​Key Verses
2 For the Lord is restoring the majesty of Jacob as the majesty of Israel, for plunderers have plundered them and ruined their branches.
 
Meditation
God’s sovereign grace will level enemies who stand against Him, raise up the lowly who trust in Him, and restore majesty that will glorify Him.
 
Israel had been decimated by Assyria as “plunderers had plundered them and ruined their branches” (v.2). Yet this flex of strength from the world’s superpower was not the final word. God rules over every power and principality (Colossians 1:16), and His plan will prevail.
 
Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria and Nahum prophesized God’s determination of their devastating judgement. Enemies of God should not get comfortable in their perceived victories. God will come in justice. 
 
In today’s reading, the Lord invites Nineveh to ready their defenses (v. 1) before a torrent of trash talking. The Lord warned Nineveh will lose their security (vv. 3-4), authority (vv. 4-5), sense of order (vv. 6-9), strength (v. 10), and future generations (vv. 11-12). God will trample His enemies under His feet.
 
Historically, God sent Jonah to offer salvation to Ninevites (see Jonah 3) but their repentance didn’t sustain. Covenantally, Jesus came to accept the justice and judgement His enemies deserve so those whose faith is in Him can receive God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness. 
 
The gospel is amazing. From a place of perceived defeat, the prophet promised “The Lord is restoring the majesty of Jacob!” (v. 2) In the midst of devastation, how can God make this promise of restoration?!? Through His own faithfulness. God Himself lost His majesty in Christ so the lowly and humble can have majesty restored by trusting in Him for salvation and promised restoration.
 
Today’s Reading
The scatterer has come up against you.
    Man the ramparts;
    watch the road;
dress for battle;
    collect all your strength.
2 For the Lord is restoring the majesty of Jacob
    as the majesty of Israel,
for plunderers have plundered them
    and ruined their branches.
3 The shield of his mighty men is red;
    his soldiers are clothed in scarlet.
The chariots come with flashing metal
    on the day he musters them;
    the cypress spears are brandished.
4 The chariots race madly through the streets;
    they rush to and from through the squares;
they gleam like torches;
    they dart like lightning.
5 He remembers his officers;
    they stumble as they go,
they hasten to the wall;
    the siege tower is set up.
6 The river gates are opened;
    the palace melts away;
7 its mistress is stripped; she is carried off,
    her slave girls lamenting,
moaning like doves
    and beating their breasts.

8 Nineveh is like a pool
    whose waters run away.
“Halt! Halt!” they cry,
    but none turns back.
9 Plunder the silver,
    plunder the gold!
There is no end of the treasure
    or of the wealth of all precious things.
10 Desolate! Desolation and ruin!
    Hearts melt and knees tremble;
anguish is in all loins;
    all faces grow pale!
11 Where is the lions' den,
    the feeding place of the young lions,
where the lion and lioness went,
    where his cubs were, with none to disturb?
12 The lion tore enough for his cubs
    and strangled prey for his lionesses;
he filled his caves with prey
    and his dens with torn flesh.
13 Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you in today’s reading, especially the promise of God’s restoring majesty in the midst of enemy assault?
 
-Where do you struggle to believe God’s sovereignty over evil of the world and enemies of Him and His people?
 
-How does the gospel give you hope and security, strength to trust His love and serve for His glory? Where, specifically, do you need to apply this reality?
 
Key Verses
2 For the Lord is restoring the majesty of Jacob as the majesty of Israel, for plunderers have plundered them and ruined their branches.

Today's "Walk in the Word Wednesday" is applicable for every Christian, examining a gospel response to brothers and sisters in Christ who refuse to reconcile and choose a self-protective path such as avoidance or attack rather than submitting to Jesus direction for reconciliation. 
​                                      WWJD?
When I see someone wearing a W.W.J.D bracelet, I usually ask if they will give it to me. Very few people say, “Yes!” Most often people respond with sentimentality, explaining that their girlfriend, grandmother, or someone special gave it to them. Every time, I jokingly reply, “Well, what would Jesus do? Would Jesus give me the bracelet?”
 
Having served as a pastor for almost twenty years, I’ve seen the same contradiction in conflict resolution. Christians often refuse to extend the forgiveness Jesus has given us, especially in the midst of unresolved conflict. The result is living like an inmate, held captive to past pain, bitterness, and anger. But the gospel gives us the key to freedom: loving our neighbors by forgiving as we have been forgiven - even those who are unwilling to admit their fault and unable to reconcile because of pride and personal insecurity.

Stewardship: Forgive as we have been forgiven
On June 17, 2015, Rev. Anthony B. Thompson lost his wife when white supremacist Dylan Roof gunned down people during a Wednesday night Bible study in Charleston, SC. Roof intended to incite a race war, but Thompson was determined to forgive. Thompson’s campaign of forgiveness is breathtaking, ultimately prevailing in peace for both the Church and Charleston. 
 
Reflecting on forgiving the man who murdered his wife, Thompson said:
“Forgiveness was not for Dylan; it was for me. He chose not to receive my forgiveness. When I chose to forgive, God gave His peace.”  
 
Thompson emphasized that he was not saying, “Let Dylan be free” but rather “Let me be free!” 
 
The apostle Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” (Matthew 18:21) Peter wasn’t naïve. He understood human impulse to attack, avoid, or acquiesce when conflict arises. Just prior, Jesus had taught on conflict resolution (Matthew 18:15-17), and Peter sought guidance for situations where reconciliation is refused and sin persists. 
 
Peter, like many of us, was hoping for a measurable answer, something like a spiritual fitness ring he could close to feel accomplished. It turns out, Jesus views conflict not as a burden, but as an opportunity for gospel transformation. Jesus responded by multiplying Peter’s expectations: “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:22). Forgiveness, according to Jesus, is a continuous act of radical stewardship. 
 
Jesus illustrated His point through story (Matthew 8:23-25): A king forgave his servant an unpayable debt. But that same servant refused to extend mercy to someone who owed him far less. When the king heard what happened, he was furious and imprisoned the unforgiving servant.
 
The point: When Christians refuse to forgive as we have been forgiven, we become captives of our own bitterness, anger, and unresolved pain. Conflict is one of the enemy’s prime opportunities to divide, destroy, and derail Christian relationships (Ephesians 4:26-27; 2 Corinthians 2:10-11). Because Jesus has forgiven us, we must love our brothers and sisters by forgiving them… even when they refuse to reconcile.

Open hearted. Open armed. Open handed.
Stewarding forgiveness means being open-hearted to the gospel, receiving Jesus’ forgiveness personally; open-armed to our Christian family, ready for reconciliation; and open-handed with our own agenda, submitting fully to Jesus’ way of love and mercy. Christians do not live with clinched fists raised and ready to retaliate. But neither do we expose ourselves to abuse. We walk in love as Jesus loved us, forgiving as we have been forgiven.
 
The American Psychological Association notes the mental and physical benefits of forgiveness. But beyond personal benefits, forgiving others forges a path of blessing by bringing us into deeper intimacy and identification with Jesus. What did Jesus do when people hurt Him, abandoned Him, betrayed Him, slandered Him, and left Him for dead?  Jesus cried out from the cross, 
 
“Father, forgive them…” (Luke 23:24) 
 
The indicative reality of God’s covenant love undergirds the imperative to forgive (see Colossians 3:13 and Ephesians 4:32). Jesus even connected our forgiveness from the Father with our willingness to forgive others (Matthew 6:14-15). The evidence of receiving forgiveness is exposed in stewarding forgiveness, freely and repeatedly. 
 
The Command and The Conditions
Tim Keller’s book “Forgive: Why Should I and How Can I?” unpacks the anatomy of forgiveness and helps Christians understand how to follow Jesus’ command, even when conditions for reconciliation are not met. 
Keller helps us see the four vital steps for real forgiveness:

1. Truthfully name the trespass, not minimizing or merely excusing it. 
2. Identify with the offender. We are all sinners, not villains or victims.
3. Absorb the debt, just as Jesus absorbed our penalty on the cross.
4. Aim for reconciliation rather than revenge, retaliation, or retreat from relationship.

 
Keller writes, “If you omit any of these four actions, you are not engaging in real forgiveness.” 
 
Elder oversight of conflict resolution should always be first priority. But when church discipline is rejected and Jesus’ direction in Matthew 18 is ignored, my pastoral counsel is simple: Justice or vengeance is not your responsibility. There is a “just judge of all the earth” and you are not Him. Because your justification is in Jesus, you are free to love your neighbor through forgiveness. To keep forgiving. To not stop forgiving.
 
Jesus satisfied justice on the cross, atoning for your sins AND the sins of the one refusing to reconcile. Jesus will return and judge the earth. At that time, His justice will be complete and final. 
 
We cannot ask “What would Jesus do” until we fully embrace what Jesus has done. A faithful response to His forgiveness is to generously steward forgiveness, waiting in hope for God to open the door to reconciliation.  When He does, those who have stewarded forgiveness will be ready… for the glory of our merciful King and the good of our Christian communities.

Richly Dwelling
- Take a moment to consider the forgiveness you have in Jesus. How does this deepen your gratitude for His finished work and fuel doxology in your discipleship?

-Where do you see imprisonment in your life from refusal to forgive and reconcile as Jesus has forgiven you and reconciled you to the Father?

-Where, specifically, do you need to steward forgiveness? This is to ask, with whom do you need to forgive? Be specific, and ask God's Spirit to give you freedom and direction.

​Key verses
2 “This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come. 
 
Meditation
In Jay Stringer’s book Unwanted, he quotes “Shark Week” camera man for National Geographic, Andy Casagrande, in what to do if a great white shark swims at you. Specifically, Casagrande says you should swim directly back at the shark because it confuses the apex predator: “The shark is like, ‘Wait a second, everything in the ocean swims away from me.’ The reality is that if you don’t act like prey, they won’t treat you like prey.”
 
The gospel is more counterintuitive. Most people, as you instinctively would with a Great White shark, swim away from sin and shame by hiding, isolating, or coping. The finished work of Jesus empowers believers to swim directly at our sin and shame because, in Christ, we are cleansed from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). 
 
Today’s reading details the sacrifice of a red heifer and water purification, both anticipating the work of Jesus. In Christ, there is fullness of cleansing from sin- no condemnation in Him! 
 
The heifer was “without spot or blemish” (v. 2) and sacrificed outside the camp (vv. 1-10). The ashes were saved for future use, empowering the effects of the sacrifice to endure. The water purification was ritual cleansing to, uh, cleanse the people (vv. 11-22). The unclean person “must have the water of impurity thrown on him” to be clean. Both the heifer sacrifice and the water purification prefigure the work of Jesus. 
 
Jesus was the Lamb of God “without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19), sacrificed outside the camp (Hebrews 13:12-13) as a “once and for all” sacrifice is effectual for eternity (Hebrews 10:10). Once the blood of Jesus covers us then we are cleansed! Free to expose our  shame and sin to welcome forgiveness that comes in Jesus' name..
 
Today’s Reading
Now the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 “This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come. 3 And you shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered before him.4 And Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of its blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times. 5 And the heifer shall be burned in his sight. Its skin, its flesh, and its blood, with its dung, shall be burned.6 And the priest shall take cedarwood and hyssop and scarlet yarn, and throw them into the fire burning the heifer. 7 Then the priest shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. But the priest shall be unclean until evening. 8 The one who burns the heifer shall wash his clothes in water and bathe his body in water and shall be unclean until evening. 9 And a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place. And they shall be kept for the water for impurity for the congregation of the people of Israel; it is a sin offering. 10 And the one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. And this shall be a perpetual statute for the people of Israel, and for the stranger who sojourns among them.

11 “Whoever touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days. 12 He shall cleanse himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so be clean. But if he does not cleanse himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not become clean. 13 Whoever touches a dead person, the body of anyone who has died, and does not cleanse himself, defiles the tabernacle of the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not thrown on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is still on him.

14 “This is the law when someone dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent and everyone who is in the tent shall be unclean seven days. 15 And every open vessel that has no cover fastened on it is unclean. 16 Whoever in the open field touches someone who was killed with a sword or who died naturally, or touches a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. 17 For the unclean they shall take some ashes of the burnt sin offering, and fresh water shall be added in a vessel. 18 Then a clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water and sprinkle it on the tent and on all the furnishings and on the persons who were there and on whoever touched the bone, or the slain or the dead or the grave. 19 And the clean person shall sprinkle it on the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day. Thus on the seventh day he shall cleanse him, and he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and at evening he shall be clean.

20 “If the man who is unclean does not cleanse himself, that person shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, since he has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. Because the water for impurity has not been thrown on him, he is unclean. 21 And it shall be a statute forever for them. The one who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and the one who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening. 22 And whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean, and anyone who touches it shall be unclean until evening.”
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the heifer sacrifice and water cleansing?
 
-How is God’s grace displayed to the wilderness generation through offering cleansing sacrifices? How does this amplify the grace He offers us through Christ?
 
-Take a moment, with gratitude, to confess your sin and shame receive the cleansing Christ’s blood offers.
 
Key verses
2 “This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come. 

​Key Verse
24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 
 
Meditation
The patience of God provides a place for process in discipleship. Jesus does not disregard disciples who are slow to believe and understand. Jesus walks with us in long-suffering love.
 
In today’s reading, the patience of Jesus is exemplified by the two-stage miracle of the blind man (vv. 22-25). Following Jesus’ first touch (where Jesus used spit as a medium -gross), the man saw people walking like trees. After a second gracious touch, the man’s sight was restored and “he saw everything clearly.” Jesus is patient in the process of His people having eyes to see.
 
Jesus’ patience begins and ends this chapter. After a second narrative of Jesus miraculously feeding a multitude (vv. 1-10), the disciples still did not understand. Jesus asked, “Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see…?” (vv. 14-21)
 
After the miracle of sight, Peter comes the closest of anyone in the gospel of Mark to fully seeing Jesus (vv. 27-30). “You are the Christ,” Peter proclaimed. But Peter did not fully see Jesus. After Jesus shared how the Christ would suffer and die, Peter rebuked Jesus! Rather than disregard Peter as a disciple, Jesus rebuked Peter’s mindset and continued with His mission (vv. 31-38).
 
Rather than start over with new disciples, Jesus went to the cross to die for the ones He had (and us). Jesus gave more than spit to open the eyes of His disciples. Jesus gave His life, knowing that while we now see dimly as in a mirror, one day we will fully see Him face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12). 
 
Today’s Reading

​In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, 2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.” 4 And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” 5 And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” 6 And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. 7 And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them.8 And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9 And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. 10 And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

The Pharisees Demand a Sign11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod
14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”16 And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20 “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21 And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida
22 And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ
27 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you in today’s reading, especially the patience of Jesus with His disciples? 
 
-Where are areas you need a second touch of grace to more fully see Jesus face to face, fueling faith to focus on Him?
 
-Jesus is abounding in steadfast love and committed to the flourishing of disciples’ faith. Take a moment to ask Jesus to re-awaken your heart so that you can continue in the process of more fully seeing Jesus the King. Lord, give us eyes to see!
 
Key Verse
24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 

​Key Verse
17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
 
Meditation
Christian courage is cultivated when believers walk by faith rather than sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith is being sure of what we hope for, certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). Courage is conviction that God has a greater realty.

In today’s reading, Elisha’s disciples moved to the Jordan (vv. 1-7) as the Syrian army moved in to capture Elisha (vv. 8-14). The army surrounded Samaria, and Elisha’s servant was afraid. The servant did not know God’s reality, His angel army with “horses and chariots of fire” surrounding the enemy (v. 17). Elisha prayed for his servant to see and, by God’s mercy, the servant saw God’s greater reality (vv. 15-17). Courage to face the enemy comes when we are certain of what we do not see- Those who are for us is greater than those against us.
 
God works in dimensions we cannot see. God uses the normally unseen spiritual realm to reinforce His covenant love to Daniel (Daniel 9-10). A chorus of angels broke into the visible announcing King Jesus’ entry into the world. In Hebrews 13:2 we are encouraged to show hospitality to strangers because they may be angels. Can you imagine?  Paul emphasizes in Ephesians 6 the unseen cosmic powers we battle in this present evil age. The list could go on… the point:
 
God has a greater reality than what you see, and if He is for us then what can stand against us? Angels are real, so is spiritual warfare. God is faithful, and His greater reality must cultivate Christian courage to live with conviction. 
 
 
Today’s Reading
Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See, the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there.” And he answered, “Go.” 3 Then one of them said, “Be pleased to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.” 4 So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 5 But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Alas, my master! It was borrowed.” 6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. 7 And he said, “Take it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it.
Horses and Chariots of Fire8 Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” 9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.”10 And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice.

11 And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?” 12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”13 And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in Dothan.”14 So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. 19 And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria.

20 As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. 21 As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?” 22 He answered, “You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” 23 So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel.

Ben-hadad's Siege of Samaria
24 Afterward Ben-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria. 25 And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five shekels of silver. 26 Now as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” 27 And he said, “If the Lord will not help you, how shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the winepress?” 28 And the king asked her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29 So we boiled my son and ate him. And on the next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him.’ But she has hidden her son.” 30 When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes—now he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath on his body--31 and he said, “May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today.”

32 Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Now the king had dispatched a man from his presence, but before the messenger arrived Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent to take off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door fast against him. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?” 33 And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the Lord! Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the greater reality God has in what His servants cannot see?
 
-Take a moment to pray for faith to live in confidence of God and His promises, specifically for the Spirit of God to open the eyes of your heart to see the faithfulness of God.
 
-How can you more intentionally walk by faith and not by sight? Where can you hold to God’s promises over and above your pain or problems? 
 
Key Verse
17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

​Key Verse
10 I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
 
Meditation
God’s word is sufficient. God desires for our souls to be satisfied with Scripture.
 
Asaph wrote today’s Psalm for the Feast of Trumpets (“new moon”- 3a) and the Feast of Tabernacles (“full moon” -3b), festivals celebrating harvest and history. Festivals and feasts were the fabric of ancient Israelite society. The Feast of Trumpets celebrated the new year, bringing in of harvest. The Feast of Tabernacles, or booths, celebrated God’s covenant faithfulness during Israel’s wilderness years. Both centered on public reading of Scripture (Deuteronomy 31:10-13). 
 
Asaph structured the psalm with praise (vv. 1-4) and prophetic word (vv. 5-16), satisfying both of his roles as priest and prophet (2 Chronicles 29:30). Beginning with a summons to praise God for His faithfulness, the prophetic portion concludes with the proclamation of God’s desire to satisfy His people with His word- “the finest of wheat” and “honey from the rock.” (v. 16) The wilderness generation “did not listen to (God’s) voice,” but now His people have a choice to “open wide our mouths” for God to fill it (v. 10).
 
God longs for His people to listen (v. 13). God knows His love is the key to open our hearts to hear. Jesus is a greater priest and prophet than Asaph, God’s word made flesh. Jesus represents His unhearing people by living on every word that proceeds from God, (Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3) and substituting for us in His death to fulfill the word of God.  In response to God’s grace, we eat God’s word to sing God’s praise and share God’s faithfulness in Jesus.
 
Today’s Reading
Sing aloud to God our strength;
    shout for joy to the God of Jacob!
2 Raise a song; sound the tambourine,
    the sweet lyre with the harp.
3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
    at the full moon, on our feast day.
4 For it is a statute for Israel,
    a rule of the God of Jacob.
5 He made it a decree in Joseph
    when he went out over the land of Egypt.
I hear a language I had not known:
6 “I relieved your shoulder of the burden;
    your hands were freed from the basket.
7 In distress you called, and I delivered you;
    I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
    I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

8 Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
    O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
9 There shall be no strange god among you;
    you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
10 I am the Lord your God,
    who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
    Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
 
11 “But my people did not listen to my voice;
    Israel would not submit to me.
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
    to follow their own counsels.
13 Oh, that my people would listen to me,
    that Israel would walk in my ways!
14 I would soon subdue their enemies
    and turn my hand against their foes.
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward him,
    and their fate would last forever.
16 But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
    and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially God’s desire to fill the mouths and hearts of His people with His word?
 
-I have a snacking problem and eat a bunch of things between meals. What do you snack on that diminishes your appetite for God’s word? Entertainment? Social media? Over-scheduling social engagements? Acquiring the latest and best must have ________? Be specific.
 
-How does the work of Jesus open your heart with God’s love and empower you to open wide your mouth to feed on God’s word? What, specifically, does this look like for you?
 
Key Verse
10 I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.