Daily Bible Reading “David Counts the Fighting Men” (2 Samuel 24:1-9)

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Deborah H. Bateman

David Counts the Fighting Men

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from 2 Samuel 24:1-9. The LORD was angry with his people so He influenced David to count the fighting men of Israel and Judah.

1 Chronicles 21:1 says that Satan was the one who incited David to take a count. Whether it was Satan or the LORD allowed Satan to cause David to do this is irrelevant at this point. The fact that David was determined to do it is what we need to know.

King David told Joab, the captain of the army to go and take a census of the men from Dan to Beersheba so he could know how many warriors there were during that time.

Joab couldn’t understand why the king wanted a count of the soldiers and questioned him about it, but the king prevailed, and Joab did as the king asked.

Joab and the captains of the army went out and counted the men like the king had requested. It took them nine months and twenty days to travel throughout all of Israel and Judah and take a count of the people.

Joab reported back to the king with the numbers. There were eight hundred thousand valiant men in Israel and five hundred thousand men in Judah.

What was the purpose of counting the men? Was this a pride thing for David? Did he want to know how many men there were in his army so he could brag about it, or what?

Daily Bible Reading:

2 Samuel 24:1-9

1 And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.
3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?
4 Notwithstanding the king’s word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.
5 And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer:
6 Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtimhodshi; and they came to Danjaan, and about to Zidon,
7 And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beersheba.
8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

Things to think about:

Why did the king want a count of all of the men?
Who did he put in charge of the project?
Who went with him to count the men?
What was the results of their census?

Prayer of the Day:

As we read this Scripture we see that You were angry with Israel. We see that David was enticed to count the fighting men. Help us to discern whether our ideas are from you or from the enemy. Give us strength and wisdom to make the right decisions. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

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Featured Book:

The Book of Malachi: A Message from the LORD
By Deborah H. Bateman

About the book:
The Book of Malachi: A Message from the LORD is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman. Malachi was considered to be a “Messenger of the LORD.” God delivered His message to the people of Israel through Malachi. Malachi was one of the twelve prophets from the Old Testament. The book of Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament of the Bible.

The Book of Malachi: A Message from the LORD includes eight Daily Bible Reading Lessons. Each lesson contains a brief commentary from the author, the Daily Bible Reading Scriptures, a few questions for discussion or contemplation, and a prayer for the day to go along with the lesson. This book is great for a personal daily devotional or for a group Bible study.

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Daily Bible Reading “David Hides in a Cave” 1 Samuel 22:1-10

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Deborah H. Bateman

David Hides in a Cave

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from 1 Samuel 22:1-10. David escaped and went to the cave at Adullam. When his brothers and all those who were at his father’s house heard where David was they went to be with him.

A group of about four hundred discontented people gathered with David and he became the captain over them.

David was concerned for the well-being of his mother and father so he went Mizpeh of Moab and asked the king of Moab if they could stay there. The king of Moab allowed David’s parents to stay there while David was in hiding.

The prophet Gad told David to go to the land of Judah. So David went to hide in the forest of Hareth.

Saul, was stationed with his men in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, with his sword in his hand, ready for battle. Saul heard that David had been found.

Saul asked his men if they thought David would give them fields and vineyards and make them captains over his army. He questioned them as to why they had conspired against him. Why hadn’t they told him that his son, Jonathan, had made a pact with David, the son of Jesse?

Doeg, the Edomite, spoke up and told Saul that he saw David at Nob with Ahimelech. Doeg informed Saul that Ahimelech prayed to God for David and gave David food and Goliath’s sword. I bet Saul was not a happy camper when he heard this news.

Daily Bible Reading:

1 Samuel 22:1-10

1 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.
2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
3 And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.
4 And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.
5 And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.
6 When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;)
7 Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;
8 That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
10 And he enquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.

Things to think about:

To where did David escape?

Who found out where David was and came to him?

How many people came to David’s rescue?

How did Saul find out where David had been?

Prayer of the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we read this Scripture we see that David was provided with people to help support him during his time of trouble. We thank You that You send people into our lives to meet our needs, especially when we are going through troubled times. Help us to be thankful for the people in our lives who support us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

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Daily Bible Reading “God Provides for David” (1 Samuel 21:1-15)

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Deborah H. Bateman

God Provides for David

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from 1 Samuel 21:1-15. David left Jonathan and went to Nob to see Ahimelech, the priest. Ahimelech was afraid when he saw David and asked him why was he alone.

David told Ahimilech that the king had sent him on business and told him not to tell anybody about what the king wanted him to do. David asked Ahimelech for five loaves of bread or whatever he had.

Ahimelech told David there was no common bread only hallowed bread, but if the men had kept away from women they could have it. David promised Ahimelech that the young men had not been with women for at least three days. So Ahimelech gave David the hollowed bread.

One of Saul’s servants was there that day. His name was Doeg, an Edomite, who was the chief herdsman for Saul.

David also asked Ahimelech if he had a sword or spear he could have. He told Ahimelech that he didn’t bring his with him because of the hasty manner of the king’s business.

Ahimelech told David the only sword in his possession was the one that David used to kill Goliath. David gladly took the sword that Ahimelech offered him. Isn’t it amazing how God provided David’s needs even when he was on the run?

For fear of his life David left Ahimelech and went to see Ahish the king of Gath. Ahish’s servants recognized David and asked wasn’t he the king of Israel. David was afraid of Ahish so he pretended to be crazy. The king asked his servants why they brought this mad man to him.

Daily Bible Reading:

1 Samuel 21:1-15

1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.
4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.
6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.
8 And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.
9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.
10 And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
15 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?

Things to think about:

When David left Jonathan where did he go?

What two things did David request?

Where did David go next?

What did he do there?

Prayer of the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we read this Scripture in 1 Samuel we see that David was on the run. We see that he was provided bread to eat and a sword for protection. Thank You for all the ways You provide for us. Help us to realize that no matter the circumstances You have ways of providing our needs. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

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PS. Thank you for coming to DeborahHBateman.com to study the Bible with us. Come back again tomorrow. Please invite your friends and family to join us for Bible Study. We will continue with the study of The Book of 1 Samuel.

Daily Bible Reading/The Book of 2 Thessalonians

Have you read our newest release?

The Book of 2 Thessalonians

By Deborah H. Bateman

About the book:

The Book of 2 Thessalonians: Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman. The book of 2 Thessalonians is one of the Apostle Paul’s Epistles (letters). It’s part of the New Testament of the Bible.

In the book of 2 Thessalonians, Paul encourages the Thessalonians to glorify the Lord, to stand fast, and to not grow weary in well doing. He also talks about the Second Coming of the Lord.

The Book of 2 Thessalonians: Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians contains four Daily Bible Reading lessons. Each lesson contains a brief commentary by the author, the daily Bible Scripture, a few questions for contemplation or discussion, and a prayer of the day. This is a great study for an individual or group Bible study.
Go to: http://amazon.com/dp/B00KLQH25E

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Have a blessed day,

Deborah

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How to Enjoy Reading and Studying the Bible

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Deborah H. Bateman

Some people may find reading and studying the Bible to be hard, while others find it inspirational, encouraging, and uplifting. Reading the Bible and coming to know the Lord can be a life-changing experience.

Making a habit of reading from the Bible every day is a good habit to get into. It will help you get to know the Bible and get to know the Lord.

When studying the Bible, you go a little deeper than just reading it. You can actually dig in and ask yourself some questions to help you comprehend and apply what you have read.

I like to study one book at a time in the Bible so I can get a clear understanding of what that book is about rather than skipping around to different passages of Scripture.

10 Questions to Ask Yourself While Studying the Bible

I have ten questions that I want to share with you that may help you as you study the Bible. I’ve broken them down into two sets of questions.

The first set of questions, you can ask yourself, while reading and studying the Bible, is the who, what, where and when questions:

Who is writing this passage of Scripture?

Who is it about?

What is going on in this Scripture?

What can I learn from this Scripture?

Where is the Scripture taking place?

When is this Scripture taking place?

The next set of questions you might like to ask yourself is more about your senses:

What do you see in this Scripture?

What do you hear in this Scripture?

What do you feel in this Scripture?

How does this Scripture make you feel?

I hope applying these questions to your Bible study time will help you to dig deeper into God’s Word and come out feeling like you are really getting to know and understand what the Bible is all about. If you would like to join us for our daily Bible study you can subscribe to Daily-Bible-Reading, where we share a daily devotional Monday through Friday.

You may also like to check out some of the books I’ve written about different books of the Bible or specific topics. I take you through the book one day at a time sharing a brief commentary, the daily Bible Scripture, a few questions for contemplation and a prayer for the day. All of my books are available on Amazon.

May God bless you as you read and study the Bible,

Deborah

Book Launch and Sale

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Deborah H. Bateman

We’ve published our next book in the Daily-Bible-Reading Series.

It’s another of Paul’s letters: The Book of Ephesians. We’re offering it at a special introductory price of only 99 cents January 30th – February 5th. As part of the celebration of our new book we’re offering three more of Paul’s letters on the Kindle countdown promotion. Get your copies now!

**New Release**

The Book of Ephesians: Paul’s Letter to the Church at Ephesus

by Deborah H. Bateman

About the book:

The Book of Ephesians: Paul’s Letter to the Church at Ephesus is a Daily-Bible-Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman. It is a study of the book of Ephesians from the New Testament of the Bible. Ephesians is one of the Apostle Paul’s letters, which was written to the church at Ephesus.

In the book of Ephesians Paul reminds us that we are chosen of God. He encourages us to walk in unity in the church. He talks about our various relationships including our relationship with Christ, with each other, the husband-wife relationship and others. He also exhorts us to put on the full armor of God so that we are clothed for battle against the enemy.

The Book of Ephesians: Paul’s Letter to the Church at Ephesus consists of twelve lessons, which can be used for an individual daily Bible study or a group Bible study. Each lesson consists of a brief commentary, the Bible Scripture, a few questions for contemplation called, “Things to think about,” and a prayer for the day.

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We’re also offering these books at discounted rates January 30th – February 5th

The Book of 1 Timothy: Paul’s First Letter to Timothy

The Book of 2 Timothy: Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy

The Book of Titus: Paul’s Letter to Titus

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Thanks for joining the celebration. Enjoy the books!

Blessings,

Deborah