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Wednesday
The First
Lesson
2 Samuel 18:1-17
1 And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains
of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
2 And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand
of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of
Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai
the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely
go forth with you myself also.
3 But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we
flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die,
will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of
us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the
city.
4 And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do.
And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came
out by hundreds and by thousands.
5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying,
Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom.
And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains
charge concerning Absalom.
6 So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the
battle was in the wood of Ephraim;
7 Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of
David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty
thousand men.
8 For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the
country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the
sword devoured.
9 And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon
a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak,
and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between
the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went
away.
10 And
a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw
Absalom hanged in an oak.
11 And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou
sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground?
and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.
12 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand
shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine
hand against the king's son: for in our hearing the king charged
thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the
young man Absalom.
13 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own
life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself
wouldest have set thyself against me.
14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took
three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of
Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.
15 And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed about
and smote Absalom, and slew him.
16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing
after Israel: for Joab held back the people.
17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the
wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all
Israel fled every one to his tent.
1st Lesson Questions -
The conversation between a "certain man" and Joab is a conversation between obedience and disobedience, in reference to King David's instructions (V. 10-14) Which fellow am I more like - the man or Joab, in reference to Christ the King's instructions to me? RESOLVE.
The Second
Lesson
2 Corinthians 7:2-16
2 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man,
we have defrauded no man.
3 I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that
ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.
4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying
of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all
our tribulation.
5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest,
but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within
were fears.
6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down,
comforted us by the coming of Titus;
7 And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith
he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire,
your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced
the more.
8 For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent,
though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath
made you sorry, though it were but for a season.
9 Now
I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed
to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that
ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
10 For
godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented
of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly
sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing
of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what
vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things
ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
12 Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause
that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong,
but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto
you.
13 Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly
the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was
refreshed by you all.
14 For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed;
but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting,
which I made before Titus, is found a truth.
15 And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst
he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling
ye received him.
16 I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.
2nd Lesson Questions -
Have I wronged, corrupted or defrauded anyone? (V. 2) What is godly sorrow? (V. 10) Have I ever experienced it? Must a Christian experience it? When's the last time I "sorrowed to repentance." (V. 9) When's the last time I had that opportunity, but refused to do so? RESOLVE.