Shabbat Times for South-East England = 06;03pm on Friday March 24 to 07:13pm on Saturday March 25.

SERIES K --- ISRAEL’S GOLDEN AGE --- LESSON 09

ABSALOM’S PLOT

From 2 Samuel 15:1-6; 21:1-14

When Absalom was back in his father’s favour, he began a program to win the hearts of the people. First, he bought a beautiful chariot with horses and had fifty men run before it as footmen. Every morning he would go to the gate of the city and stop people who were coming to see the king for matters of justice. ‘Where are you from?’ Absalom would ask. The person would tell him where he was from and what his problem was. ‘Well, it looks to me that you’re right!’ Absalom would say. ‘It’s too bad that I am not a judge so I could do something for you.’ Of course, the people began to wish that Absalom were king instead of David. Absalom also won the people’s hearts by refusing to let people bow before him. Instead, he would embrace them and give them a kiss of greeting. Gradually all Israel began to change its allegiance from David to Absalom. About this time a famine swept the land, causing great hunger for three years. David prayed much about this, trying to find the cause. At last Adonai told him that it was because of the sin of Saul and his family, because they had killed some people of Gibeon. Shortly after the time when Joshua and his people invaded the land, intent on killing all of the people who lived there, the Israelites made a foolish vow to protect the Gibeonites. Later, Saul became zealous for his nation and tried to destroy them anyway, killing some of them and thus breaking Israel’s vow. David explained the situation to the people of Gibeon and asked, ‘what may I do for you to make up for this sin that Saul did against you? I want you to ask YHVH to bless us.’ ‘We do not want money,’ they answered. ‘And we do not want other Israelites killed to avenge our people.’ ‘Then what can we do?’ David asked again. ‘Give us seven of Saul’s sons,’ the people of Gibeon asked. ‘Let us hang them in Gibeon before Adonai.’ David gave them seven of Saul’s sons. These included Armoni and Mephibosheth [not Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth], who were both sons of Rizpah, Saul’s wife and the daughter of Aiah, as well as five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab, whose husband’s name was Adriel. These five sons had actually been raised by Saul’s daughter Michal, David’s own wife. The people of Gibeon hanged the seven men on the mountain before Adonai. This happened in the early part of the harvest time, when the barley was beginning to be harvested. Rizpah, the mother of two of the men, camped beside the bodies of her sons, sitting in sackcloth night and day, preventing the animals and birds from eating the bodies of her sons. She stayed there throughout the time of harvest, until the rainy season began. When David learned what she had done, he gave orders for the bones of Saul, Jonathan and the men who had been executed to be buried in the grave of Saul’s father Kish at Zelah. The bones of Saul and Jonathan were at Jabesh-gilead, for the people of that city had stolen the bodies of Saul and Jonathan from Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hung them after the two died in battle on Mount Gilboa. David made a special request of the people of Jabesh-gilead to give up the bones of these men so that Saul’s family could be buried together. When all of this took place YHVH answered the prayers for the land and caused the famine to end.

COMMENTARY

DAVID AND HIS SONS

David loved his sons very deeply. He constantly forgave them even when they did damaging things and took great advantage of him. What happened with Absalom is a good example of that, David’s heart went out to Absalom even though he had murdered Amnon, David’s oldest son, after five years David forgave him and received him back into the royal court. Once he had returned to favour, Absalom tried to weaken his father’s reign. He collected the symbols of wealth and authority in the form of chariots, horses, attendants and concubines. He used David’s neglect of government affairs to his own great advantage. Absalom believed he could do better and he said so. He even claimed that if he were king, he would receive as an equal everyone who came to him. Small wonder, then, that he gained such wide support among the common people. Even then, when Absalom had organized an army against his own father, David gave instructions to his commanders to treat him kindly. David seemed unable to recognize that his sons were capable of doing wrong. Even after they had, his love and compassion did not diminish. Rather than a bad trait, this might be the sign of a good one: David recognized his own capacity for sin and weakness and therefore judged his sons less harshly for theirs.

God doesn't want our sacrifices, tithes, or obedience if they're forced and resentful.

https://soilfromstone.blogspot.....com/2010/03/on-whic

On this date in history, 03/24/1765: The Quartering Act of 1765 commandeers private property for housing British soldiers. #otd #tdih https://www.historycarper.com/....1765/05/15/the-quart

Apparently, I am in a store front/restaurant type vibe this week.

https://thestraightandnarrow.cfw.me/comics/599

#bible #bibleverse #torahobservant #torahportion #shabbatshalom #christian #messianic #messianicjudiasm #hebrewroots #webcomic #webcomicseries #cartoon

When you change your lifestyle people notice. Sometimes the sin you leave tries to drag you back through friends and family. When you choose to be more obedient to the Creator, the people around you will not only question your choice but they may also ridicule and laugh at you. Even Yeshua/Jesus said if you follow what he is teaching (and he taught to be faithful to the word of the Father) you will be persecuted. Psalm 35:10—11, “All my bones will exclaim, “Who is like You, O LORD, who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor, the poor and needy from the robber?” Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about.”

Happy New Year!!!

"Every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved."

Jn 3

Thought for Today: Friday March 24:

Only a few people know how to rest these days. Even when on holiday, most people rush to cram in as much as they can before returning to their daily lives, where they spend twice as much energy catching up on the work, mail and emails that has piled up in their absence. Perhaps, we look for rest in the wrong places. Yeshua is the Ultimate Rest, He is the confidence we need, to escape the frustrations and chaos of the world around us. Find rest in Him and do not worry about tomorrow or what is in the future. Yeshua Moshiach has already taken care of the future. Your task is to trust Him. Have faith and be blessed!

SERIES K --- ISRAEL’S GOLDEN AGE --- LESSON 08

ABSALOM FLEES

ABSALOM’S ADVENTURES

From 2 Samuel 13:27-14:33

After the murder of Amnon, Absalom ran away to Geshur where he lived with his mother’s father, King Talmai of Geshur. For three years Absalom lived there in exile, but daily his father King David, yearned to have him back, for David by this time was reconciled to the death of his son Amnon. Joab recognized David’s desire to have Absalom back and made plans to work things out. He knew that he would have to do something dramatic to cause David to send for Absalom, so he made arrangements with a very clever woman of Tekoa to visit the king. Joab told the woman exactly what she should say to David. ‘Put on mourning clothing and pretend that you are in deep sorrow,’ Joab instructed her. ‘Do not wear perfumed oil and pretend that you have been mourning for several days for someone who is dead.’ When the woman was brought before King David, she fell with her face to the ground before him. ‘Help me!’ she pleaded. ‘What is your problem?’ the king asked. ‘I am a widow with two sons,’ she said. ‘One day my sons were fighting in a field and since no one was there to stop them, one of them killed the other. Now my family is trying to force me to give up my only living son to be executed for the murder of his brother. This would take away my only son and remove my husband’s heir from the face of the earth.’ ‘You may go home in peace,’ King David answered. ‘I will see that no harm comes to your son.’ ‘I will take the blame for this if anyone is angry for sparing his life,’ the woman said. ‘You must not bear any of the guilt for sparing a son who murdered his brother.’ ‘If anyone causes you further trouble about this, bring him to me and I’ll put a stop to that!’ David answered. ‘Swear by YHVH’s Name that you will keep anyone from harming my son!’ the woman said. ‘I swear by YHVH’s Name that no one will harm your son,’ the king promised. ‘Please let me tell you something else,’ said the woman. ‘Tell me!’ the king commanded. ‘Why don’t you do for all of YHVH’s people what you have just done for me?’ the woman answered. ‘You are condemning yourself by not bringing your own son from exile. We must all die sometime, like water spilled upon the ground, but the YHVH Who gives us life does not exile us from Himself and keep us there. Surely YHVH will not punish you if you bring your own son home from exile.’ ‘I have pleaded with you for the life of my son because he and I have been in danger. I was sure that you would spare us from those who would harm us and that you would give us peace again. I knew that you are like an angel of YHVH who can discern between good and evil. May YHVH be with you to know what is right to do.’ ‘Tell me something,’ King David demanded. ‘Hide nothing from me!’ ‘Yes, I will tell you, ’The woman answered. ‘Did Joab plan all this?’ the king asked. ‘Yes, Joab sent me here and told me exactly what to say,’ the woman confessed. ‘He did this to help you see what you are doing to your son and to yourself. But you are as wise as an angel, so you will know what is best.’ When the woman was gone, King David sent for Joab. ‘Bring Absalom back home!’ he commanded. Joab fell with his face to the ground before King David. ‘I know now that you favour me, for you have granted this request.’ Joab brought Absalom from Geshur to Jerusalem. However, King David said, ‘Absalom must live in his own house; he must never come to see me.’ Absalom did as he was commanded, living apart from King David in his own house. Absalom was the most handsome man in all Israel and everyone said so. Once each year he cut his hair when it became too heavy, for it weighed about three pounds. His body was almost perfect; there was not one blemish from the bottom of his foot to the top of his head. Absalom had three sons and a daughter named Tamar, a very beautiful girl. Two years passed after Absalom returned to Jerusalem and still, he had not seen his father, King David. One day he sent a message to Joab, hoping that Joab would talk to the king for him. But Joab did not answer his message. Then Absalom sent another message, but Joab did not answer that one either. Absalom summoned some of his servants. ‘Set fire to Joab’s barley field which is next to mine,’ he ordered. When his servants had set fire to the field, Joab hurried over to see Absalom. ‘Why have your servants set fire to my field?’ he demanded. ‘Because I wanted you to come so I could send you to speak to the king for me,’ said Absalom. ‘Ask him why he brought me here from Geshur since he refuses to see me. I want to go before my father and if he finds something wrong with me, let him put me to death.’ After Joab reported Absalom’s words to the king, David summoned the young man before him. Absalom bowed to the ground and David welcomed him with a kiss.

COMMENTARY

DAVID’S PERSONAL ENEMIES

The psalms which David wrote are filled with references concerning his enemies. Throughout all psalms, there are more than fifty references to the enemies of the king and Adonai and many referred to the enemies of David. At first, this may seem strange, for King David was one of the mightiest warriors in the entire Bible. Even as a young man in his teen years, or early twenties, he commanded the respect of the armies of Israel, for he had dared to fight the Philistine champion Goliath, which no other Israelite soldier had been willing to do. The bravest warriors of Israel and there were some with legendary might, held King David in great respect, for they recognized that he was as brave as they. Yet, with all David’s bravery, he was also a man of unusual tenderness. When Absalom rebelled against David, plotted his death and tried to steal his kingdom, David refused to kill him and begged Joab to show Absalom mercy. When David’s soldiers wanted him to strike King Saul dead and thus bring revenge, David refused. Although Saul was David’s worst enemy, he would not harm him, for Saul was Adonai’s anointed king. Thus, it is interesting to reconcile David’s feelings about his enemies with his unwillingness to harm some of them. In many psalms, David asks Adonai to take vengeance on his enemies, even though David usually refused to take vengeance on them. Perhaps that is because David wanted punishment to be in Adonai’s hands and not in his. It is a worthwhile experience to look up [enemies] in a concordance and then read each verse in the Book of Psalms which mentions this word. It will give special insight into King David and how he felt about his enemies.