Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Chronicles 11:20-47.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Chronicles%2011&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“As for Abshai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the thirty, and he swung his spear against three hundred and killed them;  and he had a name as well as the thirty.  Of the three in the second rank he was the most honored and became their commander;  however, he did not attain to the first three.

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, mighty in deeds, struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab.  He also went down and killed a lion inside a pit on a snowy day.  He killed an Egyptian, a man of great stature five cubits tall.  Now in the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.  These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and had a name as well as the three mighty men.  Behold, he was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three;  and David appointed him over his guard.

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Why mention that Abshai “did not attain to the first three” and that Benaiah “did not attain to the three”? 

Normally, when we are honoring outstanding people, we do not mention that they were not among the Top Three.

I think it is profitable to meditate upon a possible purpose for including it in today’s Scripture.

Generally, in life, we are tempted to be satisfied with “good enough”. 

But, what does Scripture state?

“Hear, O Israel!  The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!  You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”  Deuteronomy 6:4-5.

“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  Matthew 5:48.

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may win.”  1 Corinthians 4:24. 

But, there is hope!

“Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.  But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.  For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”  Galatians 3:24.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.  In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”  Ephesians 1:3-6. 

“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”  1 Corinthians 1:30-31.

So, let us go back to the “Therefore you are to be perfect” verse.  You will be perfect, because “your heavenly Father is perfect” and He will provide everything that you need to be perfect.    

Likewise, we read:  “For by one offering He (Christ) has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”  Hebrews 10:14. 

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 1:6.

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:1-2.

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”  James 1:2-4.

“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.  To Him be dominion forever and ever.  Amen.”  1 Peter 5:10-11.

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely;  and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”  1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever.  Amen.”  Jude 1:24.

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Chronicles 11:10-19.

“Now these are the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.  These constitute the list of the mighty men whom David had:  Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the thirty;  he lifted up his spear against three hundred whom he killed at one time.

After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men.  He was with David at Pasdammim when the Philistines were gathered together there to battle, and there was a plot of ground full of barley;  and the people fled before the Philistines.  They took their stand in the midst of the plot and defended it, and struck down the Philistines;  and the LORD saved them by a great victory.

Now three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam, while the army of the Philistines was camping in the valley of Rephaim.  David was then in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.  David had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”  So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David;  nevertheless David would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD;  and he said, “Be it far from me before my God that I should do this.  Shall I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?  For at the risk of their lives they brought it.”  Therefore he would not drink it.  These things the three mighty men did.”  1 Chronicles 11:10-19.

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We trust the LORD.  We do not trust in man.  But, we do realize that the LORD uses people to support us and our work.  We do realize as today’s Scripture states that although mighty men did mighty deeds, it is ultimately the LORD Who saves us.  As today’s Scripture does, and other Scripture does, it is appropriate to honor them. 

“And what more shall I say?  For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.”  Hebrews 11:32-24. 

“Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities.  …  For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.  Render to all what is due them:  tax to whom tax is due;  custom to whom custom;  fear to whom fear;  honor to whom honor.”  Romans 13:1 and 6-7.

Heroes are not limited to mighty men or government leaders.  We have Halls of Fame to honor outstanding people who show excellence in many different areas.  We also give out medals and hold banquets to honor.  We also give thanks and praise to honor.  

They may not directly support us.  But, they and their stories inspire us to be better.  They inspire us to serve God and man.

“The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”  1 Timothy 5:17. 

“‘Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the LORD your God gives you.”  Deuteronomy 5:16.

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”  Philippians 4:8.   

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Chronicles chapter 10.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Chronicles%2010&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the LORD, because of the word of the LORD which he did not keep;  and also because he asked counsel of a medium, making inquiry of it, and did not inquire of the LORD.  Therefore He killed him and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse.”  1 Chronicles 10:13-14.

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Here is a more detailed description both of the word of the LORD and the specifics of Saul’s trespass which he committed against the LORD.

Only priests were allowed to offer burnt offerings.  See, for example, Leviticus 6:8-13.

“Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen, and people like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance;  and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven.  When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were hard-pressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in cliffs, in cellars, and in pits.  Also some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead.  But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal;  and the people were scattering from him.  So Saul said, “Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.”  And he offered the burnt offering.  As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came;  and Saul went out to meet him and to greet him.  But Samuel said, “What have you done?”  And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not asked the favor of the LORD.’  So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.”  Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly;  you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.  But now your kingdom shall not endure.  The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”  1 Samuel 13:5-14.

“‘Do not turn to mediums or spiritists;  do not seek them out to be defiled by them.  I am the LORD your God.”  Leviticus 19:31.

“When Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was afraid and his heart trembled greatly.  When Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets.  Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.”  And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a woman who is a medium at En-dor.”  1 Samuel 28:5-7.

Today, we may not be tempted to offer burnt offerings nor to inquire from a medium.  But, more generally, we may be tempted to disobey the LORD.  Let us consider more generally the following Scriptures.

“Samuel said,

“Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
“For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
He has also rejected you from being king.” 1 Samuel 15:22-23.

We may be tempted to think that the LORD’S punishment of Saul was harsh.  We may think that Saul and the people were hard-pressed in war and that there was not another way to survive.  

Today, we may also feel hard-pressed.  We may also think that we need to take things into our own hands even if it means disobeying the LORD.  

But, there is hope!

“5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your body
And refreshment to your bones.” Proverbs 3:5-8.

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;  and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”  Ezekiel 36:26-27.

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Chronicles 9:28-44.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Chronicles%209&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“Now some of them had charge of the utensils of service, for they counted them when they brought them in and when they took them out.  Some of them also were appointed over the furniture and over all the utensils of the sanctuary and over the fine flour and the wine and the oil and the frankincense and the spices.  Some of the sons of the priests prepared the mixing of the spices.  Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the responsibility over the things which were baked in pans.  Some of their relatives of the sons of the Kohathites were over the showbread to prepare it every sabbath.”  1 Chronicles 9:28-32. 

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“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.  And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.  There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.  But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.  For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;  to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.  But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.  For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body is not one member, but many.  If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.  And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?  If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?  But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.”  1 Corinthians 12:4-18.

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Chronicles 7:30-40.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Chronicles%207&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.    

“The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah, and Serah their sister.  The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith.  Heber became the father of Japhlet, Shomer and Hotham, and Shua their sister.  …  All these were the sons of Asher, heads of the fathers’ houses, choice and mighty men of valor, heads of the princes.  And the number of them enrolled by genealogy for service in war was 26,000 men.”  1 Chronicles 7:30-32 and 40. 

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Let’s meditate generally about what was said about the sons of Asher and meditate upon the hope that it provides.

First, in today’s Scripture, the sons of Asher were described by the word “choice”.

Let us also look at other Scriptures about what Moses and Jacob, the father of Asher, said about Asher and the sons of Asher.

“Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come.

…

“As for Asher, his food shall be rich,
And he will yield royal dainties.” Genesis 49:1 and 20.

“Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the sons of Israel before his death.  He said,

“The LORD came from Sinai,
And dawned on them from Seir;
He shone forth from Mount Paran,
And He came from the midst of ten thousand holy ones;
At His right hand there was flashing lightning for them.
“Indeed, He loves the people;
All Your holy ones are in Your hand,
And they followed in Your steps;
Everyone receives of Your words.

…

Of Asher he said,

“More blessed than sons is Asher;
May he be favored by his brothers,
And may he dip his foot in oil.
“Your locks will be iron and bronze,
And according to your days, so will your leisurely walk be.” Deuteronomy 33:1-3 and 24-25.

What hope does what was said about the tribe of the sons of Asher provide?

We should eagerly seek to learn about all the blessings received by those chosen of the LORD.  And yet, sadly many seek to meditate upon man’s works and man’s alleged free-will. 

“Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
3 Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
5 Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.” Psalm 103:1-5.

Even when we meditate upon the difficulty presented by the ungodly, there is hope for the chosen, “vessels of mercy”, that in sharp contrast to the ungodly, “vessels of wrath prepared for destruction”, God will “make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory”.  

“Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?  What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?  And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.”  Romans 9:21-24.

Now, let us meditate on these other Scriptures.  

“For you are a holy people to the LORD your God;  the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”  Deuteronomy 7:6.

“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;  and these whom He predestined, He also called;  and these whom He called, He also justified;  and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”  Romans 8:29-30.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.  In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”  Ephesians 1:3-6. 

“5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:5-6.

“For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;  but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.  But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”  1 Corinthians 1:26-31.

“But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;  for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD;  you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”  1 Peter 2:9-10.