Excuses in the Bible

• Luke 14:15-24
  • Even when God offers blessings, we can come up with reasons not to accept them.
• Genesis 3:8-13
  • Excuses have been around since the beginning.
• II Kings 5:10-14
  • Naaman made an excuse to not follow Elisha’s instructions.

Excuses today

• I cannot understand the Bible.
• Some day but not right now.
  • Luke 9:57-62
  • Luke 12:16-21
• Too much to give up.
  • Matthew 16:26
• I’m good enough now.
  • Romans 3:23
  • Acts 4:12

Conclusion

• Romans 1:21
• Excuses do us more harm than good.
• Philippians 2:12

Introduction

• I Timothy 1:18-20

Keep brethren and sisters at arm’s length but get really close with others.

• Acts 2:42-47 – They wanted to be together!
• Acts 4:23 – They met with other Christians to talk about being persecuted.
• Acts 4:32
• Romans 1:12
• Romans 15:22
• Philippians 1:3
• I Thessalonians 3:6
• Hebrews 10:24-25
• Philippians 1:27
• Deuteronomy 13:6-10 – God warned the Israelites of bad influence.
• Proverbs 12:26; 13:20; 14:7; 24:1-2

Make schoolwork your primary focus.

• I Kings 4:1-26, 32-34
• I Kings 7:1
• I Kings 10:4-5
• I Kings 11:4 – Solomon’s spiritual situation was a disaster.
• Romans 6:19
• Be careful not to measure your success by secular standards.
• Matthew 22:37

Deuteronomy 9

• Deuteronomy 9:1-6 – Not due to Israel’s righteousness
  • Deuteronomy 9:4-5 – They were allowed to take the land because of the evil of the nations that were in the land. God was delivering justice and keeping His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
  • Titus 3:4
• Deuteronomy 9:7-29 – Remembering Israel’s failures
  • Deuteronomy 9:16-21 – Moses broke the tablets because he was so angry with their sins.
  • Exodus 32:9-10, 30
  • Deuteronomy 9:22 – See Numbers 11, 13-14.

Deuteronomy 10

• Deuteronomy 10:1-11 – Two more tablets.
  • First two tablets
    • God provided tablets – Exodus 24:12
    • God wrote on tablets – Exodus 31:18
  • Second two tablets
    • Moses cut tablets – Exodus 34:1
    • God wrote on tablets – Exodus 34:1, 28; Deuteronomy 10:4
• Deuteronomy 10:12-22 – God’s love for Israel
  • Deuteronomy 10:12-13 – Compare Micah 6:8; John 14:15; I John 5:3.

Deuteronomy 11

• Deuteronomy 11:1-9 – This generation needs to obey.
  • See Deuteronomy 6:5; 10:12; 11:1; 13:3; 30:6 – Love God!
• Deuteronomy 11:10-17 – God will bless the land with rain.
  • Deuteronomy 11:10-12 – They had to irrigate their crops in Egypt, but in Canaan they would receive rain.
  • Deuteronomy 11:23-25 – They would defeat stronger nations because God was with them.
  • Deuteronomy 11:26-29 – See Joshua 8:33-35.

Review of the text

• John 6:9-11
• John 6:22-27
• Figures of speech in John
  • Physical vs. spiritual
    • John 3:3-7
    • John 4:13-14
    • John 4:31-34
    • John 7:37-38
    • John 8:31-36
    • John 8:38-39, 44
    • John 6:31-35 – Physical bread vs. spiritual bread.
• John 6:44-46 – In v45, it is those who have heard and learned from God that came to Jesus. It was not a miraculous intervention.
• John 6:51-58 – Jesus is the living bread from heaven.
  • The phrases about eating His flesh and drinking His blood are about consuming the teaching that Jesus brought to the world.
    • I Corinthians 1:22

Observations

Check your motive.

• John 6:26, 25, 59-63, 66-68

This is not teaching transubstantiation.

• Matthew 26:26-28
• This teaching is not in the text. Jesus was still there when He said to eat His flesh.
• Drinking blood was not permitted under the Law of Moses.
• This is a figure of speech!

You can learn a lot from reading.

What about David?

• Still young – mid 20s
• Saul still king
  • David already anointed
  • Goliath killed
  • David on the run from Saul
  • Saul had 85 priests killed
  • David spared Saul’s life at Engedi
  • Samuel dies
• I Samuel 25
• David just back from sparing Saul
• Still hiding out
• Considerate of Nabal and his men
• Sends emissaries to Nabal
  • We’ve been good to your shepherds
  • Let us eat from your leftovers

David itching for a fight

• What kind of people did David hang out with?
  • David himself a fighter
    • Lion
    • Bear
    • Goliath
  • Jonathan
  • David’s mighty men
    • II Samuel 23

Abigail acts

• This is the first she’s heard
  • Nabal had insulted the greatest warfighter in Israel
  • Didn’t bother to tell his wife
  • Now she’s hearing it for the first time
• Time to act
  • No delay
  • No holding back
• David and Abigail meet on the trail
  • David still fuming
  • Totally set for a fight
  • Vows death and destruction
  • Abigail shows humility and contriteness
  • Begs David’s audience

Abigail’s plea to David

• Plays down Nabal’s importance
  • He is as his name – foolish folly
  • No need to heed
• Takes blame again
• Calls David’s intent sinful – without calling it sinful
• Calls all of David’s enemies worthless
• Shows that she listens well
• Blesses David
• Appeals to what David knows well

David relents

• Abigail acknowledges David’s kingship
  • Reminds David of the sinful nature of his quest
  • Asks David to remember her when God blesses him
• David thanks God for sending Abigail to him
  • Admits his quest was wrong in God’s eyes
  • Notes the harm he had been determined to do

Aftermath

• David takes the gifts, sends Abigail home
• Finds Nabal
  • Feasting, acting the happy drunk
  • Abigail keeps her silence
  • Waits until morning
• Hangover comes
  • Abigail tells all
  • Nabal catatonic
  • Dies ten days later

Epilogue

• David learns from Abigail
  • Acts quickly at the news of Nabal
  • Acknowledges being blessed by Abigail’s intervention
  • Proclaims that Nabal’s death was at God’s hand
  • Proposes remotely to Abigail
• Abigail’s response
  • Not arrogant at her new position
  • Totally humble
  • Quick to go
  • Begins a life of adventure with David