1-22
The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. - Psalm 145:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
Every great story has a great ending, and Ruth’s story has one of the best. The writer doesn’t reveal the “punch line” until the last few verses, where we read that God blessed the romance and marriage of Ruth and Boaz by placing them in the line of the Messiah. Their son Obed was the grandfather of David.

But to reach this point, one more dramatic scene was necessary. Boaz had to find out whether his other kinsman was willing to give up his right to assume responsibility for the property of Ruth’s late husband and his right to marry her. At a solemn meeting in the town gate, where such business was usually conducted, the other relative passed the right of redemption on to Boaz.

Now it was time for wedding bells. The elders of the city pronounced a blessing on Boaz and Ruth. From this anointed union, Obed was born. Naomi was overjoyed, and may have sensed something special about her new grandson. Although David was still two generations away, God’s favor was on this family.

Because the writer of Ruth took the time to record a brief genealogy of this portion of the godly line, let’s take a look at it. What we discover is the grace of God at work again, using all kinds of people in various situations to accomplish His will.

We need to begin with the last part of the blessing the elders gave to Boaz. “May your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah” (v. 12).

We have already met Tamar, the daughter-in-law of Judah (see the July 11 study). Perez was one of the sons born to Tamar after her affair with Judah. God did not overlook Judah’s sin, but he did bless the family line.

Ruth 4:21 says Salmon was Boaz’s father. Matthew 1:5, in the genealogy of Jesus, reveals that Salmon’s wife, and Boaz’s mother, was Rahab. She was the Canaanite prostitute who hid the Israelite spies in Jericho (Josh. 2).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We can’t get away from the reality of God’s grace this month. The fact is that the story of the Savior’s line is saturated with examples of God’s grace.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. - 1 Samuel 16:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
Someone has said that it’s possible to become too big for God to use you--but never too small for God to use you.

That principle helps to explain what happened to the monarchy in Israel as Saul, the nation’s first king, was rejected by God due to his disobedience. Although Saul was once “small in [his] own eyes” (1 Sam. 15:17), he became too big to follow the rules, even God’s rules.

First, Saul violated God’s law by acting as his own priest, instead of waiting for Samuel, as the Israelite army was being pressed by the Philistines (1 Sam. 13:1-13). Then he failed to fully carry out God’s judgment against the Amale-kites (1 Sam. 15:1-35).

After the first incident, Samuel told Saul his days as king were numbered because God had “sought out a man after his own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14) to replace Saul. That special person was David of Bethlehem. Following Saul’s second major act of disobedience, God told Samuel to forget Saul, pack up his horn of anointing oil, and head for Bethlehem.

In the context of today’s passage, God introduced the world to the future king whose name is eternally linked to God’s righteous ruler, the Messiah.

It’s impossible to ignore David’s importance to biblical history, and to the story we are following this month. David occupies a level of honor in Scripture that’s shared by only a few others. God identified Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and His Son became the Son of David when He was born in Bethlehem.

For someone so honored, David’s beginnings were small. Even his father Jesse didn’t take David into account when Samuel was looking for Israel’s new king. Being the youngest of eight sons in those days usually meant shouldering the least desirable responsibilities, which may explain why David was out in the field tending sheep.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Even though God operates by the principle revealed in today’s verse, the world has turned that formula completely around.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Samuel 5:1-7
To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. - Psalm 3:4
TODAY IN THE WORD
A few years ago, news wires reported that a chain of discount stores planned to build a new store at Ferry Farm, the boyhood home of George Washington, which lies across the Rappahannock River from Fredericksburg, Virginia. But a preservationist group in Fredericksburg came to the defense of Ferry Farm, taking possession of the historic site where our first president lived from the age of about seven until he left home as a young man.

When it comes to God’s promises, no one can take away anything He has intended for us--whether it’s a home, a nation, a kingdom, or even our very lives. David desperately needed this security during the years between his anointing by Samuel until the death of Saul--and he had the best Defender of all in the Lord God.

Today’s reading brings us past the years when David lived as a fugitive, sometimes only one step ahead of Saul’s jealous rage. The psalms David wrote during that time show how completely the uncrowned king of Israel trusted in God to deliver him from his enemies and vindicate him.

Saul’s death in battle (1 Sam. 31:1-13) removed the threat to David, and under God’s blessing he moved to consolidate his kingdom. He was anointed as king of Judah (2 Sam. 2:4), and reigned in that capacity for seven-and-a-half years (5:5). Then all the tribes of Israel came to David and acknowledged him as their king. David was then anointed for a third time (including his original anointing by Samuel) and was finally recognized as the undisputed ruler of Israel.

David’s first act as king was to establish his capital, for which he chose the Jebusite stronghold of Jerusalem. The city that Israelites today call their eternal city was brought under Israelite control by King David. The Jebusites mocked David’s attack, but the outcome of the battle was never in doubt.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
People under attack need a strong defender--especially when they can’t see the enemy.