| Date | Version | Reading Plan |
|---|---|---|
| @August 16, 2024 | ESV (2016) | M’Cheyne Plan 2024 |
1 Samuel 7–8
1 Samuel 8:7–9, 22 (ESV) 7 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8 According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. 9 Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.” … 22 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”
Samuel’s sons, Joel and Abijah, did not walk in his ways and so the people requested appointment of a king to judge them like all the nations. This displeased Samuel who then prayed to the LORD and the LORD told Samuel to obey the voice of the people in making them a king. The LORD revealed to Samuel that the peoples’ rejection of him ran much deeper than merely himself, that they were actually rejecting God as king over them. The LORD recounted the deeds of the people and how they had forsaken Him to serve other gods from the day He brought them out of Egypt. And yet, the LORD told Samuel multiple times to make the people a king. The LORD knew what would come of this but allowed it to play out because He had a much larger plan. In this we see demonstrated the ultimate sovereignty of our God who knows the end from the beginning.
Romans 6
Romans 6:9–11 (ESV) 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Paul describes how Christ having been raised from the dead will never die again and that death no longer has dominion over Him. He then exhorts the saints to consider themselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. The BBC provides some helpful insight on these verses:
When the Lord Jesus died, He died to the whole subject of sin once for all. He died to sin’s claims, its wages, its demands, its penalty. He finished the work and settled the account so perfectly that it never needs to be repeated. Now that He lives, He lives to God. In one sense, of course, He always lived to God. But now He lives to God in a new relationship, as the Risen One, and in a new sphere, where sin can never enter.
Jeremiah 44
Jeremiah 44:16–18, 20-22 (ESV) 16 “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you. 17 But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster. 18 But since we left off making offerings to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.” … 20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, men and women, all the people who had given him this answer: 21 “As for the offerings that you offered in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your officials, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them? Did it not come into his mind? 22 The LORD could no longer bear your evil deeds and the abominations that you committed. Therefore your land has become a desolation and a waste and a curse, without inhabitant, as it is this day.
The people had falsely attributed their affliction to leaving off offerings to queen of heaven and pouring our drink offerings to her. In reality, the cause of their troubles was their idolatry and blatant rebellion against God. The LORD could no longer bear their evil deeds and thus their land had become a desolation, waste and curse without inhabitant. As we read this, it can seem obvious to us how these people were misguided in assigning the cause of their suffering, but how often do we operate in the same way? We blame our lack of prosperity on not performing well enough in our selfish ambitions when this is the very root of the problem. This sinful perspective can even lead us to doubling-down on our efforts, only exacerbating our troublesome circumstances. Whether in the near term or eventually, disaster looms for those whose worship is misplaced and whose aim is anything other than glorifying our Lord.
Psalms 20–21
Psalm 20:7 (ESV) 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
Expanding somewhat on the previous reflection of Jer. 44 and properly attributing wellbeing to God, David speaks on the right placement of trust. While others wrongfully place their trust in worldly strength, the saints place their trust in the LORD our God who is sovereign over all. As the BBC puts well, “It is better to trust in Him than in arsenals of stockpiled weapons. At the glance of the Lord even the mightiest armies will crumple to the ground! But those who are on the Lord’s side will still stand upright when the smoke of battle has cleared away.”