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Morning
"The king also himself passed over the brook Kidron."
2 Samuel 15:23
David passed that gloomy brook when flying with his mourning company from his traitor son. The man after God's own heart was not exempt from trouble, nay, his life was full of it. He was both the Lord's Anointed, and the Lord's Afflicted. Why then should we expect to escape? At sorrow's gates the noblest of our race have waited with ashes on their heads; wherefore then should we complain as though some strange thing had happened unto us?
The King of kings himself was not favoured with a more cheerful or royal road. He passed over the filthy ditch of Kidron, through which the filth of Jerusalem flowed. God had one Son without sin, but not a single child without the rod. It is a great joy to believe that Jesus has been tempted in all points like as we are. What is our Kidron this morning? Is it a faithless friend, a sad bereavement, a slanderous reproach, a dark foreboding? The King has passed over all these. Is it bodily pain, poverty, persecution, or contempt? Over each of these Kidrons the King has gone before us. "In all our afflictions he was afflicted." The idea of strangeness in our trials must be banished at once and forever, for he who is the Head of all saints, knows by experience the grief which we think so peculiar. All the citizens of Zion must be free of the Honourable Company of Mourners, of which the Prince Immanuel is Head and Captain.
Notwithstanding the abasement of David, he yet returned in triumph to his city, and David's Lord arose victorious from the grave; let us then be of good courage, for we also shall win the day. We shall yet with joy draw water out of the wells of salvation, though now for a season we have to pass by the noxious streams of sin and sorrow. Courage, soldiers of the Cross, the King himself triumphed after going over Kidron, and so shall you.
Evening
"Who healeth all thy diseases."
Psalm 103:3
Humbling as is the statement, yet the fact is certain, that we are all more or less suffering under the disease of sin. What a comfort to know that we have a great Physician who is both able and willing to heal us! Let us think of him awhile tonight. His cures are very speedy--there is life in a look at him; his cures are radical--he strikes at the centre of the disease; and hence, his cures are sure and certain. He never fails, and the disease never returns. There is no relapse where Christ heals; no fear that his patients should be merely patched up for a season, he makes new men of them: a new heart also does he give them, and a right spirit does he put within them. He is well skilled in all diseases. Physicians generally have some speciality. Although they may know a little about almost all our pains and ills, there is usually one disease which they have studied above all others; but Jesus Christ is thoroughly acquainted with the whole of human nature. He is as much at home with one sinner as with another, and never yet did he meet with an out-of-the-way case that was difficult to him. He has had extraordinary complications of strange diseases to deal with, but he has known exactly with one glance of his eye how to treat the patient. He is the only universal doctor; and the medicine he gives is the only true catholicon, healing in every instance. Whatever our spiritual malady may be, we should apply at once to this Divine Physician. There is no brokenness of heart which Jesus cannot bind up. "His blood cleanseth from all sin." We have but to think of the myriads who have been delivered from all sorts of diseases through the power and virtue of his touch, and we shall joyfully put ourselves in his hands. We trust him, and sin dies; we love him, and grace lives; we wait for him and grace is strengthened; we see him as he is, and grace is perfected forever.
===Shimei, Shimi, Shimhi
[Shĭm'eī, Shī'mī, Shĭm'hī] - jehovah is fame or famous.
Shimei, we are told, was a popular name among the Hebrews, being especially common in Levitical circles. But of the majority of men bearing it, little is known apart from the name.
1. The Benjamite of the clan of Saul, son of Gera who cursed David when he fled from Absalom (2 Sam. 16:5, 7, 13; 19:16, 18, 21, 23 ). Although we have little knowledge of this most prominent Shimei, what we do know proves him to be, as Dr. Alexander Whyte expresses it, "A reptile of the royal house of Saul." This Shimei can be described as:
The Man Who Hated the Truth He Knew
This man who lived to curse knew only too well that David had never shed a single drop of Saul's blood, but it was not in his interest to admit the truth he knew. Because of his tribal and family connections it was natural for Shimei to be David's bitter enemy, and to heap his curses and insults upon the fugitive monarch.
When, however, David triumphantly returned after Absalom's tragic death, Shimei met the king with a hypocritical repentance. David accepted his apology and gave an oath that he would not put him to death. When further resistance was useless, Shimei feigned obedience to David, but in his heart was still bitterly opposed to him.
On his deathbed David's last words to Solomon about Shimei's blood being spilt, cause one to wonder whether David's long-suppressed revenge upon his enemy found utterance. Solomon would not allow Shimei to go beyond the walls of Jerusalem. All the time he remained in his city of refuge he was safe. If he passed without it, he would die. Shimei kept this arrangement for three years, then broke it on some trifling occasion and justly forfeited his life. At the command of Solomon he was executed by Benaiah. This was the last of those acts of justice on offenders against David which Solomon performed.
How do we act when men say all manner of evil against us falsely? Do we see the Lord in it all, and that He will work out our salvation in spite of adverse and sore criticisms and circumstances? Do we rest in the fact that the Lord will look upon our affliction and will requite us good for all evil, if only we wisely and silently and adoringly submit ourselves to it?
2. A Courtier, Shimei by name, an officer of David, remained true to the king when Adonijah sought to usurp the throne (1 Kings 1:8).
3. A son of Elah, one of the twelve purveyors of Solomon, in Benjamin ( 1 Kings 4:18). This Shimei has been identified as the one above in 1 Kings 1:8.
4. A son of Gershon, son of Levi, who founded a subdivision of the tribal family of Gershon (Exod. 6:17).
5. A grandson of Jeconiah, son of Jehoiakim king of Judah. A prince of the royal house (1 Chron. 3:19).
6. A son of Zacchur, the Benjamite with sixteen sons and six daughters ( 1 Chron. 4:26, 27).
7. A Reubenite, son of Gog (1 Chron. 5:4).
8. A Merarite, son of Libni (1 Chron. 6:29).
9. Father of a chief family in Judah (1 Chron. 8:21).
10. A Levite of the family of Laadan - grandson of Levi (1 Chron. 23:9).
11. A Levite to whom the tenth lot fell in the singing service of the Tabernacle during David's time. A son of Jeduthun (1 Chron. 25:3, 17).
12. A Ramathite who was overseer in David's vineyards (1 Chron. 27:27).
13. A descendant of Heman, who took part in the cleansing of the Temple in Hezekiah's time (2 Chron. 29:14).
14. A Levite and brother of Conaniah, who had charge of the tithes (2 Chron. 31:12, 13).
15. A Levite who had taken a strange wife (Ezra 10:23).
16. One of the family of Hashum who put away his wife (Ezra 10:33).
17. A son of Bani, who also put away his strange wife (Ezra 10:38).
18. A Benjamite, son of Kish and grandfather of Mordecai (Esther 2:5).
19. A representative, perhaps of the Gershonites who participated in mourning for national guilt ( Zech. 12:13).
===Today's reading: 2 Chronicles 13-14, John 12:1-26 (NIV)
View today's reading on Bible GatewayToday's Old Testament reading: 2 Chronicles 13-14
Abijah King of Judah
1 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah, 2 and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother's name was Maakah, a daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.
There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah went into battle with an army of four hundred thousand able fighting men, and Jeroboam drew up a battle line against him with eight hundred thousand able troops....
...read the rest on Bible Gateway
Today's New Testament reading: John 12:1-26
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume....
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